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Healing Chicken Soup with Hidden Veggies (From Scratch)

Using a ladle to scoop up homemade healing chicken noodle soup.
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5 from 1 review

This from scratch chicken soup is loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients to comfort and heal!

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Chicken and Stock

  • 3 quarts cold water
  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 whole chicken (about 5 pounds)
  • 1 quart of cold water
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 inch knob of ginger
  • Piece of kombu (optional)
  • Handful of dried shitake mushrooms (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

For the Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
  • 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 8 cups prepared chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon freeze-dried dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken (half a chicken)
  • 8 ounces Mrs. Miller's wide egg noodles (half a bag)

Instructions

Cook the Chicken and Make the Stock

  1. In a large stockpot, add 3 quarts of cold water, garlic, onion, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to dissolve.
  2. Place the whole chicken in the pot. There should be enough water to cover the chicken by ½ an inch. Add more cold water if needed.
  3. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low.
  4. Simmer covered for 1 hour, or until the thickest parts of the breast and thighs reach 165℉.
  5. Transfer the chicken to a dish and let it cool enough to handle. Then, remove the meat and shred or chop it up.
  6. Refrigerate half of the meat for the soup and save the rest for another use.
  7. Return the carcass and juices to the pot. Add 1 quart of cold water, cloves, ginger, kombu (optional), dried shitakes (optional), and 1 teaspoon of salt.
  8. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover it with the lid tilted. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 4 hours.
  9. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer or a colander lined with cheesecloth into a large heat-proof container. I like to use 2 half-gallon glass jars. You should have about 1 gallon of finished stock. You will need half of the stock for the soup. The remaining stock should be cooled. Then, refrigerated or frozen.
  10. Optional: Use a spoon to skim the layer of fat off the top for a less fatty stock.

Make the Soup

  1. Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until the oil is hot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 4 minutes until golden but not brown.
  2. Then add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  3. Pour in 8 cups of the prepared chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the veggies are soft.
  4. Use an immersion blender to puree until it’s smooth.
  5. Return to a boil.
  6. Then, stir in the noodles, 2 ½ cups of cooked chicken, and the remaining herbs and spices. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking.
  7. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Notes

  • Refrigerate the leftovers for up to 4 days.
  • If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup, in batches, to a regular blender. Blend each batch until smooth and return to the pot once blended.
  • Most chickens will be done in 1 hour.  Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the chicken and temperature variations on different stoves.
  • When you remove the chicken from the pot, transfer it to a dish with raised sides to catch the juice.

Variations

Shortcut Method

Short on time? Use 8 cups of frozen homemade bone broth and 2 ½ cups of shredded rotisserie chicken. Skip to the making the soup section in the instructions. Be sure to adjust the seasonings at the end since you’ll be using a different broth.

Add Beans

Add a can of rinsed and drained navy or great northern beans when you add the chicken and noodles to the broth. They’re creamy, hearty, and add extra fiber.

Skip the Puree

If you prefer to skip the blending, you’ll need to prepare the vegetables differently. Dice the onions, carrots, and celery, and mince the garlic before adding them to the soup. This will change the color, consistency, and flavor of the soup.

Make A Second Batch of Stock

I like to make a second batch of stock out of a chicken carcass. It’s weaker than the first, but still nutritious and great for cooking. If you do this, you’ll need 2 large pots. You can also do this in an Instant Pot.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mandiofthemountains.com/hidden-veggie-healing-chicken-soup/