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Chicken Soup from Scratch

There is nothing cozier, healthier or more heartwarming than a bowl of chicken soup that you made from scratch. This one is no exception, using a whole chicken, as well as the immune boosting addition of ginger and turmeric into the stock. Add your favourite noodle.
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Canadian
Keyword broth, chicken, immune boosting, soup
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling time 8 hours
Servings 6

Ingredients

Broth

  • 3.5 lb or 1.8 kg whole chicken rinsed and cleaned, organic if possible but not necessary
  • 1 head of garlic cut in half horizontally
  • 2 medium carrots cut into chunks
  • 2 medium celery ribs cut into chunks
  • 2 leeks trimmed of dark green and roots and chopped roughly
  • 2 yellow onions peeled and cut into quarters, use the peels if not covered in dirt
  • 1 inch cube of ginger sliced thinly, can also be coarsely grated
  • 2 turmeric tubers sliced thinly, can also be coarsely grated
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1/4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 9 - 10 cups water or 2 1/4 litres, or enough to just cover the chicken

Soup

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced, divided
  • 2 medium carrots chopped into half moons, or quartered if the carrots are large in diameter
  • 2 celery ribs cut into 1/2" thick pieces
  • 2 cups shredded chicken from homemade broth above
  • 2 quarts homemade chicken broth or two litres
  • Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder see Notes
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf optional
  • salt
  • 6 oz egg noodles or pasta of choice, can use gluten free
  • Chopped parsley for garnish
  • lemon juice or slices for garnish

Instructions

Broth

  1. Place the chicken in a large pot. Add all remaining Broth ingredients, then add enough water so the chicken is just covered. Don't add more than required, as this will thin out the flavour of the final broth.
  2. Cover with lid, and bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Adjust heat so that it is simmering gently with the lid on. You may need to check in every once in a while to adjust if it is bubbling too fiercely or not enough. Simmer 1.5 hours or until chicken is tender and easily comes off the bone. Depending on the size of the chicken this may take up to two hours. Don't go any longer than necessary as this will break down the integrity of the meat.

  3. Spoon away the scum from the surface during first half hour.

  4. Once the chicken is cooked through completely, transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it cool slightly and then shred away the meat. The bones have done their duty so there is no sense keeping them.
  5. Using a strainer or spider type slotted spoon, remove all the remaining veggies etc from broth, and discard. The carrots and celery will probably be too soft to be pleasing in the soup. If you want you can strain the broth through a cheesecloth for a clearer result. I don't mind the bits of thyme leaves etc so I don't bother with this step.
  6. Optional: Refrigerate soup for a few hours in a container until the fat sets on the top, then scoop the fat off the surface. Then it is ready for soup. Don't feel obliged to do this step if you want to make the soup right away, but it will be fattier.

Soup

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 of the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots, cook for 5 minutes until softened and a bit sweet, but don't overcook.
  2. While the veggies are sweating, start the water for the pasta. You will cook the pasta while the soup is simmering. Add 1 tbsp of the Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder and salt to the cooking water.
  3. Pour 8 cups broth into the pot. If for some reason you don't have 8 cups worth, top up with water if necessary and 2 tsp of Faux Chicken Bouillon powder per cup.
  4. Add the thyme, bay leaf and pepper. Stir.
  5. When it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes. Towards the end of these 8 minutes, add in the remaining garlic. At the end of these 8 minutes the pasta should be ready.

  6. Add the shredded chicken and stir. Then season well with salt and pepper to taste.

  7. To serve, drain the pasta and divide the pasta evenly between 6 bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles.
  8. Serve soup immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice or wedges.

Recipe Notes

The broth can also be cooked for 8 hours at low in a slow cooker.
If you want to separate the fat from the broth, start the broth the day before you want to make the soup. Or at least first thing in the morning.
Adding the Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder will heighten the flavour of the broth as opposed to just water.
You can prepare rice separately and serve it up in the same manner as the cooked pasta.
Store the pasta or rice in a separate container from any remaining soup. This will help you avoid the soup thickening up and the noodles getting mushy. Reheat the soup and serve it over room temperature noodles, the heat of the soup will heat the noodles quickly.
Feel free to season the broth and use it as an immune boosting tea. Heat and drink!

If you want to use sliced leeks or chopped green onions in the soup portion of the recipe, add the leeks with the celery, but the green onions at the end with the second portion of garlic.