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When the pot comes up to a boil, a pale layer of foam gathers on top before the broth has even started to smell like soup. Skim that away, lower the heat, and the chicken has room to turn tender while the broth stays clear and gently savory. That slow first simmer is what makes chicken noodle soup from scratch taste like more than chicken cooked in water.

I use bone-in, skinless thighs for a broth with good body, then strain out the vegetables that have given up their flavor. Freshly sliced carrots and celery go in later, so they keep their shape instead of disappearing into the pot. Wide egg noodles finish right in the broth, where they pick up its flavor and make each spoonful feel like a proper bowl of soup.

Why the carrots and celery go into the pot twice

The vegetables in the broth and the vegetables in the finished soup have different jobs. The onion, carrot, celery, and garlic simmer with the chicken long enough to season the liquid. By the time you strain the broth, those vegetables have softened and given their flavor to the pot, so they’re discarded rather than served.

Fresh sliced carrots and celery go in for the last part of cooking. They bring the recognizable texture of chicken noodle soup: tender, but still distinct in the spoon. Putting all the vegetables in at the beginning would leave you with soft, spent pieces after the long chicken simmer. Separating the two stages gives you a broth with depth and vegetables that still feel like part of the meal.

This is also why the stockpot needs room for the chicken and water at the start. An 8-quart pot gives the thighs space to simmer, and it leaves enough broth to cook the vegetables and noodles afterward without crowding everything together.

What gives this broth its body—and what finishes the bowl

• Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs — Dark meat stays tender through a long simmer, and the bones lend the broth more body than boneless meat would. Skinless thighs keep the broth from picking up as much excess fat. Look for evenly sized pieces so they cook at a similar pace.
• The broth aromatics — Yellow onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and whole peppercorns build a rounded base without needing a separate seasoning blend. Standard grocery-store produce works well here; cut the vegetables into the stated large pieces so they’re easy to strain out after simmering.
• Wide egg noodles — Their broad shape catches broth and chicken in each bite. They cook quickly, so add them only after the broth is back at a simmer and check for a tender bite rather than letting them go soft.
• Unsalted butter and fresh parsley — Butter gives the sliced vegetables a gentle, savory start, while fresh parsley adds a clean herbal finish after the pot comes off the heat. Fresh parsley is worth choosing for this last-minute addition; dried herbs won’t bring quite the same fresh lift.

Build the broth first, then finish the soup gently

Start the chicken in cold water

Combine the chicken, cold water, quartered onion, large-cut carrot and celery, smashed garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and part of the salt in an 8-quart stockpot. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off the foam as it gathers. Lower the heat until the broth holds a gentle simmer; a hard boil makes the liquid churn.

Simmer until the thighs are tender

Leave the pot uncovered and simmer the chicken for 45 to 60 minutes. Check the thickest part of a thigh with an instant-read thermometer; it should reach 165°F, and the meat should feel tender. If it hasn’t reached that temperature, keep the gentle simmer going and check again rather than pulling it early.

Strain the broth and shred the chicken

Lift the thighs onto a plate, then pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl. Discard the strained solids and return the broth to the stockpot. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and shred it; take care to discard the bones before the meat goes back into the soup.

Cook the vegetables, noodles, and chicken

Melt the butter in the stockpot over medium heat, add the sliced carrots and celery, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the broth and bring it to a simmer before stirring in the noodles; simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until they’re just tender. Stir in the shredded chicken and remaining salt, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is hot, then remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parsley.

Easy ways to adapt this pot of chicken noodle soup

Questions that come up when making chicken noodle soup

Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch

Chicken noodle soup from scratch starts with a gently simmered chicken broth made from bone-in thighs and vegetables. Wide egg noodles, shredded chicken, and fresh parsley finish each bowl with tender noodles and a rich homemade broth.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 7 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 27 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 310

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the broth

• 3 lb chicken thighs bone-in, skinless
• 12 cups cold water
• 1 yellow onion medium, quartered
• 1 carrot medium, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 celery rib, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tsp kosher salt divided

For the soup

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 carrots medium, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 8 oz wide egg noodles
• 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

• 1 8-quart stockpot

Method

 

Make the broth

1. In an 8-quart stockpot, combine the chicken, water, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
3. Simmer uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, until the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer and the meat is tender.
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
5. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl, discard the solids, and return the broth to the pot.
6. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it; discard the bones.

Finish the soup

1. Melt the butter in the stockpot over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced carrots and celery, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the broth and bring it to a simmer.
4. Stir in the noodles and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until just tender.
5. Stir in the shredded chicken and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is hot.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.

Notes

For a clearer broth, skim off the foam as it comes to a boil. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; the soup can be frozen, though the noodles may soften. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free wide noodles.