Our Grandma's Old Fashioned Chicken Soup is made with a whole chicken and root vegetables. It's a light, healthy dish that's full of comfort and flavor. There's nothing like a warm bowl of grandma's chicken soup to fight off a cold or take the chill out of the air. By request, I've also added a section below on how to cook matzoh balls.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Equipment
- How to Make Grandma's Chicken Soup
- Is Chicken Soup Medicinal?
- Chill the Chicken Soup for The Best Taste
- Storing Chicken Soup
- Reheating
- What To Serve with Chicken Soup
- How To Add Matzoh Balls and Egg Noodles
- Explore More Great Soup Recipes
- What Goes with Chicken Soup?
- Summary
- FAQ
- Old-Fashioned Chicken Soup
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Chicken soup is not just food, it's comfort in a bowl. I make a big batch and freeze leftovers for the days one of us is feeling under the weather.
This homemade version is seasoned with dill, parsnip, leeks, onions, carrots, and celery. It is hearty, simple, and perfect even in the heat of a Key Largo summer.
Forget the canned stuff. That old-school shortcut was loaded with salt, and mystery meat. Make the real deal with a whole chicken and fresh vegetables. Freeze it in containers and pull one out when you need a little comfort.
Ingredients
- Whole chicken or 4 pounds of chicken parts (thighs, breast, legs, etc.)
- Water
- Carrots
- Parsnip
- Onions
- Fresh herbs: celery stalks and celery leaves, dill, parsley, bay leaf.
- Leek
- Garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt
- Black pepper
Equipment
- The most important piece of equipment you need to make chicken soup is a big pot. I use an 8-quart stainless steel pot for 10 cups of soup, enough for a family of four.
- Big Spoon
- Strainer
- Ladle
How to Make Grandma's Chicken Soup
- Rinse the chicken under cold running water. Place the chicken in the pot. If the neck is inside the chicken, add it to the pot for flavor. Remove the liver and reserve it for another use.
- Place the chicken in a 7 or 8-quart soup pot. Fill the pot with water, leaving 3 inches at the top. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Boil for 10 minutes. Skim the foam that rises to the top, lifting it out with a large spoon, and discard it.
- Add the remainder of the ingredients. Turn down the heat to medium-low or a gentle simmer. Set the cover partially open over the pot to allow some steam to escape and let it cook for 1-½ hours. Check every 15 minutes to make sure the water isn't boiling. Check every 15 minutes to make sure the water isn't boiling.
- Remove the chicken and carrots and set them aside. Discard the rest of the vegetables.
- Remove the legs and thighs from the chicken. You can leave them whole or tear them apart into bite-size pieces and set them aside. Remove the breast meat from the bones. You can dice the white meat or shred it with 2 forks.
- Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the greens.
- Chill the soup with the chicken and carrots in a large bowl or airtight container, preferably overnight. When cool, skim the hardened layer of fat from the top.
- Reat and serve your soup. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Add chicken and cooked vegetables. Garnish with a little fresh dill. Serve hot.
Is Chicken Soup Medicinal?
Also known as Jewish Penicillin, old-fashioned chicken vegetable soup has been a remedy for head colds and sore throats for centuries.
You might have memories of your mom or dad preparing a pot of soup that could make any ailment feel better. This homemade soup is nourishing and tasty, bringing comfort to everyone.
Chicken soup helps keep you hydrated. Staying hydrated is important for overall health and can also be beneficial when you're feeling under the weather.
"Let Food be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food."
-Hippocrates
Chill the Chicken Soup for The Best Taste
Chicken soup tastes better the day after it's made.
Once your pot of soup has cooled down on the stovetop, use a spider or slotted spoon to scoop out the chicken. Shred the meat, disjoint the chicken into eight pieces, slice any veggies you're keeping, and store them separately in a designated container.
After the soup has cooled a bit, refrigerate the entire pot until the next day. When it's cool, skim the hardened layer of fat from the top and discard it.
Storing Chicken Soup
Homemade chicken soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to ensure its freshness and safety.
If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze it. Properly stored, chicken soup can last in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Leave about an inch of space at the top of each container. This allows for the expansion of the soup as it freezes.
Clearly label each container with the contents and the date. This helps you keep track of how long the soup has been stored and makes it easier to identify in the freezer.
Reheating
For stovetop reheating, transfer the soup to a pot and heat over medium heat until it simmers, then serve. Or, microwave the soup in a microwave-safe bowl in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each, until hot.
And don't forget the seasoning; a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs can elevate your leftovers to new heights!
What To Serve with Chicken Soup
When serving a holiday meal, chicken soup is often a staple in my home. Prepare a pot of soup or double the recipe and pair it with matzah balls, which definitely add a fun and flavorful touch to your soup!
The traditional Jewish side of chicken soup is matzo balls, dumplings made from matzo meal, eggs, water, and fat. They're cooked in water or broth and served in chicken soup, particularly during Jewish holidays like Passover.
How To Add Matzoh Balls and Egg Noodles
Matzo ball mix is readily available in the Jewish section of most grocery stores, made by brands like Streit's and Manischewitz.
Follow the instructions on the box, and simmer the matzo balls for about 10 minutes, not 20 minutes as stated on the box. See the full recipe at Deli Chicken Soup.
To add noodles to the soup with matzoh balls, get very thin egg noodles (next to the matzoh ball mix in the store) and add them to the pot right before you add the matzoh balls. Cook ten minutes are everything will be cooked together.
If you require additional chicken, or if everyone in your family prefers white meat, you can add a few raw chicken breasts to the soup pot during the final 20 minutes of cooking.
Explore More Great Soup Recipes
- Homemade Bone Broth Recipe for a Slow Cooker. Beef bone broth is loaded with collagen and a nourishing soup and beverage.
- Easy Homemade Green Pea Soup. Swap out the cans and try our Green Pea Soup. It's made in under 30 minutes for a taste that surpasses anything from a can.
- Juicy Poached Chicken Breasts. Take chicken breasts and gently simmer them. They cook in 20 minutes and make the perfect chicken for chicken salad. If you enjoy plain cold chicken, maybe with a little mayonnaise, this could be the recipe you're looking for.
- Keto Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Crispy Chicken Skin. If you'd like to use your Instant Pot, try Keto Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Crispy Chicken Skin. I show you how to render the fat out of the chicken skin and have an awesome little snack.
- Chicken Feet Soup & Bone Broth. In this recipe, a pot full of chicken feet is cooked to perfection. For a pot of collagen-rich broth, give this a try. Chicken feet create a tremendous chicken broth that can enhance the flavor of all your recipes.
What Goes with Chicken Soup?
Although chicken soup can be a meal in itself, pairing it with these meat and fish dishes creates a complete dinner.
Summary
This easy old-fashioned chicken soup is a timeless remedy for colds, made with a whole chicken and simmered to draw out collagen and flavor from the bones.
Serve it with cooked carrots and parsnips or add your favorite vegetables, noodles, pasta, or rice. Need a shortcut? Pick up a box of matzoh ball mix in the Jewish food aisle at the grocery store.
Top with fresh parsley and dill for a clean finish. If you're feeling under the weather, a warm bowl of chicken soup might be just what you need.
Enjoy!
FAQ
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but using chicken on the bone adds more flavor to the broth.
Yes, chicken soup often tastes even better the next day. Refrigerate and reheat when ready to serve.
Yes, you can make chicken soup with skinless chicken pieces. The skin adds flavor, but it's not essential.
Apple cider vinegar draws the nutrients from the chicken bones. You will not taste it in the end product.
You can cut up the liver and cook it in a little olive oil in a small skillet. It tastes good and it's full of iron which is good to eat every week.
Old-Fashioned Chicken Soup
Ingredients
FOR THE SOUP
- 1 whole chicken, 3-4 pounds rinsed and cleaned out
- 12 cups water
- 6 carrots peeled and quartered
- 3 celery stalks roughly chopped
- 1 parsnip peeled and trimmed
- 2 yellow onions peeled and quartered
- 1 leek cleaned well, roughly chopped, white and light green parts
- ½ bunch fresh dill
- 10 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or 15 whole peppercorns.
- 1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
OPTIONAL: ADDED VEGETABLES FOR SERVING
- 6 carrots peeled and sliced or diced
- 5 stalks celery ½ inch slices
- 2-4 small yellow onions peeled and sliced thin
- 6 dill sprigs stemmed and chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
TO PREPARE THE SOUP
- Rinse chicken, in and outside, under cold running water. If the neck is inside the chicken, add it to the pot. Remove the liver and reserve for another use.
- Place chicken in a 7 or 8-quart soup pot. Fill the pot with water leaving 3 inches at the top. Bring water to a boil over high heat.
- Boil for 10 minutes. Skim the foam that rises to the top, lifting it out with a large spoon, and discard.
- Add the remainder of the ingredients. Turn down the heat to medium-low, or to a gentle simmer. Set the cover ajar (covered ¾ of the way) over the pot to allow some steam to escape and let it cook 1-½ hours, checking every 15 minutes to make sure the water isn't boiling.
- Remove the chicken and carrots; set aside. Discard the rest of the vegetables.
- Remove the legs and thighs from the chicken. You can leave them whole or tear apart with your fingers into bite side pieces; set aside. Remove the breast meat from the bones. You can dice the breast meat or shred it with 2 forks.
- The soup can be strained through a fine-mesh strainer or a large piece of cheesecloth to remove the little pieces that have collected on the bottom of the pot. Chill the soup in the covered pot or large bowl, preferably overnight. When cool, skim the hardened layer of fat from the top of the soup.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls. Add chicken and cooked vegetables. Garnish with a little fresh dill. Serve hot.
Nutrition
