Mary’s One-pot Homemade Chicken Soup
I go old school when I make chicken soup—with this incredible recipe that my mother-in-law, Marie, taught me. It starts with two whole chickens right in the pot (she’s not messin around!)
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I get sick, the only thing I can eat is chicken soup. And the only one I will eat is this one. I was lucky enough to have a mother-in-law who taught me to make it perfectly. What is it about moms? They always know how to season things just right.
Chicken soup is (in my opinion) THE best soup for winter.
This soup always warms my belly on a cold winter day—and just plain makes me feel good. It takes the chill off, and brings back all those chicken soup memories from my past. I hope this Chicken Soup recipe will be your new best friend on a cold day, too. It’s like a big hug! That’s what comfort food is really all about.
Bonus: this chicken soup recipe freezes really well!
I like to make a very big pot when I make this soup—it freezes well, and you’ll have comforting leftovers for another day. I usually add pasta or rice to my soup, but make sure you add it just before you’re ready to serve. Any small, shaped pasta will work, but I especially love delicate ditalini pasta for this chicken soup.
Mary’s One-pot Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens (approximately 4 pounds each) cut into 10 pieces
- 12 cups chicken stock or broth, more as needed to cover the chicken pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
- 4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1 white onion, diced
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- Cooked pasta
- Cooked rice
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces into a large pot. Add the stock or broth, salt, and pepper. If the stock doesn’t quite cover the chicken, add a little more. Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim the foam off the top using a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender and begins to fall off the bone.
- Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the pot. Remove the meat from the bones and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Discard the chicken bones.
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the chicken broth. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the meat back into the soup along with the chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the noodles or rice separately. Just before serving, add the cooked noodles or rice directly to the soup or place in individual bowls and ladle the chicken soup on top.
