Homemade Chicken Soup

Old-fashioned homemade chicken soup: bone-in chicken simmered for 2 hours with carrots, celery, parsnips, a whole onion and other vegetables.

No added sugarFreezer-friendly

Allergens: none of the major food allergens in the ingredients as written. Check package labels, which can change.

From the recipe book of Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook in our family.

Bowl of homemade chicken soup with shredded chicken, carrots and dill
  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 2 hr
  • Total 2 hr 15 min

Updated

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Print recipe

This is Sandra Mills's homemade chicken soup, the kind that simmers on the stove for a couple of hours and fills the house with its aroma. Bone-in chicken goes into the pot with carrots, celery, parsnips, a whole peeled onion and butternut squash if you like.

Her one firm rule: use enough water to cover everything, but do not drown the chicken! Afterward, the meat can go back into the soup or be saved for chicken salad or a casserole.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds of cut up chicken (or more) with bones
  • 4 carrots
  • 4 stalks of celery
  • 2 parsnips
  • 1 whole medium onion
  • Butternut squash (if you like)
  • Any other vegetables that you choose
  • Enough water to cover everything; do not drown the chicken!
  • Chicken bouillon cubes, as needed

Where to buy chickenPastured, non-GMO whole chickens shipped frozen by Florida Premium Beef. Cut one into pieces for this recipe.

Shop whole chicken

More picks: where to buy meat. We may make money from the links on this page, but it doesn't affect what you pay.

Instructions

  1. Fill the pot. Put the chicken into a stock pot. Peel and cut all the vegetables except the onion. Place the peeled onion in the soup whole.
  2. Boil and skim. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down until the liquid simmers evenly. Skim the scum off the top of the soup and discard.
  3. Simmer. Simmer for 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the pot along with any vegetables you don't want to eat.
  4. Adjust the flavor. If the soup comes out too weak, strengthen the flavor by adding chicken bouillon cubes as needed.
  5. Finish. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. If you like, put the meat back in the soup. If not, use it for chicken salad or a chicken casserole.

No added sugar

Tips

  • To freeze: cool it quickly, pack it in airtight containers or freezer bags, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.
  • Sandra's book says to wash the chicken first. Today the USDA advises against rinsing raw poultry, because it splashes bacteria around the sink; patting it dry with paper towels is enough.
  • Chill the soup overnight and lift off the fat that hardens on top for a clearer, lighter broth.

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