Go Back

Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch

Chicken noodle soup from scratch with a deep, darkly golden homemade broth simmered 1.5 hours, then finished with wide egg noodles and shredded chicken. The result is tender vegetables and a richly seasoned bowl that looks noticeably more “from scratch” than store-bought.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the broth
  • 1 whole chicken
  • 3 carrots halved for the broth
  • 3 celery stalks halved for the broth
  • 1 onion quartered for the broth
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
  • 1 fresh parsley stems
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 12 cup cold water
For the soup
  • 4 carrots sliced
  • 4 celery sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 12 oz wide egg noodles
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the broth
  1. Place the whole chicken and all broth ingredients (carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stems, dried thyme) into a very large pot and add the cold water. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam as it rises.
  2. Reduce the heat so the liquid gently simmers, then cover partially and simmer for 1.5 hours until the chicken is very tender. The surface should show steady small bubbles, not a hard rolling boil.
  3. Strain the broth and discard the used vegetables and aromatics. Remove all meat from the chicken and shred it into bite-size pieces.
  4. Return the clear broth to the pot, then taste and season with salt. Keep the broth hot as you prep the soup base.
Build and finish the soup
  1. Bring the broth to a simmer, then add the sliced carrots, celery, and diced onion. The vegetables should begin to soften immediately around the edges.
  2. Simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. You should see the carrots yielding when pierced with a fork.
  3. Add the wide egg noodles and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Keep at a gentle simmer so the noodles cook evenly.
  4. Add the shredded chicken and chopped fresh parsley, then cook for 6–8 minutes total. Stir occasionally until everything is heated through and fragrant.
  5. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Taste for balance and serve while hot.

Notes

For the clearest broth, skim foam early and keep the simmer gentle after the initial boil. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (for best texture, freeze without fresh parsley added and reheat, then stir in parsley after thawing). For a low-sodium swap, use reduced-sodium broth ingredients and season at the end gradually with herbs.