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Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch

Chicken noodle soup from scratch with a deeply golden, homemade broth and tender shredded chicken. Simmered with bay leaves and peppercorns, then finished with wide egg noodles, fresh carrot, celery, and parsley for a classic, comforting bowl.
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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 4 lbs total
  • 3 carrots halved
  • 3 celery stalks halved
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley stems
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 12 cup cold water
For the soup
  • 4 carrots sliced
  • 4 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 12 oz wide egg noodles
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the broth
  1. Place whole chicken, carrots, celery stalks, onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, whole peppercorns, parsley stems, dried thyme, and cold water in a very large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam as it rises.
  2. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally and keeping the surface gently moving. Cook until the chicken is very tender and easily pulls apart.
Strain and shred
  1. Strain the broth and discard the used vegetables. Remove all meat from the chicken and shred until you have bite-size pieces.
  2. Return clear broth to the pot and taste, seasoning with salt. Keep the broth warm as you prepare the vegetables.
Cook the soup
  1. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add sliced carrots, sliced celery, and diced onion, then stir so the vegetables are submerged.
  2. Cook at a simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender when pierced. You should see bright, slightly softened vegetables throughout the broth.
  3. Add wide egg noodles and cook for 6 minutes, then continue 0–8 minutes more as needed until tender. The broth will look slightly thicker as the noodles release starch.
  4. Stir in shredded chicken and chopped fresh parsley and cook for 1 minute just to warm through. The herbs should look fresh and vibrant with no dulling color.
  5. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Taste once more for balance, then serve hot.

Notes

For the clearest broth, skim foam early and keep the simmer gentle (rolling boils cloud stock). Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze soup without noodles for up to 2 months, then reheat and add freshly cooked noodles for best texture. For a lower-sodium option, use less salt at the seasoning step and rely on fresh parsley and pepper to boost flavor; keep the broth unsalted if freezing.