Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ina’s take on chicken noodle soup focuses on building deep flavor from the ground up—starting with a whole chicken or parts simmered into a golden stock, then adding fresh vegetables and delicate egg noodles. The addition of fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon at the end gives it a bright, elegant finish that sets it apart from basic versions. It serves 6–8 generously as a main dish, reheats beautifully, and freezes well without the noodles (add them fresh when reheating).
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 240
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (3–4 pound) whole chicken (or 3–4 pounds bone-in chicken parts)
- 3 quarts (12 cups) water or chicken stock (for deeper flavor, use stock)
- 2 large yellow onions, unpeeled and halved
- 3 carrots, unpeeled and halved
- 3 celery stalks with leaves, halved
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups diced carrots (about 4 medium)
- 2 cups diced celery (about 4 stalks)
- 2 cups diced yellow onion (about 1 large)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups wide egg noodles (or thin egg noodles)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2–3 tablespoons)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot; add water (or stock), halved onions, halved carrots, celery with leaves, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer; skim foam from the surface as needed.
- Simmer partially covered for 1–1.5 hours until chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Remove chicken to a bowl; let cool slightly, then shred meat, discarding skin and bones.
- Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.
- In the same pot, heat olive oil over medium heat; add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté 8–10 minutes until softened.
- Add minced garlic; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour strained stock back into the pot; bring to a simmer.
- Add shredded chicken and egg noodles; cook according to noodle package directions (usually 6–8 minutes) until al dente.
- Stir in fresh dill, parsley, and lemon juice; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with extra fresh herbs or a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.