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    Home » Recipes » Mediterranean Soups and Stews

    Whole Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch

    By Lily・Published:Feb 3, 2022・Updated: Jan 25, 2023・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    chicken noodle soup from scratch

    This whole chicken noodle soup is made from scratch with a whole chicken. The secret to the best chicken noodle soup: a rich and flavorful slow-simmered chicken broth. Chopped carrots, celery, garlic, and onion are butter sauteed with dried Italian herbs and then added to the soup along with delicate pasta and tender shredded chicken (from the slow-cooked whole chicken).

    homemade chicken noodle soup made from scratch with a whole chicken

    What I Love About This Recipe

    I love that this recipe is made from scratch using a whole chicken. The slow-simmered chicken broth is so rich, flavorful, and perfect for cold and flu season. This chicken noodle soup reheats well on the stovetop, so I can eat this recipe for several days after.

    Ingredient Notes

    ingredients to make chunky chicken noodle soup
    • Dried pasta: Any type of pasta works for this chicken noodle soup: egg noodle, fusilli, elbow, cavatappi no. 87 (what I used in this recipe), etc because the pasta is cooked separately then added at the end. Use whatever dried pasta you have on hand.
    • Carrots: Use large carrots or baby carrots.
    • Celery: Any type of celery works in this recipe. Don't use the leaf ends.
    • Onion: I recommend sweet onion or brown onion.
    • Fresh garlic: Use fresh garlic.
    • Dried Italian herbs: Use dried Italian herbs or a blend of dried herbs. Alternatively, substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs. The best herbs for this soup are a combination of rosemary, oregano, and thyme.
    • Whole chicken: For the best tasting broth, use a whole chicken or a whole chicken cut up into pieces.
    ingredients to make homemade chicken broth

    See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.

    How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch

    Make the chicken broth by adding 10 cups of water, a whole chicken, salt, bay leaves, and a whole onion (peeled and halved). Bring the whole chicken to a boil then turn the stovetop on medium-low heat. Simmer covered for about 2 hours until the chicken starts to fall apart. The broth will have a rich color.

    While the homemade chicken broth is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Peel and chop the carrots. Chop the celery. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Saute the onions and garlic in butter until soft on medium-high heat. Add the celery and carrots and cover with a lid for about 5 minutes until partially cooked.

    sauteeing the onions in a pan
    add the chopped carrots and chopped celery

    Add in the freshly cracked black pepper, salt, and dried Italian herbs. Mix and set aside.

    add the salt and Italian dried herbs

    Once the homemade chicken broth (and chicken) is finished, strain the chicken broth from the chicken.

    Tip: The chicken needs a few minutes to cool down before you can remove the meat from the bones.

    While the whole chicken is cooling, add the sauteed onions, carrots, and celery to the homemade chicken broth. Add 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil then simmer and cover for about 15 minutes until the carrots and celery are tender.

    homemade chicken broth in a pot
    add the sautéed onions, carrots, and celery

    Add 2 cups of dry cavatappi no. 87 pasta to salted boiling water. Cook as per the box until al dente (about 6 to 8 minutes for cavatappi). Strain the pasta and set it aside. Using a fork, remove the meat from the whole chicken. Shred the chicken and set it aside.

    cooked cavatappi pasta and shredded chicken in bowls

    Add the pasta and shredded chicken to the chicken broth once the carrots are tender.

    adding the cavatappi pasta and shredded chicken to the chicken broth

    Serve the chunky chicken noodle soup with a side of fresh french bread.

    chunky chicken noodle soup from scratch in a dutch oven

    Tips and Tricks

    Use a whole chicken. If you have never cooked with a whole chicken, now is the time my friend. Chicken noodle soup is as good as the broth, and the most flavorful broth comes from using the whole chicken. Also, the slow-simmered meat is so tender and easy to remove from the bones.

    Balance the ingredient ratios. I noticed over the years that the best chicken noodle soup is one that has the right balance of ratios. You don't need over the top ingredients, just the right ratios. If you notice, the amount of shredded chicken is just about as much as the cooked pasta. The amount of chopped carrots is the same as the chopped celery. These ratios guarantee the balance of flavor on your spoon.

    Boil the pasta separately in water. The pasta absorbs a large amount of liquid, so if you add the pasta directly to the soup, it will soak up the soup. Add the cooked pasta to the soup.

    homemade chicken noodle soup from scratch with some french bread

    Variations and Substitutions

    • If you HAVE to only use chicken breast (and not a whole chicken) for this recipe here's how: buy a high-quality chicken bone broth from the store. Slow simmer the chicken breast in the store-bought broth with onion, bay leaves, and an onion. Shred the chicken and carry on the recipe.
    • Substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs.
    • Add red chili flakes for some spice.
    • Use any type of pasta you have on hand. Boil the pasta separate from the soup as per the box.

    Equipment

    • Use a large stovetop pot or Le creuset dutch oven to slow simmer the whole chicken
    • Use a strainer and large bowl to strain the soup broth from the whole chicken
    • Chef's knife and cutting board to chop the vegetables
    • Peeler to peel the carrots
    • Wooden spoon
    • Large nonstick frying pan to butter saute the carrots, celery, and onions

    Storage

    This hearty chicken noodle soup recipe reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop. Store the soup in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. There are a couple of tips to note when reheating this soup:

    • The "soup" may solidify into a jello like form when in the fridge. This is perfectly normal and will return back to the soup once heated.
    • The noodles may soak up some of the soup, so when reheating the soup, add a tad bit of water (like 1 cup of water per 2 cups of soup).
    chicken noodle soup in a le creuset dutch oven

    FAQs

    Do you leave the skin on chicken when making soup?

    Yes, leave the skin intact when simmering the chicken to make the most flavorful broth. Once the chicken is tender and the broth is ready, remove the skin when shredding the chicken for the chicken noodle soup.

    How do you doctor up bland chicken noodle soup?

    The key to great-tasting chicken noodle soup is a delicious chicken broth, which is made best with a whole chicken from scratch. However, a few things can be done to doctor up a bland chicken noodle soup such as butter sauteing the carrots and celery with fresh herbs (prior to adding to the soup), and using a chicken bouillon cube.

    Hearty Soups and Stews

    • Harissa Lamb Chili With Couscous
    • Authentic Lebanese Red Lentil Soup
    • Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
    • Stovetop Pot Roast

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    chunky chicken noodle soup in a large pot

    Whole Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch

    Author: Lily
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep: 2 hrs
    Cook: 30 mins
    Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 8
    This whole chicken noodle soup is made with chopped celery, carrots, and onion that's butter sauteed then simmered in a rich homemade chicken broth (using a whole chicken).

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    Homemade Chicken Broth

    • 1 whole chicken about 3 to 4 lbs
    • 1 medium onion peeled and halved
    • 2 bay leaves
    • Salt to taste
    • 10 cups of water

    Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

    • About 3 cups of shredded chicken
    • 8 ounces dry noodles ½ a 1 lb pasta package **see note 1
    • 6 celery stalks
    • 5 large carrots
    • 1 medium onion
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoons of butter
    • 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs ** see note 3

    Instructions

    Make the Chicken Broth From Scratch

    • Add 10 cups of water, a whole chicken, salt, bay leaves, and a whole onion (peeled and halved). Bring the whole chicken to a boil, then turn the stovetop on medium-low heat. Simmer covered for about 2 hours until the chicken starts to fall apart. 
    • Separate the whole chicken from the broth using a strainer. Set the broth and chicken aside. You should have about 7 to 8 cups of homemade chicken broth.

    Make the Chicken Noodle Soup

    • Peel and chop the carrots, onion, and garlic. Chop the celery. In a pan on medium-high heat, butter sautee the onions and garlic. Once they start to soften, add the chopped celery and carrots. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the carrots and celery soften. Add the salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs. 
    • Add 5 cups of water and the butter-sauteed vegetables to the homemade chicken broth. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are easy to pierce with a fork.
    • Boil the pasta in water until al dente as per the instructions on the box. Shred the chicken meat from the whole chicken. Remove the skin on the chicken. Drain the pasta.
    • Add the shredded chicken and cooked pasta to the chicken broth. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    1. Use cavatappi no.87, fusilli, farfalle, or egg noodle. Any type of pasta works here.
    2. Boil the pasta separately before adding it to the soup so it doesn't soak up all of the chicken broth.
    3. Substitute 4 teaspoons of fresh herbs for 2 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs. Thyme, rosemary, and oregano are excellent in this soup.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 142mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g

    More Mediterranean Soups and Stews

    • Lebanese Molokhia With Chicken
    • Lemon Lentil Soup (Adas Bi Hamod)
    • Kibbeh Labanieh (Kibbeh Balls In Yogurt)
    • Khobiza Mallow Leaf Soup

    About Lily

    Howdy! My name Lilian, but my friends call me Lily. I'm the founder and one of the recipe authors here at The Matbakh. I enjoy sunsets, long walks on the beach, meaningful relationships, and anything related to food. I'm so happy you are here!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      January 25, 2023 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      Such a comforting soup, full of flavour and so delicious too. Making this for lunches during the week.

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    2. Shadi Hasanzadenemati

      January 25, 2023 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      Oh wow, this looks so delicious. My family is going to devour it!

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm

        Thank you! It is one of my favorite soups!

        Reply
    3. Caroline

      January 25, 2023 at 9:35 am

      5 stars
      I always make broth from any chicken bones when we have them, but I love that this uses the meat as well to make a really hearty, comforting soup (and lots of it!)

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 25, 2023 at 9:49 am

        Thanks so much for the comment, Caroline!

        Reply
    4. Susannah

      January 13, 2023 at 3:09 am

      5 stars
      Hey! How can I add homemade noodles to this? And got how long?

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 13, 2023 at 9:05 am

        Hi Susannah, homemade noodles sound delish! Because the recipe already separately boils the noodles, drains the noodles, then adds them to the soup- using homemade noodles should be easy. Just boil your homemade noodles until tender, drain them, then add them to the soup when ready to serve. Homemade noodles might be more fragile than dried pasta noodles, so I would avoid the noodles sitting for long periods in the broth. If you made this recipe for meal prep and plan to reheat it, I would just store the homemade noodles separately from the rest of the soup and then heat them together before serving.

        Reply
    5. Kushigalu

      January 05, 2023 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      Love the combination of ingredients in this noodle soup recipe. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 25, 2023 at 4:00 pm

        Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    6. Wanda

      November 25, 2022 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      Homemade chicken noodle soup is the best comfort food. Can't wait to try this recipe!

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 25, 2023 at 4:01 pm

        It's my favorite way to make chicken noodle soup!

        Reply
    7. Jim Wallace

      May 20, 2022 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a fine, detailed recipe. I was trying to make chicken vegetable soup without pasta And found it easily adaptable. What I needed was how to start a soup with a whole chicken. There are actually very few online recipes for this. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Lily

        May 20, 2022 at 7:22 pm

        Thank you Jim for the comment! This is one of my favorite recipes for making homemade chicken soup… and you’re right you can adapt it by removing the pasta (sometimes I sub rice or potatoes). Thanks again for the comment, really made my day!

        Reply
    8. Hannah

      April 03, 2022 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      Holy baby Jesus this was good. I couldn’t figure out why my chicken soup was flavorless using boxed chicken stock. Using a whole chicken is intimidating at first because I hadn’t used one before, but the broth was so full of flavor! Removing the chicken was easy because it’s really tender. Just give yourself time for it to cool down so you are not burning fingers.

      Reply
      • Lily

        April 03, 2022 at 4:04 pm

        Lol, thanks for the comment! Using a whole chicken is a game changer.

        Reply

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    I've been cooking things up ever since I was a kid. More about me

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