Chicken Noodle Soup (From Scratch)
Americans have chicken noodle soup. Poles have rosol. Both cure everything.
Ingredients
Full From-Scratch Version
- 1 whole chicken or 2 pounds bone-in pieces about 4 pounds / 1.8kg
- 10 cups water 2.5L
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 oz wide egg noodles 225g
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh dill the Polish Mom addition
- Salt and pepper
Quick Shortcut Version Swaps
- 1 rotisserie chicken instead of whole chicken shredded
- 8 cups good quality chicken broth instead of water + whole chicken
Method
Make the Broth
- Place the whole chicken in a large pot. Cover with water. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface — this is protein and fat that makes the broth cloudy. Simmer uncovered for 1 to 1.5 hours until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and the broth is golden and flavourful.
- Remove the chicken and let it cool enough to handle. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the aromatics and any small bits. Return the broth to the pot. Shred the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. This is the step where you taste the broth and realise why homemade is worth the time — it's rich, golden, and deeply chickeny in a way no box broth can match.
Build the Soup
- Bring the strained broth back to a simmer. Add the carrots and celery. Cook 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions — usually 6-8 minutes. Add the shredded chicken back. Season with salt and pepper. Don't undersalt — chicken soup needs to be well-seasoned to taste like medicine for the soul and not just hot water.
Finish
- Add chopped fresh parsley and — here's my Polish addition — fresh dill. Americans don't traditionally put dill in chicken noodle soup, but Poles put dill in everything, and it works beautifully here. The bright, herbaceous flavour lifts the whole bowl. If you've never tried dill in chicken soup, consider this your gateway. It's what makes Polish soups taste distinctly Polish, and it'll make your American chicken soup taste distinctly yours.