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!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
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.
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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.
Just made this the other day and it was delicious and had great flavor! I think I had way too big of a chicken because mine had way too much, but I just added a bit more broth when I heated it up and it was good to go! Thanks for a great and easy recipe!
I am so glad you loved the soup. I do the same thing as you if I have too much chicken :-).
Yes my family like the chicken soup we have made it 4 times
I am so glad everyone loved this soup, Virginia. Thank you!
What whole chicken size do you use? I used a 6+ one and had to add more veggies and water.
Hi Carolyn, I think you mean 6 pound? I typically use a 2-3 pound chicken.
Wow, simply delicious. I followed the instructions to a tee. The whole chicken really made a difference in the flavour. I usually add chicken OXO cubes in my chicken soup but this recipe doesn’t require any adjustments. Perfect the way it is.
I am so glad you all loved the recipe! Thank you so much, Tanya.
Made this tonight…DELICIOUS! I wouldn’t change a thing on this recipe! Even my 4 and 7 year loved it. It’s a keeper! Thank you
I am thrilled you and your littles ones loved the recipe. I have been enjoying my grandma’s soup since I was little too. Thank you so much!
I had to triple amount of water.
This is a nice, quick soup. I have my own homemade soup, it’s the best of course!, but this is pretty darned good!
Close to what I make from scratch. I add a peeled turnip or two, peeled parsnips, and a peeled rutabaga or two.
Sounds delicious, thank you Erica!
I added turnip too!
I often cook homemade chicken soup, and it is a family favorite menu. I use pure cow ghee as the taste enhancer of the soup. It is an easy way to make the soup extra creamy, flavorful, and rich with ghee nutrition. It’s ghee-licious.
I prefer using Milkio grass-fed ghee for all my recipes.
Your modifications sound really good. Thank you!
Exactly the way my mother & her mother made!! Easy but lots of love ❤️ And flavor! It’s on my stove as I write this on this gloomy, fall day. Thanks for sharing
I am so glad you loved the recipe!
Rhonda those are the truest words every spoken.
I’ve made this many times and use a large chicken and increase the amount of vegetables, it’s awesome!
Hi Robbin, I am so glad you loved the recipe!
Hey there I’m in the process of making this now . Do u discard the chicken skin once u get the meat off the carcass ?
I do when the soup is done cooking, but it is probably a personal preference.
How many pounds should the whole chicken be (on average)? I am wanting to try this. Thanks.
Hi Cathy, I usually buy a 2- 2 1/2 pound chicken that I get at the local grocery store.
I absolutely love this recipe!!! Made it twice already and even my fussy 6 year old eats every drop in her bowl.
I just want to know, can this recipe be adapted for beef? Instead of using chicken and chicken stock can I swap it out for beef and beef stock?
I am so glad you love my Grandma’s recipe, Melissa!! I haven’t tested it with beef.
Whole Chicken is the only way to go. Flavor flavor flavor!
For years in my house it is called a (POT CHICKEN)
No water all chicken broth as much needed to cover all.
Spice up the way you like. Add what you want.
Cook chicken one hour add rest cook one hour. Turns out great!
It sounds delicious Ken!
Great recipe! I love the spices together. I like to cook the soup a day ahead. After separating the meat from the bones I strain everything from the liquid . Everything goes into the fridge still separated. In the morning I can scrape the fat off of the top of the soup before combining everything together again. Great recipe! Thx for sharing!
Hi Donna, I am so glad you loved my grandma’s recipe! I love it better on day two as well :-).
Delicious 😋
I am really glad you enjoyed it Marg. Have a great weekend!
Delicious I use Quinoa instead of rice.
I am so glad you enjoyed it Kristine, thank you for coming back to let me know!
Worth the effort! I used two pounds of bone-in chicken thighs rather than a whole chicken. Served it the day after cooking it, and the flavor was very good. Thanks for this recipe!
I am so glad you loved my grandma’s soup! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
I’ve made this three times now and absolutely love it. I always put rice in my soup but I may have to try the noodles next time. Right now I’m making it with the turkey carcass from Thanksgiving. I’m sure it will be just as good.
I am so glad you love my Grandma’s soup!! I love the idea of using the turkey carcass!
I usually make a large pot and freeze, just to have a nice, hot bowl in the winter. I love it with noodles/fusilli, and partially cook a batch and freeze enough in small batches to match the number of containers of soup. When I take out a container of soup to thaw, I also take a package of noodles to add when soup is being heated. They’re perfect.
I love this idea! I may have try that noodle idea this week.
Here’s another amazingly delish way to eat chicken noodle soup…over mashed potatoes! To die for!
That sounds delicious!
Excellent! Easy to make and tastes perfect! Thank you!
I added a little oregano to kick some extra germ booty too.
I love you added extra germ-busting oregano! It sounds delicious!
This is a good recipe but the chicken gets kinda cooked out in flavor so I wrap the raw chicken in cheese cloth before putting it in the broth and discard when cooked. I add cooked or raw chicken and vegetables to the hot stock in the pot along with raw rice and cook for a half hour…..the chicken meat is tasty and it adds to the soup.
I am glad you found something to keep your chicken flavorful :-).
This soup is absolutely delicious, I added the Swede and it’s just superb.
Thank you for sharing your granny’s recipe 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed it Clare, thank you for coming back to let me know 🙂
This is the best chicken soup recipe I’ve ever had! We eat it at least twice a month, and it’s delicious every time. I mix in cooked organic brown rice at the end and it is just perfect. Thank you so much for sharing your Grandma’s recipe!
You made my day coming back to let me know you loved her soup 🙂
This is my go-to chicken soup recipe! We’re currently being hit with this polar vortex and it is COLD, so I’ve been making it every other week to have on hand and warm us up on the really hard days. I make it exactly as is, just in a Dutch oven.
I am so glad you like it, Denise. Cooking in a Dutch oven is a great idea!
My mother always roasted her chicken before putting it into the soup pot. What’s the difference – just a different taste? Does the broth stay clear when using a raw chicken like in Won Ton soup? Moms broth was always opaque.
I haven’t heard of roasting first so I am not sure how to advise.
This is a question more than a comment. I can’t wait to make this but was wondering if I could use a large (6.5 qt) Dutch oven instead of a stockpot? I’m new in the kitchen and don’t fully know when it’s best to use what, I just love the nostalgia of a Dutch oven! Thanks.
I am sure you can use a Dutch oven on the stove to make this recipe. Enjoy Suzanne 🙂
Can you add rice to recipe?
Hi Michelle, you can add cooked rice to the bowl, but I would not cook rice in this soup.
I do this in my Instant Pot, putting the chicken in a stainless steel basket so it can be lifted out without losing any of the bones, etc., into the broth. And the best GF noodles I have found are the fresh ones at either Aldi or Trader Joe. I boil them separately and add some GF chicken bouillion or canned broth to the water. Thanks for all the good recipes. My granddaughter has celiac disease and LOVES chicken soup.
I love those fresh gluten free noodles from TJ too!
How long do you cook this in your IP?
Hi Cassandra, I wrote up the instructions to make my Grandma’s soup in an IP here: https://www.fearlessdining.com/instant-pot-chicken-soup-from-scratch/
Enjoy!
The best I have ever had in my 73 years !
I used chicken thighs (6 or 8) … as an entire chicken is too much for us .
Your Grandma was a great cook !
Wow Cynthia, I am so glad you love it :-). Thank you!
How would you handle non-gluten plain ole noodles. Cook them separately and add or cook them in the soup at the end?
I always add the noodles at the end because gluten free noodles get so mushy.
I cook the chicken the day before with large pieces of the vegetables. Then I discard the vegetables. I do this so I can refrigerate the broth overnight and skim the fat off.
Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing your tips!
I made this on the instant pot …
high pressure for 30 minutes… followed the recipe but added extra water and broth so that I could cover the chicken…. husband said this needs to become a regular ! Thanks for the great recipe !!!
I am so glad you and your husband liked it!
Hi
Would the overall flavor suffer too much if I simply used several chicken breasts then cut those up instead of using a whole chicken?
Thanks
Christi
Thanks for writing Christi 🙂 You will miss on the nutrients from the bones so it wouldn’t be a bone broth…flavorwise you re fine.
Hi
I would like to make chicken and rice soup. Should I cook the rice separately?
Thanks!
Hi Liz, you will definitely want to cook the rice separately. Enjoy!