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!
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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.
❤️ 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.
Pair this soup with this delicious gluten free bread for easy dipping: Gluten Free Biscuits or this Gluten Free Focaccia Bread.
Tips For Success
1. To make this recipe, You can use a whole chicken for my grandma’s old-fashioned chicken soup or chicken 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!!
2. I prefer to use an organic whole chicken. Include the neck and organs…it all goes into the pot. You will want to cook this down for a couple of hours to infuse the chicken flavor into the broth.
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.
👀 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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Frequently Asked Questions:
Most chicken broth is gluten–free, 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!
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.
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!!
Add more salt and seasonings to your soup if you want the flavors to be stronger.
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:
- This recipe is made without a roux and tastes amazing! Gluten Free Oyster Chowder (works well with clams for clam chowder too!)
- Another great winter soup: Turmeric Chicken Soup
- For my spice lovers, this Taco Chicken Soup is hard to resist.
- If you love wild rice, this Chicken Rice Soup is also delish!
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!
Grandma’s Homemade Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 whole raw chicken
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 large onion
- 5 chopped carrots
- 3 chopped celery stalks
- 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 1 whole raw chicken to a large stock pot. Add 1 quart chicken broth and then fill the pot with 4 cups waterto cover the chicken.
- Chop 1 large onion, 3 chopped celery stalks, and 5 chopped carrots. Add 3 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon ground black 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
- This recipe uses a whole raw chicken. The chicken cooks directly in the soup, making the broth full of rich chicken flavors!
- 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.
- You can use fresh or dried herbs.
- 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.
- This chicken soup is even better the next day.
- 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
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:
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.
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.
Super great recipe. Five stars. However, watching Diners, Driveins,& Divers the chef flayed the chicken, placed it on a tray, based oil and baked for an hour first. The theory was by baking it all the flavors were released into the meat. Then made soup.
I am so glad you liked my Grandma’s soup recipe Daniel. I haven’t heard of baking the chicken first…I will have to try that sometime.
I made it for my daughter who is battling stage 4 breast cancer and she’s getting out of the hospital today🥣🙏. This ought to make her feel way better❣
I am so sorry she is going through treatment. We are keeping you both in our prayers and I hope the soup bring some cheer.
I love this hearty soup. Perfect for any occasions.
I am really glad you like it Lynne 🙂
Hi! I’m cooking this for my wife who is currently sick in bed. She wants it with the frozen egg noodles… Do I cook those separately or put them in the pot towards the end of the simmer so they have more flavor? Thanks so much, it smells delicious.
I am so sorry your wife is sick. I always cook the noodles separately…but then again it may be because gluten free noodles would turn to mush. I hope she feels better soon!
Do you cook cover or uncovered for the 2 hours? Thanks!
Hi Susan, you want to simmer it covered. Thank you for asking :-).
Planning on making this today. Sick momma here with two sick kiddos (flu! ?), hoping this recipe gets us on the mend fast!
Awww, I hope the soup was a success and that you all feel better soon. I feel like this year has been rough with germs and illness :-(.
Currently in the simmer stage with this and by smell alone we are all drooling just waiting for it to finish up! I came looking for a recipe because our son is running a 102 degree fever, when your first few lines talked about Jewish Penicillin and it being a grandma’s recipe I knew I found what we needed! Thank you for sharing!
I hope it helps your son feel better soon Angie 🙂
THIS MAKES A WONDERFUL SOUP EVERYTIME.
Thank you.
Hi Terry, I am so glad you like my Grandmother’s soup!! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Awesome chicken soup. Made it especially for my mom in law that has pancreatic csncer. She said it’s the best chicken soup she has had in a very long time. Thank you:)
I am so glad you loved my Grandma’s soup recipe Justine 🙂
We raise our own chickens but skin them, can’t wait to try this recipe. What about canning it? Thinking it would make great Christmas presents.
It sounds like a delicious idea but I would think you have to do something so it won’t spoil. I know nothing about canning.
i checked out the Ball website and it sayd 10 pounds of pressure for 1hour 30 minutes for 1quart jars, definately going to give it a try.
I freeze this soup in wide mouth mason jars, let it cool then just leave a few inches of space a the top for any expansion.
I didn’t realize you can freeze mason jars like this. Thank you so much for sharing your tip Robbin 🙂
I have not made your soup yet but I was wondering if I can use just pieces of chicken instead of a whole chicken..
Hi Donna, you can use pieces of chicken but I highly recommend making sure the pieces are bone-in. There are a lot of nutrients in the bones that cook into this soup, giving it that awesome cold and flu busting benefit.
Curious, will the veggies be really mushy? I mean cooking for 2 hours seems a little much. Thank you!
Hi Jodie, the long cook time didn’t make our veggies mushy. You can cook less, we do cook on a simmer for much of this for flavor, but it isn’t necessary. You can also add the veggies in a little later.
Beat soup ever! I do the chicken boil then strain it and refrigerate the broth over night. The fat rises to the top and can be skimmed off. Then add all the good stuff~ AMAZING!!!
I am so glad you liked it!! You made my day!
Hi! How would this be cooked in a crockpot? It would be much easier for me.
Hi Andrea, this should work well in a crock pot :-). Please come back and let us know how long you cooked it for.
Hey Miss Sandi – during the simmer process do I scoop off any foam or excess fat?? I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for your help. Thanks to Grandma too!
Hi Keith, that is up to you. We tend to scrape the fat off after the first refrigeration when it has solidified at the top. During the simmer stage the flavors are still infusing with the soup. Enjoy 🙂
Once it’s done, turn off burner. Let it set a minute, then use the back of a ladel that was sitting in ice to wipe off the oil. The oil will stick to the frozen metal.
That is a great idea!!
Great and it’s only a total of 8 cups liquid mine doesn’t cover the ingredients all the way ?
Hi Mikaela, how large of a pot are you using? You can definitely add more water, you want the chicken to be just barely submerged.
When would I add the rice and how much ?
You would want to cook the rice separately and add it to your bowl and pour the soup over it. My grandmother never cooked the soup with the rice because it would make the broth starchy.
Apart from the very first bowl of soup that I tasted, I froze the first batch of soup that I made and it is so delicious that I find I cannot wait until I am sick before I devour some more! I expect it will keep the germs away anyway LOL! Well that’s my story anyway…. I have another batch cooking on the stove so I really don’t plan on running out anytime soon. I made this soup on both occasions exactly as written and it is superb. The flavour and the aroma of the soup whilst cooking is amazing and I am very happy to have found this recipe. Thank you very much for sharing your Grandma\s recipe. I did leave a comment for the first soup I made but think it may have gone astray.
You made my day. Thank you so much for coming back to tell me how much you liked my Grandma’s soup.
Second time I am making this soup – BEST recipe ever – full of flavor Thank You !!
Yay!! I am so glad you liked my grandmother’s soup, Kathy. I appreciate your coming back to let me know. If you didn’t leave a star rating in the recipe card by clicking the stars, I would be so grateful if you would so people know how yummy this recipe is.
Thank you for this recipe. We are making it right now and it smells wonderful.
I am so glad you are trying this. Let me know how it turns out.
Chicken simmering , as I write this little note of Thanks for the recipe ..The flavors are filling the kitchen with a wonderful aroma …..I know this will help me on the way to a a cure for the cold /flu that I am experiencing right now…
Thanks so much for a delicious recipe…Yum!!
I am so glad Marie…I hope you feel better soon :-).
Yessssss!! This soup is just what the doctor calls for when sick! I made this yesterday for me and the little woman. I am sick as a dog, so I looked up soups on Pinterest. I came up with this gem! Easy to make, very flavorful and inexpensive. I am adding this to my favorites, for sure!
I am so glad you liked my Grandma’s recipe Al! Thank you so much for coming to let us know :-).
I was all set to come on here and tell you that a soup is NOT homemade if you buy the broth, then saw that yours calls for the whole chidken–this truly is Gramma’s recipe, except that she used the feet whenever possible.
I haven’t seen chicken here with feet, but I bet my grandmother did. Thank you so much for stopping by Janelynn 🙂
Whole chicken wasnt’t on sale, so i used chicken leg quarters. So glad i found this recipe when i search chicken soup from scratch. Best soup ever, i hope my dad doesnt read this. P.s. my son is sick but i used alphabet letters so my daughter would eat it. Way to go a masterpiece for sure.
I am so glad you found chicken that worked. As long as your chicken legs had bones, you will get the benefits of the bone broth in this recipe. I hope everyone feels better soon!!
If I want to refrigerate this and eat it throughout the week, should I skim some of the fat off the top? Or would that take away the delicious flavor? Thank you for sharing!
Hi Stephanie, I usually scrape some of the fat off the top, but that is totally optional 🙂
Best chicken soup I’ve ever made. I used all chicken broth and added 2 tsp chicken granules. The aroma was amazing. Thank you for sharing
I am sooo glad you liked this Wendy. Thank you for coming back to let me know!
I made this for my hubby and son awhile ago, they now have a nasty cold and I am making it again. Followed the recipe, added rice at the end. Smells AMAZING! Great recipe thank you
I am so glad you like it, Kirsten. I hope your husband and son feel better soon :-).
Best flavor of any chicken soup I’ve ever made! My husband loved it too! A definite keeper and go-to for cold winter days in Wisconsin!
I am so glad you and your husband like this soup…my grandmother would be so excited that so many can enjoy it. I also appreciate your coming back to let me know it was a hit :-).
No colds or flu yet…this is a trial run, I just made this soup , grated a few potatoes into it as well. Still tastes awesome.
I never thought to add potatoes, but it sounds wonderful. I am glad you like this soup Edna 🙂
This is on the stove as I “speak”. Curious, the liquids did not cover the chicken (a small B&E young chicken). Not sure if that’s a problem??? Also, adding the carrots and celery halfway through, as I am hoping they will not be that mushy.
Will be serving with an egg noodle, or pasta.
Hi Karen, I am so glad you are trying this recipe. I would say add more water unless you are using a giant pot with a small chicken? You can always salt a little more. I have started to add a scoop of chicken collagen protein powder (by Vital Proteins) lately as well for a boost.
Followed recipe as posted. Added corn and white potatoes. Recipe is keeper, looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch.
I am so glad you like this recipe Russell, my grandmother would be so glad it is reaching so many. I appreciate your coming back to let me know, you made my night 🙂
Hi! I was wondering at what temperature, med-low or med-high or high to cooks the chicken and the soup in before I turn to low and simmer? Making witching the next hour!
Hi Kassandra, I let the chicken and soup boil for about 20 minutes on med-high, then turn to simmer low for 2 hours. Enjoy 🙂
As soon as I saw a chicken soup recipe with the word “Grandma” in the title, I knew I had to make it! I added a can of Cream of Chicken soup, since I like a thicker broth. I used rotisserie chicken and frozen homemade noodles, and it is the best chicken soup recipe I have ever found. I usually eat one bowl, and give the rest away, but not this time! I froze the remainder for myself!
Wow Fern, you are really creative :-). Thank you so much for writing about this soup. I am not sure if you are gluten free or not, but for anyone reading this comment, I do want to point out that Cream of Chicken Soup isn’t gluten free. I do believe Walmart makes a gluten free cream of chicken soup, so just read labels if in doubt. Have a wonderful week.
Can I possibly get the nutrition values (need it for Keto Diet). Can’t wait to try this.
I am actually cooking it now. 🙂
Hi Lorrie, I am happy to add it.
Hi Terri, I haven’t made it in a crockpot, but I am sure it would work. Will you please stop back and let us know how it turns out?
Hi there!! I made this yesterday in my crockpot and it was AMAAAAZING! Cooked on high about 6 hours….lifted out the chicken onto a sheet pan….deboned and put the chicken right back in. Will eat the leftovers today!!!!
Thank you! 🙂
Oh my gosh Terri, thank you so much for coming back to let us know!!
Can’t wait to try it looks delish and will be fine for the ketogenic diet thanks for sharing
Awesome Laurie, I hope you have a great weekend 🙂
Hi Carmen, I would cook the alphabet pasta separately and add it to the bowl. Pour the soup on top. That will keep it from getting too mushy. Thank you 🙂
I think I’m gonna try this, but since I have a bunch of boneless skinless chicken breasts, I’m gonna use them instead. I know I will be sacrificing some of the flavor from the whole chicken, but I think it’s still going to be delicious.
Please let me know how it turns out 🙂
Actually you can use already made broth, I use organic bone broth.
You failed to mention putting the meat back into the pot and you show parsley but don’t mention it as an ingredient.. required or optional
I am going to try it today
Hi Suz, I am happy to clarify. I used parsley as a garnish. It is optional, but will add that in. Have a great weekend.
Maybe I missed it but when do you add the noodles?
Hi Gail, You would add the cooked noodles to the bowl before you ladle the soup into the bowl. I hope this helps. Thank you, Sandi
how mug parsley do you add and do you add the chicken back in?
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for writing. I find parsley to be strong. I used 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, but some people may like a lot more than that. I do remove the chicken from the soup. I remove the chicken and toss the bones. Sometimes if I am short of time, I just leave the chicken in there whole. The meat pretty much falls off the bones and then it is a matter of just taking the bones out. I hope this helps 🙂 Sandi