Whole Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 to 4 lbs)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and halved (for broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 10 cups water (for broth)
• 3 cups shredded chicken (from the whole chicken)
• 8 ounces dry noodles
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 6 celery stalks, chopped
• 5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs

Steps

1. 1Add the water, whole chicken, salt, bay leaves, and a whole onion (peeled and halved) to a pot. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low. Simmer covered about 2 hours until the chicken starts to fall apart.
2. 2Strain the chicken from the broth and set both aside. You should have about 7 to 8 cups of homemade chicken broth.
3. 3Peel and chop the carrots, onion, and garlic. Chop the celery. On medium-high heat, saute the onions and garlic in butter until they start to soften. Add the celery and carrots, cover, and cook about 5 minutes until they soften. Stir in the salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs.
4. 4Add the sauteed vegetables to the homemade chicken broth. Simmer covered about 15 minutes until the vegetables are easy to pierce with a fork.
5. 5Boil the pasta in water until al dente per the box. Shred the chicken meat and remove the skin. Drain the pasta.
6. 6Add the shredded chicken and cooked pasta to the broth. Add more water if you want a brothier soup, and adjust the salt. Serve warm.