Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. This is my mother’s recipe that’s been passed down through generations, and now, I’m sharing it with you! I remember my mother making this recipe back in Canada; I’d come home from school and the whole house would smell so good. And by the time dinner came around, I’d actually help set the table instead of complaining while doing so. It’s so good. I mean, is there anything better than homemade chicken noodle soup? Having a bad day? Chicken noodle soup. Having a great day? Chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup is for every occasion, good or bad.
Does anyone remember those books, Chicken Soup for the Soul? Bear with me for two seconds if you don’t. But, the brand started out as books created by two motivational speakers, who collected stories from audience members and then published them. The books were meant to ‘open the heart and rekindle the soul’. And now, after just checking what happened to that brand, turns out they’ve expanded beyond books, and have become a full blown entertainment company (going public in 2017). And how’d they manage that? Besides great management (assuming), who wouldn’t trust a company with such comforting words such as CHICKEN SOUP in their name? I mean COME ON, that was a brilliant business move. Anyways, I digress.
How much time will this soup take to make?
This homemade chicken noodle soup takes a good amount of time to make, but trust me when I say, it’s worth it. To be on the safe side, plan for around 4 hours to make this soup. That includes prep and cook time. Keep in mind, you won’t be glued to the stove; there’s moments where the soup will simmer for an hour at a time, and as long as you don’t forget about it – you can mosey away (but, don’t drive to the mall or something – stay close by).
Tips while making this homemade chicken noodle soup
- Be patient. When the recipe states, “very carefully bring to a slow simmer”, then very carefully bring to a slow simmer. It takes time, but if you rush these things your broth will turn murky
- You can prep your veggies the night before, placing them in the fridge overnight
- Salt can be giveth, but salt cannot be taketh away. In other words? Don’t over salt
- Parsnips are large veggies, so cut them in half (length wise) and then chop them
- Cut the top leaves off celery stocks, but don’t throw them out! Add celery leaves to the broth with your veggies and chicken
- Have fun! Put on some music, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the process
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as our family has throughout the generations. If you end up adding more spices, veggies, or have some hot tips after making it – I would love to hear about it. You can leave me a comment below, or send me email via contact me!
Looking for another soup recipe? Try Mama’s Slow Cooker Pork Ramen.
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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Ingredients
- 6 lb whole chicken
- 1 large bunch of carrots
- 1 large bunch celery
- 3 large parsnips *slice in half (long length), then chop
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package Egg Noodles
- Cheese cloth
Instructions
- Rinse chicken inside and out – removing any yuckies (as my mother calls them). Discarding neck and giblets
- Pat chicken with paper towel; remove tail bone
- Put chicken in a tall stock pot and fill with cold water until chicken is covered *do not add salt or pepper yet
- Place pot on stove, cover with lid and turn to low-medium and very lightly bring to a slow simmer
- Once you’ve reached a simmer – simmer the chicken for one hour
- Once the hour is up, remove lid, skim top and remove all floating bits; cover again with lid, and let simmer for another hour
- While chicken simmers, chop your carrots, celery (keep leaves), onions and parsnips. Set aside
- Once the chicken has simmered for the appropriate time (2hrs+), remove chicken and set aside
- Secure cheese cloth to separate mixing bowl/s and strain the broth from the stock pot
- Deconstruct and chop chicken into chunky bite sized pieces
- Rinse and clean stock pot; then take strained broth in mixing bowl/s and gently pour it back into the newly cleaned stock pot; bring broth to slow simmer
- Once simmer is reached, add veggies, chicken, and add your salt and pepper. Simmer until veggies are cooked dente al dente (around 45min)
- In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook egg noodles until al dente (13-15min depending on thickness and brand)
- Category: Bites
- Cuisine: Soup
