Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
A golden, clear chicken broth made entirely from scratch, with tender pulled chicken, thin noodles, sweet carrots, and fresh parsley - simple, honest, and ready in just over an hour.
Chicken noodle soup is the most honest recipe there is. It does not need to be complicated, it does not need exotic ingredients, and it does not need you to be a particularly skilled cook. What it does need is time and a willingness to simmer a whole chicken until the kitchen smells so good that someone will inevitably wander in and ask when it will be ready.
The broth is the whole point. Everything else – the noodles, the pulled chicken, the carrots – sits in that broth, and if the broth is thin and flat, none of the rest of it matters. The way to get a deep, golden broth at home is simple: use a whole chicken, give it plenty of cold water, and let it go gently for the better part of an hour. Bone-in, not boneless. Cold water at the start, not hot. Gentle simmer, not a rolling boil – a hard boil drives the fat and proteins back into the liquid and makes the broth cloudy and slightly greasy. A trembling simmer gives you something clear and clean.
The first ten minutes matter. Skim the grey foam that rises as the chicken comes to temperature – it takes a minute and makes a visible difference to clarity. After that, add the aromatics and leave it alone. No stirring, no fussing. The parsley stems, the onion, the peppercorns – they go in whole, do their job quietly, and get strained out at the end.
The most common mistake is cooking the noodles in the broth from the start, then walking away. Thin egg noodles or vermicelli take three to five minutes. Left in a hot pot for twenty, they go soft and bloated and absorb half the broth in the process. Add them at the very end, watch them, and pull the pot off the heat while they still have a little bite. They will finish cooking in the residual heat.
A few swaps worth knowing: celery root works well alongside or instead of celery stalks and adds a slightly earthier note to the broth. Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks are a fine substitute for a whole bird – the broth from dark meat is often even richer. For the noodles, thin spaghetti broken in half works in a pinch; just check the package for timing.
The parsley on top is not decoration. It brings a fresh, bright note that cuts through the richness of the broth and lifts every other flavor in the bowl. Add it just before serving, never before.
If you are working through the soup chapter, try French Onion Soup next for something with a longer, slower payoff – or Broccoli Cheddar Soup if you want comfort without the wait.
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- For the broth:
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg / 3.5 lbs)
- 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and left whole
- 2 celery stalks, halved
- 1 large onion, halved through the root
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
- A small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems and all
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 whole black peppercorns
- 2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- 2.5 liters (10 cups) cold water
- For the soup:
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
- 200 g (7 oz) thin egg noodles or vermicelli
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for serving
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
-
1
Place the whole chicken in a large pot and cover with 2.5 liters of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady boil and skim off all the grey foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 minutes - this is what keeps the broth clear.
-
2
Once the foam stops appearing, add the whole carrots, celery, halved onion, garlic, parsley bunch, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer - the surface should barely tremble with small bubbles at the edges, not actively boil.
-
3
Simmer uncovered for 45-50 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through and the leg meat pulls away from the bone easily.
-
4
Carefully lift the chicken out of the pot using tongs and set it aside on a board to cool for 10 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large pot, discarding all the cooked vegetables and aromatics. Taste the broth and adjust salt.
-
5
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
-
6
Bring the strained broth back to a simmer over medium heat. Add the sliced carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes until just tender when pierced with a knife.
-
7
Add the noodles or vermicelli to the pot and cook according to the package directions until just done - usually 3-5 minutes for thin noodles. Do not overcook them; they will continue to soften in the hot broth off the heat.
-
8
Stir the pulled chicken back into the soup and warm through for 1-2 minutes. Taste once more for salt and white pepper.
-
9
Ladle into bowls and finish with a generous handful of freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Carbs 26g · 32%
- Protein 34g · 42%
- Fat 9g · 25%
Tips & FAQ
Can I use carton stock instead of making my own?
What type of noodles work best?
Should I cook the chicken directly in the soup?
How do I keep the soup from tasting flat?
Can I freeze chicken noodle soup?
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