Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe from Scratch (With Vegetables)

Recipes, Soup  ·  Author: K.B. Shivuri

There is a reason chicken soup has been made in every culture on earth since people first learned to cook. It is warm, deeply nourishing, and made from humble ingredients. I am not talking about the powdery stuff from a packet — I am talking about real chicken soup, simmered low and slow until the broth turns golden.

There is a reason chicken soup has been made in every culture on earth since people first learned to cook. It is warm, it is deeply nourishing, it is made from humble ingredients, and it makes everything feel better. I am not talking about the powdery stuff from a packet. I am talking about real chicken soup — made from a whole bird, simmered low and slow until the broth turns golden and the kitchen smells like everything is going to be alright.

This is the soup I make when someone in the house is unwell, when the weather turns grey, or when I simply want to eat something that feels like it was made with love. Because it was.

"Chicken soup is not a recipe. It is a ritual — a way of turning a simple bird and a handful of vegetables into something that heals."

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg), or 1 kg chicken pieces on the bone
• 3 litres cold water
• 2 large carrots, cut into rounds
• 3 stalks celery, sliced (include the leaves — they add flavour)
• 1 large onion, halved (no need to peel)
• 1 whole head of garlic, halved across the middle
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• Small bunch of fresh parsley (stems and all)
• 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste at the end)
• 150g egg noodles or small pasta, cooked separately (optional)

The secret to golden broth: Do not peel your onion. The onion skin is what gives the broth its beautiful golden colour. Just halve it and drop it in.

Step 1 — Build the Broth

Place the whole chicken in your largest pot and cover with the cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. As it heats up, a grey-brown foam will rise to the surface — skim it off with a spoon or ladle and discard it. This foam is impurities from the bones, and removing it gives you a cleaner, clearer broth.

Once the foam has mostly subsided (about 10 minutes), add the halved onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and parsley stems. Reduce the heat to the lowest simmer — the surface should barely tremble. Cover partially and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Step 2 — Remove the Chicken

Lift the chicken out carefully — it will be very tender and may fall apart. Set it on a board to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine sieve or colander, discarding all the cooked aromatics. Return the strained broth to the pot.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones with your fingers. Discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat into generous pieces and set aside.

Step 3 — Finish the Soup

Bring the strained broth back to a gentle simmer. Add the fresh carrots and celery. Cook for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Taste for seasoning — chicken soup needs more salt than you expect. Add the cooked noodles or pasta if using, and a handful of fresh parsley leaves to finish.

How to Store It

This soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to four days and freezes beautifully for up to three months. If freezing, do so before adding the noodles — they become mushy when frozen and reheated. Add fresh-cooked pasta when you reheat.

When refrigerated, the fat from the chicken will solidify on the surface overnight. You can skim it off for a leaner soup, or stir it back in for a richer one. I always stir it back in.

Chicken soup is one of those recipes that becomes yours the more you make it. Add a squeeze of lemon at the end if you like brightness, or stir in a spoonful of miso paste for depth. There are no wrong answers. Let me know how yours turns out in the comments.

Photos: Tommao Wang, Jurien Huggins via Unsplash

— K.B. Shivuri, The Seasoned Hearth