The other day I had a strange craving for homemade chicken noodle soup. But not just any chicken noodle soup — my mom’s chicken noodle soup.
So I called up my mom for the fourth time that day and said, “Mom, you remember that chicken noodle soup you always made when we were little and got sick? The kind with the whole chicken, the yummy broth and thick noodles?” She remembered, of course, and walked me through every step while we were on the phone. Not too long after, my kitchen smelled absolutely delicious with my big organic chicken slowly simmering on the stove.
I know there’s a zillion recipes for chicken noodle soup out there and chances are, you probably already have your “go-to”. Well, this is ours. There are no shortcuts involved and it’s positively the best I’ve ever had. So rich, warming and healing. Perfect for this time of year! And the biscuits? Well, I don’t think I have to say much about those. They sell themselves.
I mean, look at them. They are full of sharp cheddar cheese and scallions, and go so perfectly with a big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. I bet you’re drooling right now just looking at them!
Or wait, that’s just me.
Like I said, there are no shortcuts involved in this soup. That means you need to start with a really good chicken…I highly recommend organic, local if you have it. If you’re in Northern California go for Mary’s. It’s the best chicken I’ve found.
Per mom’s instructions, you need to simmer the whole chicken in water with salt, pepper, an onion and the “leafy” part of the celery for tons of flavor. In about two hours, this will give you a very flavorful broth that becomes the backbone of your soup!
After a few hours of simmering, you remove the chicken and separate the meat from the bones / skin / yucky parts. Strain your broth, plop back in the delicious chunks of tender chicken along with your chopped veggies, then cook just till the veggies are tender. Then add cooked noodles! Done.
I love parsnips in my chicken noodle soup! Parsnips, carrots and celery are the norm here.
Just look at that golden broth! There’s nothing like homemade chicken broth. It tastes so much fresher than the stuff from the can.
I’m a firm believer that chicken noodle soup can heal headaches, stomachaches, heartaches, sleeplessness, stress, anger, grief, anxiety, the common cold, the flu….the list goes on. There’s a reason why it’s coined “chicken soup for the soul”, after all.
PS- don’t forget the cheddar chive biscuits! They are divine.
My Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup
serves 6
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, organic, about 3.5 lbs
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8 thick chunks
3 stalks celery, chopped + fronds
4 large carrots, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
egg noodles or pappardelle, broken into small pieces
water
chopped parsley
Directions:
Wash your chicken in cold water and remove any gizzards from the inside. Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold, fresh water. Add your onion chunks and the celery fronds {the curly top part} and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours, skimming the top of the broth occasionally. After two hours the meat should literally be falling off the bone.
Remove the chicken from the soup and place on a large cutting board with plenty of paper towels handy. Get two bowls ready and in one bowl, place all the chicken skin, bone, gristle and fat. Discard. In the other bowl, place the meat, both white and dark. Strain the broth to remove any additional bones, onion and celery frond. Discard the solids then place the strained broth back into the large pot and add the meat back in.
Bring the broth back to a boil and add the chopped celery, carrots and parsnips. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until veggies are just tender. Add your salt and pepper – season to taste.
In another pot, cook your noodles in boiling salted water. When you’re ready to serve the soup, ladle into large bowls and top each bowl with a healthy serving of noodles. Garnish bowls with fresh chopped parsley.
To store, place soup and cooked noodles in separate containers in the fridge. Soup will stay good for four days in the fridge and can also be frozen for up to 3 months (make fresh noodles if you plan on freezing your soup – noodles don’t freeze well).
Cheddar Chive Biscuits
adapted {slightly} from Gourmet
yields about 8-10 large biscuits
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 scallions, minced
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
1 cup buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. Add the cheese and scallions and mix well.
Cut in the butter with your fingers and mix until it feels like a cornmeal texture with no large butter lumps.
Add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Batter will be lumpy. Gather large spoonfuls of dough and drop onto your prepared baking surface.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Serve warm. These are best eaten the same day they are baked.
Danielle
November 14, 2013 at 3:03 amThere’s nothing like mom’s chicken soup! I’ll have to cheat on my own mom’s recipe with yours. Please don’t tell her π
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour)
November 14, 2013 at 4:49 amI always want my mom’s soup as well. It’s just super comforting during winter months. But I especially love the addition of these biscuits. Yum!
Sara @ LovingOnTheRun
November 14, 2013 at 5:01 amWow this looks DELICIOUS! I actually do not have a go to chicken noodle soup recipe so maybe this could be mine as well π
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
November 14, 2013 at 5:09 amThis sounds like one of the best chicken soup recipes ever! When I was sick as a kid, the kind of chicken noodle soup that I was given (and I had no problem with it at the time) came out of a can! Pinning this one for sure. π
Justeen
November 14, 2013 at 5:30 amI agree – chicken noodle soup heals all. And it’s deeelicious to boot! Your version looks wonderful.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
November 14, 2013 at 6:31 amPinned! Thanks for sharing, Jenna. Like you said, rich, warming and healing. Everyone has their version but it’s wonderful to see the foods people grew up with and what chicken soup looks like and means to them. Your photos are so pretty!
Rita
November 14, 2013 at 6:49 amAre you supposed to melt the butter or add cold?
DessertForTwo
November 14, 2013 at 6:56 amI just made a pot of my mom’s chicken soup! It looks similar to yours, but we swear by turnips in the broth π
Dana
November 14, 2013 at 6:58 amAll of this…YUM. Looks soooo comforting and delicious!!!
Colleen
November 14, 2013 at 7:01 amHow do you strain the chicken fat off the soup? That’s always something I struggle with. I guess you can use a freezing cold spoon to draw it away but I’d love some kind of cheese cloth draining type situation.
Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent
November 14, 2013 at 8:42 amI love my mom’s recipes they are always the best π This soup looks great!
Madison
November 14, 2013 at 9:02 amSo comforting! Cannot wait to try it. Best recipes are mom’s recipes!
val
November 14, 2013 at 9:15 amI agree no shortcuts in a good chicken noodle soup. Must Must Must start with the whole chicken!
Margarita
November 14, 2013 at 9:22 amyes!!! real, homemade chicken stock is the best. when i’m in a pinch, i use whatever chicken parts i have on hand to make homemade stock. this soup looks so perfect for cold evenings!
Laura
November 14, 2013 at 9:22 amThis soup sounds diving although I’ll have to really plan out some time to make. The biscuits sound very doable and I am going to make them very soon!
Here’s a yummy twist on turkey burgers I tried this week, so good!
http://www.sneakersandspatulas.com/2013/11/14/turkey-burgers-with-cranberry-apple-relish/
Christa
November 14, 2013 at 9:36 amI can’t wait to make this!!!
deva
November 14, 2013 at 9:41 amMy favorite dish to make in the wintertime is chicken soup. It’s so warm and homey!
Caroline L.
November 14, 2013 at 9:45 amYou don’t even understand that I’d do very, very terrible things right now just to reach through the screen and grab a whopping bowl of that deliciousness.
Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs
November 14, 2013 at 10:42 amI just had “my” version for lunch, but man I wish I had some of those biscuits to go along with it! They look SO good! π
Bryony @ Friday Night Dinners -- PDX
November 14, 2013 at 12:05 pmThis looks great! I have a recipe for similar biscuits that I love, but I’ll have to try these too, they look delicious! And I agree, making your own broth/stock is the key to a great soup.
sonia the mexigarian
November 14, 2013 at 12:33 pmThat’s pretty much how I cook my chicken soup. Well, I learned it from my own mom π The slow cooking process is definetly worth it. The flavor is heavenly . Though I think I will make some of them biscuits next time I make the soup. They sound yummy π
Duffy
November 14, 2013 at 1:24 pmAre there chives in the biscuits, or just scallions? If you used chives, how much would you put in?
Liz @ Tip Top Shape
November 14, 2013 at 2:04 pmThe perfect winter meal! These pictures did your Mom’s soup justice, Jenna π
Marnely Rodriguez-Murray
November 14, 2013 at 4:46 pmOh I do love a great homemade soup! And the biscuits look awesome!
Kim
November 14, 2013 at 5:08 pmYum – both of these recipes look delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance
November 14, 2013 at 5:16 pmSeriously, drooling over these cheddar chive biscuits. This reminds me of the chicken noodle soup my mom made for me when I was a kid π
Holly
November 14, 2013 at 6:47 pmThis is the perfect recipe! I read it right before leaving for the grocery store tonight and it made it right when I got home. It turned out great!!! Looking forward to leftovers for the next couple days
Coty and Mariah@quirksandtwists
November 14, 2013 at 6:48 pmI want to be curled up on the couch with this soup right now! Also, those biscuits!
Lily
November 14, 2013 at 8:49 pmI’m vegetarian but those biscuits might have to happen tomorrow evening..Yum. Beautiful pictures and mouth watering descriptions as always!
Crystal
November 15, 2013 at 2:53 amI made this last night, it was delicious! I was in a hurry to get supper on the table, so I cooked the chicken in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes. Worked great! I didn’t have any parsnips, and I cheated and used Bisquick garlic cheese biscuit mix. It all came out very good and my husband and kids loved it! My girls asked me to pack it in their lunches today, always a good sign π
Liesl@Fitnessinthekitchen
November 16, 2013 at 12:33 pmMy Mom used to make a soup JUST like this one when I was a girl. AH…I crave it whenever the weather turns cold or I’m feeling blah. Thanks for sharing, and the biscuits sound like a decadent side.
Mak
November 16, 2013 at 1:36 pmOMG. The biscuits. Beautiful picture Jenna. Did I ever congratulate you on your pregnancy?? CONGRATULATIONS. So happy for you π
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November 17, 2013 at 3:51 pm[…] on the docket: a huge pot of chicken noodle soup, inspired by Eat Live Run’s recent post. Chicken soup cures everything, right? Chopping fresh farmers market veggies and stirring a […]
Jessica
November 17, 2013 at 7:49 pmThis looks so good! Saving for the next time I’m feeling under the weather because it looks like it would hit the spot π
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November 18, 2013 at 4:37 am[…] in simmering a whole chicken to make your own broth! The biscuits, however, were step-by-step from Jennaβs Cheddar Chive Biscuit recipe. David LOVED […]
Ashley @ Hudson on the Potomac
November 18, 2013 at 8:42 amOh my gosh those biscuits!!!!! Need.
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Meg Jones | The Spatularette
November 19, 2013 at 3:49 amHi Jenna! I made these biscuits last night and they were out of this world good. Instead of chicken noodle soup, I paired them with your creamy chicken tortellini soup (I had so much kale left in my fridge that needed using!). It was the perfect combo, but I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to these biscuits on my brunch table either next to a savory frittata. Yum!
Kim
November 21, 2013 at 11:41 amMy husband came home sick today and requesting soup for dinner, so this is just getting started on the stove! My first from scratch broth, so I’m excited to see how it turns out!
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November 26, 2013 at 5:23 am[…] orange to creamy white. A natural dye annatto is used to change the cheeseβs color to orange. Cheddar is of many kinds and types, out of which Canadian cheese are one of the best. These are whiter […]
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November 28, 2013 at 6:48 pm[…] I made myself a big pot of chicken soup from scratch instead. I used Jenna’s recipes off of Eat Live Run. There is something healing in homemade chicken soup, and I plan on it lasting me the rest of the […]
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January 25, 2014 at 9:17 pm[…] followed this recipe from Eat. Live. Run. She calls them cheddar chive biscuits, which I think is kind of a misnomer because they […]
marine kenmore freezer thermostat
September 12, 2014 at 10:51 pmRunning the compressor of the above room air conditioners involves high electricity
consumptions and bills. When tying the lines to your jugs use between 3′ and 6′ of line with a single hook attached.
Those heated areas you make available are mighty tempting
to them, and they know that human presence normally means an abundant, and readily available,
source of food that they won’t need to work hard to find.
Lindsay
November 18, 2014 at 2:09 pmI made these with gluten free flour, earth balance and daiya cheddar and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!