This classic soup is made with a golden rich hours long stock that guarantees comfort and nourishment. I wrote this recipe with the intention of gifting this to a friend in need, but of course this would be excellent in the freezer for the cold months ahead – or to indulge as soon as the stove turns off.

The stock takes an entire morning to cook, giving ample time to prep the mirepoix for the soup. You can throw your carrot and celery ends right into the stock, making cleanup a breeze.

If making for a friend, the soup gets assembled individually, like in disposable deli containers or mason jars, making it perfect for transport and reheating. Pick up a basket and a bag of pasta, handwrite reheating instructions, and you have six comforting meals ready to gift. Save this recipe as a gentle reminder that a simple soup can help soothe a not-so-simple time.

Note: This is my go-to soup recipe, and I often adjust the recipe depending accordingly. See below!

If using a leftover chicken carcass (like a frozen leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover Thanksgiving turkey): follow the exact recipe, but make sure to have 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken/turkey. You can roast or poach 2-3 breasts while your stock cooks, and simply cook the stock until it is reduced by half.

If using a whole rotisserie chicken, follow the exact recipe, but remove the meat from the bones before making the stock. When it’s time to make the soup, add the shredded chicken directly to the soup.

If using a crockpot, make the stock first on high for 4-5 hours, removing the chicken once fully cooked after about 2-3 hours. Then, make the soup for 2 hours, adding the chicken last and cooking the noodles separately.

Chicken Noodle Soup for a Friend

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Ingredients

4-6 pound whole chicken with innards removed
5 whole carrots
6 stalks celery
2 large white onions
6 cloves of garlic
10-12 whole black peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 small bundle parsley
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper as needed
6 16oz. mason jars
1 box favorite soup noodles
Equipment needed: 8-10-qt. stock pot and 4-qt. small pot, small bowl, strainer.

Directions

Add the chicken to an 8-10 quart stock pot and add enough cold water to submerge the chicken by 2 inches of water.
Bring the pot to the stove and turn the heat to high. While that heats up, prepare the vegetables.
Half of the vegetables are for the stock, the other half are for the soup. Take 3 stalks of celery, cut them into 2" pieces and add them to the stock pot. Take 2 whole carrots, unpeeled, and also cut into 2" pieces and add to the stock. Cut one onion in half, discarding any loose outer layers. Cut the onion in half once more, and add to the stock with both stem ends intact. Add three cloves of garlic to the stock, in addition to the peppercorns, 3 sprigs of thyme, small bundle of parsley, and bay leaves.
As the stock reaches a near boil, use a strainer to skim any impurities that rise to the top. This will look like foam. Have a small bowl on stand by to discard the impurities. Reduce the heat to medium and keep the stock at a steady simmer for the next two hours. Do not let the stock reach a raging boil in this process, as that will leave you with a cloudy stock.
As that cooks, take the remaining vegetables and prepare them for the soup. Peel and dice the remaining carrots into 1/2" pieces, adding any scraps to the stock. Dice the celery into 1/2" pieces, also adding any scraps to the stock. Peel and dice the onion into 1/2" pieces, adding any stem ends to the stock. Add the celery, carrots, and onions to a large bowl and set in the fridge until needed. Mince the garlic and place in a small separate bowl in the fridge until needed.
After two hours of simmering, carefully remove the chicken, placing it in a large bowl. It will be very tender and may fall apart! Keep the stock at a low simmer while you are preparing the chicken. Either allow the chicken to slightly cool for twenty minutes, or carefully use a tong to separate a majority of the breast and thigh meat from the bone. It's okay to not get all the meat right now. As you finish, add the bones and skin back to the stock pot. Reserve any shredded chicken in a bowl and keep in the fridge until needed.
Allow the stock to continue simmering for 30-minutes to one more hour. The stock is ready once it is reduced by half, and depending how large your chicken is, this may need less or more time.
Once ready, set up a straining station. I like to put a large colander over an extra pot or very large bowl. Strain the stock. Sort through the discards with a tong, setting aside any forgotten chicken. Discard the remaining scraps and strain the stock once more if needed. Set the stock aside and allow to cool.
Clean the stock pot and return to the stove. Add the butter and heat over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onions and saute for 5-minutes until starting to become tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1-minute until fragrant. You can add more butter, or a drizzle of olive oil if necessary. Season the vegetables with plenty of sprinkles of black pepper and sea salt throughout cooking.
Remove the leaves off the remaining sprig of thyme and add to the pot, stirring to combine.
If you are making this for a friend, continue this step for mason jar instructions. If you are making the soup to eat now, skip to the below instruction. First, you want to add salt to the stock. Add large sprinkles at a time, stir, and taste until the stock is delicious enough to drink on its own. Add 1 cup of seasoned stock to the pot with the vegetables and stir. Allow to cook for 2 minutes until the vegetables are perfectly tender. Divide 1/4 cup of the vegetables into 6 mason jars. Add 1/4 cup of shredded chicken, then fill to the top with the cooled stock. Once completely cooled, seal the jars closed. Add to a basket with heating instructions (see post above), and add a 12-16oz. bag of soup noodles.
If you would like to make a batch of soup to enjoy now, add the stock to the pot with the vegetables. Add salt, a sprinkle at a time, while tasting and adjusting until the stock is delicious. Add the reserved chicken and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. While that simmers, boil your favorite soup noodles according to package directions. When ready to eat, ladle the soup over a bowl of noodles.