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4.74 from 379 votes

This homemade chicken soup from scratch is a must to make during cold and flu season. My Grandma’s incredible chicken soup from scratch is the ultimate comfort food, and it is absolutely delicious. You only need one pot and some simple ingredients to make this incredible chicken soup recipe. See why 100s of people think this soup is the best cold and flu buster!

Two bowls of chicken soup with a garlic press and garlic cloves next to the bowls.

Do you miss your Grandma’s homemade chicken soup? You won’t believe how easy my chicken soup is to make from scratch! I remember my grandmother making this chicken soup from scratch every time we went to visit. The memories come back every time I make it. She would dump the ingredients into a big soup pot; magic happened as it cooked.

โค๏ธ Sandi Says: This chicken soup recipe takes time to make, but I promise it is worth it! It has hundreds of great reviews on the blog and social media. People worldwide send me messages, making me so happy that my Grandmother’s soup has brightened the day for so many.

Making classic chicken soup is so easy. You don’t need many ingredients, just a few simple ingredients, including chicken, broth, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and seasonings. You can add noodles to make chicken noodle soup or add rice. We usually make chicken and rice soup because gluten free noodles tend to get mushy over time. You can use brown or white rice in this soup recipe.

You can also make the Instant Pot Version of this Homemade Chicken Soup! Delicious flavor in a fraction of the time!! If you love chicken soup as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious homemade Gluten Free Soup Recipes!

Allergen Information:

This delicious soup is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and soy-free. It is also Whole 30, Paleo, and Keto. It is perfect for anyone who has food allergies.

The top view of two bowls of grandma's chicken soup.

Pair this soup with this delicious gluten free bread for easy dipping: Gluten Free Biscuitsย or this Gluten Free Focaccia Bread.

If you love this soup, you will also want to try my Gluten-Free Matzo Ball recipe. This soup is great with matzo balls! Fresh chicken soup is always better than canned!

The Vegetables For Homemade Chicken Soup:

Classic chicken soup has onion, carrot, and celery. Over the years, I have added turnip and rutabaga to my chicken soup recipe, but I made these vegetables optional because I wanted to keep it close to my grandma’s recipe for this post.

You can also try this easy Instant Pot Vegetable Soup with Chicken for a soup with many extra vegetables.

The Chicken Soup Seasoning:

This soup is full of flavor from these spices and herbs:

  • thyme
  • basil
  • parsley
  • garlic
  • salt and pepper

I use dried thyme and dried basil. I also used fresh garlic cloves because dried garlic powder doesn’t add the same flavors to the soup broth. For the garnish, fresh parsley is also better than dried.

๐Ÿ‘€ Sandi Says: Find all of the Step-By-Step Photos and detailed directions after the recipe card. You can also find them quickly via the Table of Contents.

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Two bowls of chicken soup next to carrots and a garlic bulb.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is chicken broth gluten free?

Most chicken broth is glutenfree, but I highly encourage you to read the labels. Look for any artificial ingredients, and also make sure the broth wasn’t made on shared equipment!

What gluten free noodles are good for chicken soup?

Some brands of gluten free pasta definitely hold up better than others. I like Jovial and Barilla pasta brands for chicken soup. As I mentioned above, you do not want to cook these in your soup…but these noodles will hold up to sitting in a bowl of soup for a little while.

Do you have to use a whole chicken?

You do not have to use a whole chicken to make this soup recipe. You can also use bone-in chicken parts. My neighbor loves using bone-in chicken thighs. You need to make sure your chicken pieces are with the bone, as the bone minerals are what make this soup so good!!

How do you spice up bland chicken soup?

Add more salt and seasonings to your soup if you want the flavors to be stronger.

What do you do with the whole chicken once it is cooked?

I gently hold two spatulas and carefully remove the chicken from the soup pot to a serving dish. I remove the chicken meat from the carcass and put the pieces of chicken back into the soup. You can set aside some of the chicken for making enchiladas or chicken salad if you want.

How to store leftovers:

This soup will remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You will notice the chicken fat congeals on top of the soup. You can use a spoon to scrape the fat off if you like. You can reheat it on the stove or in your microwave oven.

You can also freeze the soup. I highly recommend freezing it in Souper Cubes. These are one-cup-sized cubes that are perfect for a single serving! Freeze in the Souper Cubes, then move the frozen cubes to a freezer-safe zip-style bag. The frozen soup will keep fresh for up to 5 months.

More Homemade Soup Recipes to Try:

If you love chicken as much as we do, you will want to check out ALL of my delicious, easy Gluten Free Chicken Recipes!!

Love This Recipe?

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!

Two bowls of chicken soup next to carrots and a garlic bulb.

Grandma’s Homemade Chicken Soup

Sandi Gaertner
An easy homemade chicken soup made from scratch. Grandma's chicken soup recipe is easy to make using a whole chicken and vegetables.
4.74 from 379 votes
dairy free allergen icon
an egg free allergen icon
gluten free allergy icon
nut free allergen icon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Course Gluten Free Soup Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 189 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken raw
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 5 carrots chopped
  • 3 celery stalks chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 quart chicken broth low sodium
  • 4 cups water
  • fresh parsley is optional

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Instructions
 

  • Add a whole raw chicken to a large stock pot. Add the chicken broth and then fill the pot with water to cover the chicken.
  • Chop the onion, celery, and carrots. Add them and the minced garlic and salt and pepper. Add all ingredients to the soup pot. Cover and simmer on medium-high low until the soup boils.
  • Once the soup is boiling, turn down the temperature to medium for 1 hour. Stir the soup and make sure the chicken is still covered by the soup. Add more water if needed. Put the lid back on the pot, and turn the cooking temperature down to low, and simmer for another hour.
  • After cooking in the soup, the chicken will be fall off the bone soft and tender. Carefully remove the chicken from the soup pot to a serving dish. Do this carefully holding two spatulas, so the chicken doesn't fall apart. Cut the chicken meat into pieces and add the chicken pieces back to the soup. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like.
  • Serve hot with rice or noodles. My grandmother served it over rice, this is totally optional.

Notes

  1. This recipe uses a whole raw chicken. The chicken cooks directly in the soup, making the broth full of rich chicken flavors!
  2. If you do not have a whole chicken, you can use chicken parts. The soup will taste the best if you use bone-in chicken parts. The bone broth is what adds to the flavor.
  3. You can use fresh or dried herbs.
  4. I like to add a small rutabaga or turnip sometimes for a flavor boost. It is totally optional, but if you try this, peel the rutabaga first.
  5. This chicken soup is even better the next day.
  6. This soup will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 15gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 897mgPotassium: 291mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 5220IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

Step By Step: Making Chicken Soup From Scratch:

A whole chicken cooking in a soup pot.

I love making my chicken soup with a whole chicken. The raw chicken cooks in the soup, adding incredible flavor! If you do not have a whole chicken on hand, you can easily use other chicken parts…it is best to use chicken with the bones as the bones add a lot of nutrients to the soup while cooking.

Step 1: Add your raw whole chicken to a large stockpot. Add in low-sodium chicken broth, seasonings, vegetables, and water.

Step 2: Cover the pot and bring the chicken soup to a boil. It should take about 10-15 minutes to boil, depending on the depth of the soup pot.

Step 3: Once the soup is boiling, gently boil for 1 hour. Turn down the heat to low and allow the soup to simmer for one more hour hours.

The chicken cooking in soup with parsley and carrots.

Step 4: After the chicken simmers, remove the chicken carefully to a serving dish. I use two spatulas to lift the chicken out so the bones don’t fall apart in the soup. The chicken is fall off the bone tender after cooking.

Step 4: Serve the soup hot with rice or noodles. I recommend cooking them separately and then adding them to the bowl.

4.74 from 379 votes (315 ratings without comment)

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249 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi! Iโ€™ve made this soup several times now and have finessed it to perfection (for us)! It makes so much so I shared with neighbors & my in-laws. Itโ€™s always well received.

    I add fennel seed ( 1.5 tsp) and extra vegetables to balance the amount of broth.

    Thanks for sharing this great recipe! Truly food that makes you feel good.

  2. 5 stars
    Perfect, many thanks,
    We all had flu so thought I would add son chilli flaks to your recipe, also served it with egg noodles.

    It was perfect, very comforting and warming.

  3. 5 stars
    WOW! delicious. Thank you Ms. G., perfect chicken soup. Now that I am an adult and living on my own, your grandma’s homemade chicken soup came in just in time. My first time cooking chicken soup from scratch and it would not be my last.
    I paired this soup with jasmine rice and a homemade hot toddy.

  4. 5 stars
    Great, traditional chicken soup! I’ve made it 3x since September ๐Ÿ˜‚. Thank you for the easy to follow, tasty recipe.

  5. 5 stars
    My granddaughter has a cold and I wanted to try this recipe. All I had was chicken breast tenderloins so I used that and added her favorite farfalle noodles. This soup is the absolute best I’ve ever made! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  6. 5 stars
    I have tried several different chicken soup recipes. I like this one the best because itโ€™s so simple. I used a leg quarter instead of a whole chicken. No problem. I added two red potatoes. No problem. Other possible late adds are green peas, corn kernels, spinach, zucchini.

  7. 5 stars
    Great recipe, thank you! I made a double patch to share last weekend and I am making a single batch the weekend to hoard for myself:)

  8. This might be a silly question.. but after boiling the chicken and taking it back out.. what do you do with the chicken?.. I canโ€™t imagine, not deboning it and putting it back in the soup, but you didnโ€™t specify as far as I can see, but I am sick right now and have a little bit of rain fog and was really wanting to make it

  9. 5 stars
    Thank you so much! Things the first time Iโ€™ve tried to make chicken soup, and it was perfect! The only thing I โ€œchangedโ€ was I added a tablesooon of tumeric and a couple tablespoons of grated fresh ginger. Iโ€™m freezing it in individual portions. Thank you, again! Itโ€™s so delicious!!!

  10. I knew immediately that there was way to much thyme and basil for my taste, so I cut it in half. Holy Moly! It’s still terribly strong. I couldn’t even eat the chicken.
    However, I do have sensitive taste buds and a sense of smell. I recommend that you start with 1/4 t. each and add more slowly as it cooks if you feel you need it.
    Different strokes for different folks. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I do love the technique!

  11. 5 stars
    Just made your soup, delicious. I making for my dad who had just a few teeth. I’m hoping to puree this for him for a daily meal as he’s malnourished and needs the bone broth. any suggestions for pureeing this. thank you

    1. It brings me joy to know this soup is helping your dad. Thank you so much for trying my recipe. As for pureeing, I would put it (cooled, not hot) into a blender or food processor and blend for a few seconds.

      1. I did that, worked perfect, and put into molds for super cubes!! Now it will last!! Great suggestion or great ad in your recipe! Thanks again