About The Chicken Stock:
If your questioning whether you should use homemade chicken stock, or store-bought for this recipe, homemade is definitely the way to go! The secret is to use a rotisserie chicken so that you can use the meat in the soup and make chicken broth with the leftover carcass and bones. You wont believe how easy it is and it really takes the soup over top in terms of depth of flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
From store-bought broth to a hint of lemon, this recipe works in so many ways!
Pantry staples It doesnt get any simpler than using store-bought broth, herbs, pre-cooked chicken , olive oil, and other easy pantry and fridge ingredients.
Lemon My trick to brightening up the flavors in this homemade chicken noodle soup is to use fresh lemon juice. A tiny bit tangy, and oh-so-flavorful, youll never make chicken noodles soup without lemon again.
Garlic Some people are pro garlic in chicken noodle soup, some are not. Easy to add, easy to leave out. But I say go for it! Its worth the hint of garlic in this chicken noodle soup recipe!
Peas Heres another veggie thats very polarizing. I think, the more veggies I can add to my diet, the better, and this is one way to add in peas that the kids dont complain about. Plus, its as easy as tearing open a bag of frozen peas, measuring, and dumping in.
Make With A Whole Chicken
I love making my Grandma’s soup with a whole chicken. The raw chicken cooks in the soup! If you do not have a whole chicken on hand, you can easily use other chicken parts…it is best to use chicken with the bones as the bones add a lot of nutrients to the soup while cooking.
Add your raw whole chicken to a stockpot. Add in low sodium chicken broth, seasonings, vegetables, and water. Cover and bring the chicken soup to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow this chicken soup to simmer for two hours.
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How To Make Old Fashioned Chicken Soup From Scratch
Follow these simple directions and in a few hours, you too could be enjoying this wonderful soup. As I am the type of cook that tends to add a pinch of this and a glop of that and taste, my apologies for the lack of specific amounts All efforts have been made to approximate how much of each ingredient is added.
Take your whole, rinsed, chicken along with your organ meats if you choose, and place into a large stockpot. I use a 24-quart stainless steel stockpot similar to the ones below. Again, use a larger one than you think you will need.
Cover the whole chicken with good, filtered water and bring to the boil. Cover , reduce the heat and simmer for 3 plus hours, depending on the size of the bird. We have used an 8# bird for this soup and simmered ours for 3 1/2 hours. You will know its cooked well enough when the skin begins to peel back from the leg bones and or you can twist the leg bone easily.
PRO TIP: Halfway through simmering time, roll the bird over in the water to evenly cook.
While the chicken is simmering, prepare your vegetables and gather your ingredients. The star of this homemade chicken soup are carrots , celery , and onions . Peel, chop and slice to your liking and set aside. Additional and optional ingredients are listed below.
Remove the chicken, and organ meat if used, once all is completely cooked from the pot and cool. I find it helpful to peel back the skin while its still hot and then allow the rest of the chicken to cool.
Is Chicken Noodle Soup Really A Remedy For Colds And Flu
Chicken soup, including chicken noodle soup, has always been believed to possess restorative health qualities. The earliest reference we know of that describes chicken soups healing qualities is from Sephardic Jewish philosopher Maimonides who described it as a treatment for leprosy, asthma, and malnutrition. While these claims may seem a bit far-fetched today, there has been a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that chicken soup helps with colds and flu.
In the 1990s, a researcher from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Stephen Rennard, took it upon himself to research these claims, using his grandmothers chicken soup recipe as his guide, and his findings confirmed that chicken soup does indeed have healing properties. Specifically he found that the ingredients in chicken soup have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body: He found they inhibited the movement of white blood cells which decreased mucous production, reduced inflammation, and boosted the immune system, thereby aiding the body in fighting off infection. Chicken soup also contains a number of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.
In addition the gelatin created by the bones in the chicken has a lot of nutrients that boost liver function and detoxification, help build bone and cartilage, and improve digestion.
So besides being some of the best comfort food out there, chicken noodle soup really is very good for you too!
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Uhhomemade Noodles That Sounds Like A Lot Of Work
The other from scratch aspect is the egg noodles. If youve never made your own egg noodles before, my one big piece of advice is to roll them as thin as you possibly can. Like, paper, see-through thin. They will expand like those growing dinosaur sponges you used to get from the dollar store as a kid .
How Do You Make Soup From Scratch Without Stock
There are two parts of this recipe that really make it from scratchthe first is using a whole chicken to create the stock, right in the same pot that you cook the soup in. It gives you so much incredible flavor that youll never be able to recreate using a store bought broth. You can make some darn good soup using the boxed stuff , but for the best ever chicken noodle soup, make it fresh using a whole chicken. Youll be happy you did.
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This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Is A Game Changer
Whats so great about making chicken noodle soup from scratch when you could just open a can and call it dinner? Well, aside from the fact that your family will love the way it tastes , you can feel good that youre feeding them a home cooked meal full of the good stuff . Chicken broth, veggies, some dried herbs, a store-bought rotisserie chicken and some egg noodles are all it takes to feed your family a meal full of flavor, nutrition and love. Yeah, you got this!
Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch
You may never buy the canned stuff again after I show you how to make chicken noodle soup from scratch. So easy and delicious! Ive included instructions for making it in your Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Oh, cold and flu seasonyou are already upon us. My family has already caught our first couple cold viruses of the season. It seems like as soon as the kids start back to school, ALL the germs start popping back up. And after all the holiday get-togethers, germs seem to crop up as well.
So during cold season I make chicken noodle soup. Like, a lot.
Because nothing hits the spot when you are sick quite like some chicken noodle soup from scratch. Amiright?!
You can use your own homemade chicken stock to make this , which is what I used for this recipe. Or you can totally use the boxed stuff from the store. Or even water, plus Better than Bullion chicken base. I have personally used all of those, and it turns out great any of those ways.
I have also been making this in my Instant Pot lately, so I am updating my recipe to include instructions for that. Note: These are Amazon affiliate links.
But you are not going to believe how simple it is to make this! The most work you will exert will be a little chopping.
Side note: I used to remove celery leaves from things. I dont do that any more. You can see a few poking out in the above photo. I find that the celery leaves add more flavor.
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Chicken Noodle Soup Made From Scratch In Under 30 Minutes
Even as professional food bloggers, there are many nights we struggle with dinner. After all, were only human! Far too often, the kids hunger arrives before a real meal plan does. In those situations, rather than panic or serve PB& J for dinneralthough theres nothing wrong with that, eitherwe often turn to this easy chicken noodle soup recipe. It comes together so quickly and you dont need any fancy or special ingredients. And it uses one of our very favorite short cutsa rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Unique Additions To Chicken Soup From Scratch
Dont feel as though you need to keep to this recipe! Be adventurous! Make changes to suit your tastes and dietary needs. Here are a few suggestions you may want to add to create additional flavor and or healing components to your chicken soup.
- Garlic High in vitamins & minerals, garlic has been used medicinally for ages. Studies are now confirming garlics roll in preventing and treating the common cold
- Turmeric Turmerics health benefits are many, but none are better suited to chicken soup as a cold relief than its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds
- Alternative Herbs Adjusting the herbs used to suit your tastes is easy. Dont like the herbs weve chosen to use? Think basil, parsley, or even tarragon in its place
- Ginger Ginger contains a bioactive compound gingerol, which is largely responsible for all of gingers medicinal properties. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidants make ginger the perfect addition
- Bone Broth If you are looking to add even greater depth of flavor and umami to your chicken soup, add your own homemade bone broth. Dont know how? Check out our tutorial on how to make bone broth and why you should!
- Noodles If rice isnt your thing, make noodles and add to the soup once the vegetables are finished cooking
There you have it! Our recipe for what is in our humble opinion, the best chicken soup from scratch recipe made the old fashioned way! Already make your own? What are your favorite additions to add?
Love, Light, & Laughter ~
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The Quick Version: 30
If you already have chicken stock , you can make this chicken noodle soup in 30 minutes or less just start at step six.
Add chopped carrots and celery to the stock and bring to a simmer. Then add chopped chicken breast or thighs and bring to a simmer again. Then add dry noodles. When the noodles are done, add seasonings like parsley, salt, pepper, and thyme, and you’re done!
The Best Noodles And Condiments
You can buy fresh noodles at Asian markets, which is a nice treat, but dried rice noodles work perfectly as well. Even if you use fresh or dried, never cook the noodles in the broth.
If you do this, the broth will become cloudy. So, cook them in another pot and add the cooked noodles to your bowl just before adding hot broth.
As for condiments, were partial to Thai basil , fresh mint, crispy bean sprouts, a teeny tiny splash of fish sauce, and some Asian chili sauce.
Hoisin sauce is also pretty common, but we rarely add it ourselves it can take over the delicate deep flavor of the broth.
Oh, and while its not a secret make sure you have some freezer space to store some of that extra broth for the best make-ahead meal, ever!
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What Can I Add To Soup For More Flavor
Our recipe sticks to classic ingredients and flavors, but that doesnt mean there arent things you can add to make it your own:
For a creamy chicken noodle soup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk.
Add three to four lemon slices for a lemon chicken soup similar to this Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Soup.
Add three or four slices of lime, swap the parsley for fresh cilantro, and then add diced tomatoes and cubed avocado for Mexican-style chicken soup. You can even add diced corn tortillas as we do for this tortilla chicken soup.
Add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and a few dashes of fish sauce for an ultra-satisfying, umami-packed soup.
Swirl in fresh spinach or kale at the end of cooking for more of a vegetable-heavy soup.
Swap the noodles for potatoes, winter squash, rice, quinoa or grains. Add hearty veggies to the pot along with the onions and carrots. When it comes to rice and grains, add them already cooked.
Swap the noodles for tortellini I love using cheese-filled pasta when making this veggie tortellini soup.
Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients:
- cooked shredded chicken I usually use chicken breasts for this recipe but chicken thighs would work great too. You can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken or boil some chicken if you dont have either of those on hand.
- chicken broth or chicken stock would work great as well.
- carrots whole carrots that have been peeled and diced. You can use baby carrots. If you use baby carrots, ensure that you dice them up so that they are easy to eat in this soup.
- onion I usually dice them small
- celery I usually dice them small so that they easily fit on a spoon for serving.
- thyme
- bay leaf
- garlic salt minced garlic or garlic powder would work great too if you dont have any garlic salt on head.
- salt and black pepper to taste
- egg noodles I prefer egg noodles but rotini would work great too. Check the cook time on the pasta that you use in this recipe as more time might be needed.
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How To Make It
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup really is super easy to make from scratch and you can totally make a big batch to stash in the freezer for chicken soup emergencies.
It comes together quickly, too, if you have leftover chicken to use up like I usually do from my Homemade Rotisserie Chicken.
You start by sautéing your veggies until soft. Then, add your cooked chicken and pour in the stock.
Once it comes to a boil, add the noodles and cook until al dente. Its ready in about 10-15 minutes total and freezes beautifully for quick weeknight dinners.if you dont have the patience to wait 10-15 minutes for your homemade chicken noodle soup.
I like to serve the best Chicken Noodle Soup with a hearty salad packed with fruit and nuts. A lighter green saladwould be nice too but when youve been starving for two weeks straightsometimes you need a little substance. Or just a big fudgie brownie.
Can This Soup Be Frozen
Yes, this soup can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe, air tight container. Again, I would wait to add the noodles if you are going to freeze this soup as they will soak up the broth.
When ready to serve, defrost the soup out in the refrigerator, reheat on the stovetop and add in the dried noodles to cook to your preference.
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How To Make Homemade Egg Noodles
You would think making homemade egg noodles is really difficult, but I actually find it pretty easy to do, especially compared to making homemade pasta. And the beauty is, nothing has to be perfect! This is a rustic soup after. All you have to do is:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a stand mixer.
- Form into two balls and let them rest for a few minutes.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1/4-inch strips.
- Add them to the simmering broth and watch them plump up!
What Ingredients Do I Need For Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
The ingredients list for this soup may look long, but I promise that everything is pretty straightforward. For this recipe, youll need:
- A whole chicken. Cant have chicken noodle soup without the chicken!
- Water. Yup, no stockbut this will honestly be the most flavorful chicken noodle soup youve ever had. Well talk more about that in a sec!
- Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. These will both give you some vitamins and minerals, and add more flavor to the soup.
- Bay leaves, dried sage, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried marjoram. These are all there for flavor. If you are missing one or two, dont fretyoull still get a delicious soup!
- Salt and black pepper.
And then for the homemade noodles , youll need flour, salt, eggs, and water.
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Seven Secrets For Making The Best Pho Soup
If youre sitting there and wondering what is pho, its a delicate Vietnamese noodle soup made from beef bones, ginger, onions, and lots of aromatic spices. Its nothing short of soup perfection. The way all the spices and flavors from star anise, cardamom, fennel seeds, and cinnamon come together is incredible, and the best part? You can customize its encouraged that you add any condiments you desire to make the soup your own.
