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A bowl of chicken noodle soup on a balcony table overlooking a serene waterfront cityscape.

Ultimate Chicken Soup: The Only Chicken Soup Recipe You'll Ever Need

Our ultimate flexible chicken soup recipe is fully customizable! Use any veggies, noodles, or rice you have. Clear, step-by-step instructions ensure a perfect, hearty meal every time. 
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 4 people
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

The Foundation (Use All These)
  • 1/2 chicken bone-in, skin on
  • 4-6 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon or 4-6 cubes
  • 1 gallon water
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
The Aromatics (Choose 1 or More)
  • 1 onion diced or chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 3-5 celery stalks chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
The Seasoning (Choose One)
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
The Vegetables (Choose 1 to 1 ½ pounds total, fresh, frozen, or canned)
  • carrots sliced
  • zucchini chopped
  • peas
  • corn
  • kale chopped
  • baby spinach whole or chopped
  • mixed vegetables
The Starch (Choose One)
  • 1 12 ounce package egg noodles uncooked
  • 1 12 ounce package elbow macaroni uncooked
  • 2 cups white rice uncooked

Method
 

Instructions
  1. In a 5-6 quart stockpot, add the chicken, bouillon, and 1 gallon of water. Add your chosen aromatics (onion, celery, garlic) and seasoning (poultry seasoning or sage). Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 90 minutes. Check occasionally and add more water if needed to keep the chicken submerged.
  2. Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the pot and place it on a plate until it's cool enough to handle.
  3. If you are using fresh or frozen vegetables, add up to 1 1/2 pounds to the simmering broth now. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt or pepper as needed.
  4. While the veggies slow-simmer, remove the skin and pick the chicken off the bones. Shred or chop the chicken the way you like. Discard the skin and bones and return the chicken to the simmering pot.
    Slow simmer for a few more minutes or until all the veggies are hot and tender.
  5. If you are using canned vegetables, drain 1 or 2 cans of veggies and add to the pot after the chicken has been returned. Let everything slow-simmer for a few more minutes until the vegetables are hot and tender.
For the Egg Noodles Option:
  1. Turn off the heat, add the uncooked egg noodles to the hot soup, and stir. Cover tightly. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. The residual heat will cook the noodles perfectly without making them mushy.
For the Elbow Macaroni Option:
  1. Add the uncooked elbow macaroni to the hot soup and stir. Cook for 1 minute and stir well. Cover tightly.
  2. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 12-15 minutes. The residual heat will cook the elbows perfectly without making them mushy.
For the Rice Option:
  1. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup back to a boil. Stir in the uncooked rice, reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat (keep it covered!) and let it stand for 20-30 minutes to allow the rice to finish cooking and absorb the broth.

Notes

If you fully cook the noodles or rice in the soup before removing the pot from the heat, they will absorb too much liquid and become mushy.