Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
There is nothing like a bowl of Grandma’s chicken noodle soup; especially the kind only my grandma can pull off, the kind made with love, instinct, and whatever needed to be used up in the fridge before it went feral. My grandma cooks like a legend. She also owned a stovetop pressure cooker she used casually until the day it revolted and launched pork-roast juice onto her ceiling like a culinary geyser.
Thankfully, modern life has blessed me with the Instant Pot; a gentler beast that lets me cook the chicken and build the stock without repainting my kitchen. This recipe is a marriage of her old-school magic and modern convenience: deep, savory, slow-simmered flavor without the actual slow simmer (unless you want to).
Whether you’re team Instant Pot or stovetop traditionalist, you’re about to learn how to craft a soup that tastes like coming home.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Cozy, comforting, and tastes exactly like home feels.
- Uses Grandma’s soulful techniques with modern shortcuts that keep the magic but cut the chaos.
- Homemade stock that’s deeply savory without being fussy.
- Works with an Instant Pot or full stovetop method.
What You’ll Walk Away Knowing
- How to cook a whole chicken and make stock in the Instant Pot (hands-off + flavor-packed).
- How to make the same results on the stovetop without special equipment.
- How to build a broth with the depth, umami, and richness Grandma would absolutely approve of.
Ingredient List
Whole Chicken: The bones, joints, and skin create a broth with gorgeous body, flavor, and nutrition. Cook once, then use the carcass for stock along with the vegetable scraps; the most Grandma-approved kind of thrift.
Roma Tomatoes: Add quiet umami and sweetness. The skins contain the lycopene and will slip off and curl as they cook. Save yourself an unnecessary step and leave them on.
Mushrooms: Not traditional, but trust me. They add meaty richness and make the broth taste like it simmered all day.
Chicken Stock: It’s got to be homemade. I’m sorry. Boxed chicken stock is just lightly seasoned water. We can do better than that. Whether on the stovetop or Instant Pot, your soup will be lightyears better when it’s made yourself.
Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne build up the backbone of the stock making the soup savory and comforting. Cayenne is here to give a mouth warming feeling, not so much a spice.
How to Make Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup
How to Make Chicken and Stock Without an Instant Pot (Stovetop Method)
If you’re going old-school or your Instant Pot is hiding in the back of the pantry do this:
- Boil the Chicken:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken and cook until the internal temp reaches 165°F. - Separate the Meat:
Remove the chicken, let it cool, and pull off the meat. - Make the Stock:
Add the bones, skin, and all your vegetable scraps back into the pot. Keep it at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) for 2–3 hours. - Strain:
Pour through a fine mesh sieve. Discard scraps. - Proceed With the Soup:
Use this homemade stock and follow the soup steps below, starting at the part where the stock and chicken get added.
This gives you the same deep flavor just more time, more steam, and a little more nostalgia.
How to Make Chicken and Stock with an Instant Pot
1. Cook the Chicken (Instant Pot)
If you want more in-depth instructions, I have posts about making a whole chicken and chicken stock in an Instant Pot.
- Add chicken to the Instant Pot with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water.
- Pressure cook 8 minutes per pound.
- Let the pressure naturally release.
- Remove the chicken, cool slightly, and pull off all the meat into bite-sized strips.
- Return bones and skin to the Instant Pot for stock.
2. Prep the Vegetables
- Chop onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and mushrooms.
- Save the ends, skins, and trimmings and put them into the Instant Pot.
3. Make the Stock (Instant Pot)
- Add chicken bones and all vegetable scraps into the pot.
- Add water to the 4L, just below the max fill line.
- Add 1 teaspoon peppercorns.
- Pressure cook for 1 hour, then let the pressure naturally release.
- The Instant Pot yields about a gallon of stock depending on how full of bones and scraps there are.
4. Build the Soup
- In a large pot, heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
- Sauté onions, carrots, and celery with 1 teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes until lightly softened.
- Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook for 5 minutes.
- Add ½ gallon of homemade stock.
- Add the pulled chicken and seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, bay leaf).
- Simmer for 1 hour to cook the vegetables and deepen the flavor.
- Add 2–3 cups of dried egg noodles and cook for 20 minutes until tender.
- Taste and adjust flavor. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
Don’t skip the sauté: Getting color on your vegetables adds sweetness and depth that makes the broth feel slow-simmered.
Salt in layers: Season the chicken. Then season the broth. Then season the soup. Flat soups happen when all the salt goes in at the end.
Roast your mushrooms first (optional): A quick roast at 450°F for 10 minutes concentrates their flavor.
Add noodles last: They’ll keep their structure and won’t hog all your broth.
Stock too thin? Reduce it by simmering uncovered for 15–20 minutes before building the soup.
Stock too rich? Add water ½ cup at a time until it tastes balanced.
Want Grandma-level richness? Add a spoonful of chicken fat (schmaltz) skimmed from the top.
Storage: This soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It freezes beautifully in an airtight container. Or you can use a Souper cube to freeze it in portions for an easy lunch.
What to Serve
Chicken noodle soup pairs beautifully with something simple and warm, like soft rolls or buttery ciabatta for dunking. If you want a little balance, add a crisp green salad or a handful of crackers and cheese; cozy, easy, perfect.
Grandma’s Variations
Add dumplings: Spoon biscuit dough on top for fluffy drop dumplings.
Add rice instead of noodles: 1 cup uncooked then simmer 20 minutes.
Make it creamy: Stir in ½ cup heavy cream or evaporated milk.
Make it immune-boosting: Add grated ginger and turmeric. Roasted garlic adds depth and helps you get over that cold.
FAQs
Yes, this soup gets better as it sits. The flavors deepen overnight. Just store the noodles separately so they don’t get mushy.
Absolutely. Thighs give the best flavor; breasts are leaner but still work great.
Yes, but use the carcass for stock or the flavor won’t match. Grandma would insist.
They add quiet umami, body, and a touch of brightness. You won’t taste “tomato” you’ll just notice the soup tastes more alive.
Yes! Fresh dill is classic and adds a bright finish.
If you make this recipe, send me a picture of your bowl—the foggy windows, the steam curls, the way your kitchen suddenly smells like childhood. And if you keep a jar of homemade stock in the freezer? Well… welcome to the coven. You’re one of us now.
The Bluster and the Burrow
Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5-6 lbs whole chicken
- 2 cups onion diced
- 2 cups celery chopped
- 2 cups carrots chopped
- 6 Roma tomatoes diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 8 cups homemade chicken stock
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 cups dried egg noodles
Instructions
Chicken and Stock on the Stovetop
- Boil the Chicken: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken and cook until the internal temp reaches 165°F.
- Separate the Meat: Remove the chicken, let it cool, and pull off the meat.
- Make the Stock: Add the bones, skin, and all your vegetable scraps back into the pot. Keep it at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) for 2–3 hours.
- Strain: Pour through a fine mesh sieve. Discard scraps.
- Proceed With the Soup: Use this homemade stock and follow the soup steps below, starting at the part where the stock and chicken get added.
Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup (Chicken and Stock in Instant Pot)
- Cook the Chicken (Instant Pot): Add 5-6 lbs whole chicken to the Instant Pot with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water. Pressure cook 8 minutes per pound. Let the pressure naturally release. Remove the chicken, cool slightly, and pull off all the meat into bite-sized strips. Return bones and skin to the Instant Pot for stock.
- Prep the Vegetables: Chop onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Save the ends, skins, and trimmings and put them into the Instant Pot.
- Make the Stock (Instant Pot): Add chicken bones and all vegetable scraps into the pot. Add water to the 4L, just below the max fill line. Add 1 teaspoon peppercorns. Pressure cook for 1 hour, then let the pressure naturally release. The Instant Pot yields about a gallon of stock depending on how full of bones and scraps there are.
- Build the Soup: In a large pot, heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Sauté 2 cups onion, 2 cups carrots, and 2 cups celery with 1 teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes until lightly softened. Add 8 ounces mushrooms and 6 Roma tomatoes; cook for 5 minutes. Add 8 cups homemade chicken stock. Add the pulled chicken and seasonings (2 tablespoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1-2 teaspoons cayenne, 1 bay leaf). Simmer for 1 hour to cook the vegetables and deepen the flavor. Add 2-3 cups dried egg noodles and cook for 20 minutes until tender. Taste and adjust flavor. Add 3 tablespoons parsley if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
Roast your mushrooms first (optional): A quick roast at 450°F for 10 minutes concentrates their flavor.
Add noodles last: They’ll keep their structure and won’t hog all your broth. Stock too thin? Reduce it by simmering uncovered for 15–20 minutes before building the soup. Stock too rich? Add water ½ cup at a time until it tastes balanced. Want Grandma-level richness? Add a spoonful of chicken fat (schmaltz) skimmed from the top. Storage: This soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It freezes beautifully in an airtight container. Or you can use a Souper cube to freeze it in portions for an easy lunch.
This cozy soup will keep you warm all winter long. Let me know if you enjoyed the addition of mushrooms and tomatoes.