Homestyle Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

Homestyle Whole Chicken Noodle Soup – a cozy one-pot chicken noodle soup from scratch.

Homestyle Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

A cozy chicken noodle soup recipe that starts with a whole chicken and adds hearty vegetables, tender egg noodles, and fresh herbs. I just love recipes that use a whole chicken, they are just so classic and comforting and the mix of light and dark meat really adds to the flavor and texture of a simple soup! Think of this recipe as a simplified hybrid of homemade chicken stock and chicken noodle soup. The carrots and celery are cut into large rustic chunks so they can cook alongside the chicken and create a broth without overcooking. This way the veggies can still be used in the soup. Add noodles and fresh herbs for the perfect homestyle bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients for Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

• Olive Oil – you can use butter as well.
• Onions and Garlic
• Whole Chicken – around 5 pounds is a good size to look for. If the whole chicken is larger, you can set aside some of the meat for another use.
• Carrots and Celery – cut into large pieces
• Better Than Bullion Chicken Base – or reduced-sodium chicken bullion.
• Water
• Fresh Herbs – Thyme and Parsley
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Egg Noodles

How to Make Whole Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Start with a large 8 quart dutch oven.
2. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, then add water, chicken base, thyme, and chicken.
3. Cook, covered at a low simmer for about an hour. Until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
4. Remove chicken and set aside to be shredded.
5. Cook egg noddles in chicken broth until tender and return shredded chicken to pot.
6. Top with fresh parsley.

Recipe Tips

• Use Plenty of Salt – This recipe calls for 8 cups of water, a 5 pound chicken, and the noodles and vegetables. The salt will be seasoning all of these ingredients. Start with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (we are accounting for the sodium that’s already in the chicken base) and build from there.
• Cooking the Noodles – if you are making soup for leftovers, consider cooking the noodles separately according to package directions, then adding them to the soup. This will keep them from continuing to absorb the chicken broth.
• Skimming the Fat – Cooking with a whole chicken adds fat and flavor to the soup. If you prefer to reduce the fat, you can let the broth cool and skim the top with a large spoon before cooking the noodles.

How to Make Ahead

Prepare soup and add shredded chicken to broth. Cook the noodles separately according to package instructions. Cool both broth and noodles and stir together. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days. If freezing, freeze just the chicken broth and chicken mixture and add noodles before serving.

More Soup Recipes

• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Mini Meatball Soup

Recipe Note

This recipe is a stovetop version of my favorite Instant Pot recipe, Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup. If you have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend trying that version too. A pressure cooker makes amazing chicken stock in a fraction of the time.