Grandma's Chicken Soup Recipe

Prepare and simmer the chicken

Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot (6–8 quart). Pour in 12 cups cold water, or enough to cover the chicken by about 1 inch. Add the halved onion, 3 large carrot chunks, 3 celery chunks, smashed garlic, bay leaves, whole peppercorns and 2 tsp kosher salt.

Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, immediately reduce heat to maintain a low simmer (small bubbles). Skim any foam or scum from the surface with a fine-mesh skimmer or spoon during the first 15–20 minutes to keep the broth clear.

Partially cover the pot and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the meat is falling off the bone. Avoid boiling vigorously — a gentle simmer gives the clearest, most flavorful broth.

Turn off heat. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large bowl or cutting board. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl or clean pot to remove vegetables, peppercorns and bay leaves. Reserve the solids if you like, or discard. Let the broth cool slightly while you remove meat from the chicken.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard bones and skin (or reserve skin for another use). Measure or estimate the broth volume and skim excess fat from the surface with a spoon or use a fat separator if desired. Return strained broth to the pot.

If using dried noodles/pasta, cook them separately in salted boiling water to al dente per package directions (about 6–8 minutes for egg noodles). Drain and set aside. Alternatively, cook rice and set aside. Cooking separately prevents noodles from absorbing too much broth.

Bring the strained broth back to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the sliced carrots, sliced celery and diced yellow onion. Simmer until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 8–12 minutes depending on thickness.

Add the shredded chicken to the pot along with the chopped parsley and thyme. Warm gently for 3–5 minutes until chicken is heated through and herbs are fragrant.

If using cooked noodles or rice, add them now and stir to combine. If you prefer softer noodles, add dry noodles directly and simmer until tender, but adjust broth level as noodles absorb liquid.

Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter for silkiness if using, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice if you want a bright finish. Give the soup one final gentle simmer (1–2 minutes) then remove from heat.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls, making sure each bowl gets a mix of broth, shredded chicken, vegetables and noodles/rice. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and a grind of black pepper.

Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers. Leftovers refrigerate for up to 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.