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Home Soups

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (from scratch!)

By:Nagi
Published:14 Jan '19Updated:14 May '20
259 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

A homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe made from scratch using a whole chicken. With a beautifully flavoured golden chicken broth, this is a classic everyone should know!

Made the old fashioned way by boiling a whole chicken, you can toss in any vegetables, noodles or pasta and it’s going to be amazing. And everybody knowns Chicken Soup is the best soup for a cold!

Overhead photo of Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch (whole chicken) in a bowl, ready to be eaten

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – from scratch!

This is a Chicken Noodle Soup made the old fashioned way. Regular readers know that “cool” is certainly not my middle name. I’m not one for following food trends.

I just like good food done right. I’ll give foam and cauliflower crust pizza a miss thanks! 😂

The BEST soup for a cold??

“Everyone” knows that when you’re struck down with Man Flu*, the only thing that will nurse you back to health is Chicken soup….

While it’s questionable whether it’s been conclusively scientifically proven that Chicken soup is even better than medicine, here’s 3 reasons why Chicken soup (noodle or otherwise) is a great remedy for a cold:

  • Hydration from the natural salt in chicken;
  • Warm non-creamy soup broth and steam helps clear nasal and throat passageways; and
  • Immune boosting antioxidants and nutrition from carrots, celery, onion and garlic.

From a practical perspective, it’s light so it’s easy to stomach, doesn’t require much effort to chew or (heaven forbid!) the effort of a knife and fork. And even when you’re sick, you can still appreciate the tastiness of a beautiful Chicken Noodle soup!
* Man Flu official definition according to Dictionary.com: “a case of the common cold as suffered by a man, implying that he is exaggerating the debilitating effects of the illness” Just saying’…..

 

Pot of Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch with boiled chicken beside it

How to make this good old fashioned chicken noodle soup

Yes there’s more steps than quick and easy chicken noodle soup recipes, but it is so worth it because this broth is something money can’t buy!

  1. Simmer (don’t boil!) a whole chicken with broth flavourings (celery, carrot, garlic, peppercorns, herbs) for 1.5 hours to 2 hours until the flesh is tender enough to shred without effort;
  2. Remove scum that floats to the surface once or twice;
  3. Remove the chicken and the carrot etc;
  4. Shred the chicken. You’ll need just under half for this recipe, save the rest for other uses;
  5. Make it even healthier – and the broth even clearer! Refrigerate the broth so the fat hardens on the surface, then scoop it off.
  6. Sauté onion, garlic, carrot and celery slowly – The slower, the better! The vegetables become sweeter with a more intense flavour;
  7. Add homemade broth and noodles. Once the noodles are almost cooked, toss the chicken back in just to heat up;
  8. Serve!

How to make Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch (whole chicken)

Best pasta for Chicken Noodle Soup

You can use any type of noodles or pasta for Chicken Noodle Soup. Short twisted egg noodles and pasta shapes are ideal – for ease of eating.

I tend to use whatever I have. For long straight pastas like fettuccine (which is what I used because I had it), just break them into 3 or 4 pieces for ease of eating.

Close ups of clear chicken soup broth for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

How to ensure your soup broth is clear

One of the things we all love about a great chicken noodle soup is how clear the broth is. Transparent – yet full of flavour! There’s a few tricks to the clear broth:

  • Simmer the chicken really gently. Harder boil gets the chicken jiggling around = murkier broth
  • Scoop the scum off the surface (#2 in photo below);
  • Let the broth settle (or refrigerate overnight). You’ll find that the bottom of the broth becomes darker as “stuff” settles on the base of the pot. Then gently pour the broth into the soup pot, leaving behind the darker broth that settled to the bottom of the pot;
  • Don’t brown the sautéed onion, carrots and celery. Brown veggies = brown broth!
  • Don’t stir the pasta while it boils. That activates the starch in the pasta, making the broth cloudier.

Close up of Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch in a pot, ready to be served

What to do with leftover chicken

You probably won’t even use half the meat on the chicken for this Chicken Noodle Soup. So here’s a few ideas for things to make with the leftover cooked chicken:

  • Chinese Chicken Salad or Thai Chicken Salad
  • White Chicken Enchiladas or Quesadillas (just pan fry shredded chicken briefly with Quesadilla seasoning)
  • Chinese Fried Rice or try THAI Fried Rice!
  • Chicken Pot Pie
  • Make a Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup!
  • Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup or a Creamy Chicken Pasta

I kept the veggies in the soup fairly classic, using just onion, carrots and celery. But don’t let my lack of imagination deter you – add whatever you want! – Nagi xx


Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – from scratch!
Watch how to make it

Homemade chicken noodle soup recipe video!

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Overhead photo of Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch (whole chicken) in a bowl, ready to be eaten

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (from scratch!)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr 40 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Soup
4.99 from 54 votes
Servings6
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. A classic version made from scratch using a whole chicken. It's light yet full of flavour that you can't get using store bought chicken broth!

Ingredients

Homemade Broth:

  • 1.8 kg / 3.5 lb whole chicken , rinsed and cleaned, the best quality you can afford (Note 1)
  • 1 head of garlic , cut in half horiztonally
  • 2 carrots , cut into chunks
  • 2 celery ribs , cut into chunks
  • 2 onions , peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves , fresh or dried
  • 4 thyme sprigs (or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves)
  • 9 - 10 cups (2.25L) water

Soup:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion , diced
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 medium carrots , cut in quarters lengthwise then chopped
  • 2 celery ribs , cut into 1 cm/ 1/2" thick pieces
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (from homadme broth)
  • 2 litres / 2 quarts homemade chicken broth (above)
  • 200 g/ 6 oz egg noodles or pasta of choice (Note 3)
  • 2 - 3 tsp Vegeta or other stock powder (Note 4)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 4 thyme sprigs , optional
  • 1 bay leaf , optional
  • Finely chopped parsley , for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Broth:

  • Place the chicken in a large pot. Add remaining Broth ingredients, then add enough water so the chicken is just covered (too much water = weak broth). 
  • Cover with lid, bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Then adjust heat so it's simmering GENTLY with the lid on. Simmer 1.5 hours until chicken is tender and easily comes off the bone. (Or 8 hours on low in a slow cooker)
  • Scoop scum off surface once or twice during first 30 minutes.
  • Transfer chicken to pan. Shred meat and discard bones.
  • Remove carrots, celery etc from broth, and discard. Optional: Chop carrot and celery, add back into soup with chicken. (Note 5)
  • Optional: Refrigerate soup for a few hours until the fat sets, then scoop the fat off the surface (I do this, healthier & makes soup clearer).

Soup:

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium meat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots, cook for 5 minutes until softened and a bit sweet, don't let them brown.
  • Turn heat up to medium high. Gently pour 8 cups broth in (top up with water if necessary), leaving behind residue settled in the bottom of the broth pot. 
  • Add Vegeta (stock powder), thyme, bay leaf and pepper. Stir.
  • When it starts bubbling, add noodles/pasta. Cook for time per packet MINUS 2 minutes. Stir gently only once or twice (Note 6).
  • Add chicken, stir (it warms quickly), then season with salt and pepper to taste - season well!
  • Serve soup immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken size: This recipe will work fine for any chicken larger than 1.5kg/3lb. Any smaller and the broth flavour may be slightly lacking but you can just top up flavour with Vegeta, or chicken or vegetable stock powder/crumbled bouillon cube. 
Will also work with: drumsticks, bone in skin on thighs.
3. Noodles: Any pasta or noodles work perfectly here. Short, wide twisted noodles/pasta are ideal for ease of eating. Break Lon strand pasta into 3 or 4. I typically use whatever I have - I used fettuccine in the photos/video.
4. Vegeta - Vegeta is a brand of vegetable stock powder, labelled "Gourmet Seasoning" and "All Purpose Seasoning" in the US & Canada. See here for a photo, video, and here it is on Amazon US. Read in this post about Vegeta and MSG misconceptions! It's my favourite stock powder to use in soup broths because of the flavour, colour, clarity and that you get little "bits" in the soup. It's sold in the herb & spice aisle of supermarkets here in Australia.
You can use stock powder (same amount)or crumbled bouillon cube (1 for each teaspoon) - use chicken or vegetable. 
5. Cooked carrots & celery - I tend to discard because stove simmering for this long makes them extremely soft, bordering on mushy. If using slow cooker, they tend to have a better texture so I chop and toss them in (like in Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup). But you can add them if you want - extra veg!
6. Stirring lots = activates pasta starch = cloudy broth
7. How to store Chicken Noodle Soup: Noodles bloat! So best to separate the noodles and veggies from the soup, then store separately. Will keep for 3 - 4 days in the fridge. Broth will freeze for months.
Things to make with Leftover Chicken: You'll only use 1/2 the chicken, if that. See in post for a list of suggestions of things to make!
8. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 464gCalories: 277cal (14%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Cholesterol: 60mg (20%)Sodium: 563mg (24%)Potassium: 669mg (19%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 3525IU (71%)Vitamin C: 5.1mg (6%)Calcium: 48mg (5%)Iron: 1.7mg (9%)
Keywords: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Originally published May 2017. Updated with new words, new photos, a better video. Very minor changes to recipe to streamline / improve flavour slightly!

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259 Comments

  1. Herdah Warner says

    March 4, 2021 at 1:54 pm

    Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Our whole family loves it!!! Is there a reason why we season at the end? Will it affect it if I season before I put in the noodles? That way I don’t have to stir so much after.

    Reply
  2. amy collins says

    March 4, 2021 at 5:33 am

    can i use chicken thighs instead?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 4, 2021 at 12:11 pm

      Hi Amy, as long as they are bone in that will be fine – I mention this in the notes 🙂 N x

      Reply
  3. Chris says

    March 3, 2021 at 7:42 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    Thank you for so many wonderful recipes; all nicely outside the ordinary.
    This is really a one-stop website for culinary over-indulgence!
    And heaps of pats for Dozer!

    Reply
  4. Alli says

    February 8, 2021 at 1:15 am

    Delicious, classic chicken soup! I would suggest using all of the broth and all of the chicken, double the rest of the soup ingredients, and leave out the pasta/noodles. Freeze the soup in smaller batches and add the pasta or noodles when reheating. So much better than canned soup!

    Reply
  5. Krystal says

    January 27, 2021 at 4:59 am

    Very excited to one day try to make the broth however for a quick make would it be possible to buy broth and then still make the soup portion of the recipe as is? Thanks!! Absolutely love your recipes they’re a staple in our house.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 27, 2021 at 2:07 pm

      Hi Krystal, give this recipe a try instead 🙂 https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-and-vegetable-noodle-soup/ N x

      Reply
      • Krystal says

        January 27, 2021 at 3:04 pm

        Thank you so much! I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate you actually responding to comments. Made your quick Asian beef noodles tonight which has become a house staple can’t wait to make the soup tomorrow.

        Reply
  6. Sandra says

    January 4, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    Best chicken soup I have ever made 😋. I will make this broth for all my holiday needs. My soup was a clear Golden broth with lots of fresh parsley.. keep the pasta separate. Thanks 😊

    Reply
  7. Kate says

    December 9, 2020 at 1:18 am

    Hi Nagi, can i use kale stem instead of celery in chicken noodle soup?

    Don’t have any celery but have kale in the garden! I never know what to use the stems for…

    Thanks

    Reply
  8. Holley says

    December 6, 2020 at 12:05 pm

    5 stars
    First time I made chicken soup from a whole chicken and it came out fabulous! Thank you so much for including all of your tips they really help!

    Reply
  9. Nancy Peterson says

    December 4, 2020 at 7:16 am

    Very good taste but I’m not a fan of so much celery so would half the amount and slice smaller. Also, when I make next time I will thin slice carrot disks rather than chop as directed. Love your recipes and Dozer!

    Reply
  10. Deborah Jackson says

    November 15, 2020 at 10:17 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing – absolutely perfect – if you make it exactly as is, you won’t be disappointed! I was skeptical about the whole head of garlic in the stock, but it adds such a subtle flavour, so good! I really do love your recipes, Nagi 🙂 they are so delicious

    Reply
  11. Sue says

    October 24, 2020 at 10:53 am

    5 stars
    Soup was great! The tips were especially helpful for getting clear broth! Will try more recipes from your website.

    Reply
  12. Barbara Smith says

    October 24, 2020 at 6:21 am

    It turned out great !!! Will do again.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 24, 2020 at 10:08 am

      That’s great to hear Barbara!! N x

      Reply
  13. Jill says

    September 21, 2020 at 11:36 pm

    I’m looking forward to making this today! Quick question, does the celery have a big impact on flavor? IS it something I can omit?
    Thank you!

    Reply
  14. Amber says

    August 22, 2020 at 6:22 am

    I have always made homemade chicken soup I made some adjustments but the best way to eat homemade chicken noodle soup is to make mashed potatoes put them in the bowl and for the noodles try Amish kluski noodles and it’s really fantastic. People are always like eww regarding the potatoes but 1 bite and it’s the only way to eat it from then on

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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