My homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is made completely from scratch with a whole chicken, the old school way. Rich, golden broth, tender chicken, carrots, celery, and egg noodles. Pure comfort in a bowl.
Chicken noodle soup is one of the earliest things I learned to make when I started cooking from scratch. No powder packets or quick fixes, just real deal, old school cooking like your grandma used to do, starting with a whole chicken. People all over the world have been making chicken soup this way for centuries.
Shortcuts are fine, and yes, I use them sometimes. But there's something magical about a from-scratch chicken soup that you just can't duplicate any other way. The broth comes out golden and rich, with that true homemade flavor you'll never get from a can or a bouillon cube.
It's healing. It works for any meal of the day, as the star or a side. And it's almost infinitely customizable. Skip the noodles, toss in more veggies or greens, add rice, spice up the broth.
Consider it a starter soup. It's the perfect recipe to riff from. Once you've got it down, you can head in all sorts of directions, from Mexican Caldo de Pollo to Thai Tom Kha Gai and beyond.
Let's talk about how to make homemade chicken noodle soup, my friends.
Ingredients Needed
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- FOR THE BROTH
- Whole Chicken. A 4 to 4 1/2 pound bird. The bones, skin, and meat give the broth its body and flavor, and you get your soup chicken from the same pot.
- Broth Aromatics. Onion (leave the skin on to promote more golden color in the broth), carrots, celery, a halved head of garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme, parsley stems, and black peppercorns. These all get strained out, so they only need a rough chop.
- Cold Water and Kosher Salt. Just enough water to cover the chicken.
- FOR THE SOUP
- Soup Vegetables. A fresh round of onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, cooked in butter. The broth vegetables are all used up during the broth simmer, so we add fresh ones for texture and substance.
- Wide Egg Noodles. The classic. Use your favorite noodle, or swap in rice.
- TO FINISH
- Fresh Herbs and Lemon. Parsley, dill (optional), and a squeeze of lemon juice. The lemon wakes up the whole pot. I like some for my bowl, too.
- Salt and Pepper. More salt than you think. More on that below.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch
Start the Broth. Add the whole chicken and all the broth ingredients to a large stockpot with cold water, just enough to cover. Bring it up to a bare simmer, never a boil. Skim off the foam that rises to the top during the first 10 minutes.
Why no boil? A hard boil churns the fat back into the broth and makes it cloudy and greasy. A gentle simmer keeps it clear and clean in flavor.
Pull the Chicken. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 1 hour. Lift out the chicken and pull off the meat, especially the breasts so they don't dry out. Cover and refrigerate the pulled chicken in a large bowl until you're ready for it.
Simmer the Bones. Return the carcass, bones, and skin to the pot and simmer for another 45-60 minutes to pull out every bit of flavor and nutrients.
Strain and Skim. Strain the broth. You should have about 10-11 cups. Skim off the fat. You can chill the broth in the fridge or just let it cool a bit to let the fat set on top, which makes is even easier to lift right off. Taste it for flavor strength. Too weak or thin? Reduce it a bit over heat, uncovered.
Make the Soup. Clean out the same pot and heat over medium heat. Melt the butter, then cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and simmer for 10 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.
Add the Noodles. Stir in the egg noodles and cook for 6-8 minutes, or check the requirements on your noodle box or bag.
Finish and Season. Stir in the pulled chicken, parsley, dill, and lemon juice. Now season it with salt, and season it well. Homemade broth needs more salt than boxed broth, and you'll notice it. Taste, add, taste, add again, until your soul is happy and you hit that pure satisfaction you always got from grandma's chicken soup.
Boom! Done! Ladle it into bowls and serve. I love to serve mine with a good vinegary hot sauce for a touch of zingy heat and extra acidic pop, but often I love it with just an extra squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of very good olive oil.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Never Boil the Broth. Keep it at a bare simmer the whole time for a clear, clean broth.
- Pull the Breasts Early. Pulling the meat after the first hour keeps the breast meat nice and moist. The bones keep developing the broth without it.
- Chill for Easy Fat Removal. Refrigerate the strained broth and the fat solidifies on top, so you can lift it right off.
- Salt Generously. Homemade broth has no added sodium, so don't be afraid to keep adding salt until the flavor pops just the way you want it.
- Planning Leftovers? The noodles soak up broth as the soup sits. Cook the noodles separately and add them to each bowl if you want leftovers to stay brothy.
Roasted Chicken Variation
For an even richer broth, roast the chicken first. I picked up this approach from Matty Matheson: A Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends), and it gives the soup a whole different character, darker and more savory.
I also like to save and freeze the bones and carcass from roasting chicken to add to broths like this, to extract all that extra flavor.
Roast the whole chicken at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden and cooked through. Cook the soup vegetables in a large pot, then add the roasted chicken and cover it with water. Simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Pull the meat, discard the bones and skin, and finish the soup with the noodles, herbs, and lemon.
How to Make Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
This is a classic, so I keep the base recipe mild. Sometimes you just want that pure, clean chicken flavor. But if you want a little heat, my friends, here's how to dial it in:
- Dried Chilies in the Broth. Add 1 or 2 (or more) dried chiles de arbol with the aromatics for a gentle background warmth.
- Fresh Chilies in the Soup. Cook a minced jalapeño or serrano with the onion, carrots, and celery.
- Chili Flakes. A pinch in each bowl.
- Hot Sauce or Chili Crisp at the Table. My favorite way, since everyone can dial in their own heat. A spoonful of homemade chili crisp is amazing here.
What to Do With Extra Chicken
A meaty bird often gives you more chicken than you really need for the soup. Save any extras for Chicken Enchiladas Rojas, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Spicy Buffalo Chicken Pasta, tacos, quesadillas, or chicken salad.
Serving
Give your bowl an extra squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of good olive oil, and some fresh herbs. Add chili flakes or hot sauce for a little heat. Serve it with crusty bread or crackers as a light lunch, a full dinner, or a side to a sandwich.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover chicken noodle soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The noodles soak up broth as the soup sits, so add a splash of extra broth or water when you reheat it.
To freeze it, leave out the noodles and freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, reheat, and cook fresh noodles. The broth on its own freezes beautifully, too.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this homemade chicken noodle soup as much as we do. It brings back so many memories for me. Let me know if you make it!
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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (From Scratch, Whole Chicken)
Ingredients
BROTH
- 1 whole chicken 4 to 4 1/2 pounds
- 12 cups cold water about, enough to just cover
- 1 onion halved, skin on
- 2 carrots cut into chunks
- 2 celery ribs cut into chunks
- 1 head garlic halved crosswise
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- Small handful parsley stems
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
SOUP
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 carrots sliced into coins
- 3 celery ribs sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 10 cups homemade broth from above
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
- 3-4 cups shredded chicken from above
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the chicken and all the broth ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a bare simmer, never a boil, and skim the foam for the first 10 minutes.
- Simmer gently, partly covered, for 1 hour. Lift out the chicken and pull off the meat, especially the breasts so they don’t dry out. Cover and refrigerate the pulled chicken until ready to use.
- Return the carcass, bones and skin to the pot and simmer another 45-60 minutes.
- Strain the broth. You should have about 10-11 cups. Skim the fat or chill it so the fat sets (makes it easier to remove). Taste for strength, and reduce it a bit if it’s thin.
- In the cleaned pot, melt the butter. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 6-8 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the broth and simmer 10 minutes, until the carrots are just tender.
- Add the noodles and cook 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the pulled chicken, parsley, dill and lemon juice. Season well, since homemade broth needs more salt than boxed.
Notes
- Salt: Homemade broth needs more salt than boxed. Taste, add, taste, add again until it tastes right.
- Fat Removal: Chill the strained broth and the fat solidifies on top for easy removal.
- Leftovers: The noodles soak up broth over time. If you’re planning leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add them to each bowl.
- Spicy Version: Add 1 or 2 dried chiles de arbol to the broth, cook a minced jalapeño with the soup vegetables, or serve with hot sauce or chili flakes.
- Roasted Chicken Version: Roast the whole chicken at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden and cooked through. Cook the soup vegetables, add the roasted chicken, cover with water and simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Pull the meat, discard the bones and skin, and finish with noodles, herbs and lemon.
- Extra Chicken: Save any extra meat for enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas or chicken salad.
Nutrition Information
FAQs
Can I use chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken?
You can, but the broth won't have the same body or flavor. That comes from the bones, skin, and dark meat. If you don't want to use a whole bird, go with bone-in, skin-on parts like thighs, legs, and wings.
Why shouldn't I boil the broth?
A hard boil churns the fat and proteins back into the broth, making it cloudy and greasy. A bare simmer keeps it clear and clean tasting.
Why does my chicken soup taste bland?
It almost always needs more salt. Homemade broth has no added sodium, so it takes more seasoning than boxed broth. Keep tasting and adding until the flavor pops. A squeeze of lemon helps, too.
Can I make the broth ahead of time?
Yes. Refrigerate it for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Chilling it overnight also makes skimming the fat easy.
Can I freeze chicken noodle soup?
Yes, but freeze it without the noodles. They turn soft and mushy when frozen and thawed. Add freshly cooked noodles when you reheat it.
What are the best noodles for chicken noodle soup?
Wide egg noodles are the classic choice. Medium egg noodles, rotini, ditalini, or even rice all work. Use what you like.
How much meat does a whole chicken give you?
Usually more than this soup needs, which uses 3 to 4 cups. Save the extra for enchiladas, tacos, or chicken salad.
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