Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken soup was prescribed as a cure for the common cold as early as ancient Egypt (civilization for ancient Egypt began around 3150 BC). There is no reference as to when the first chicken soup was created, but it is mentioned that tough chickens were boiled and de-boned after cooking, and then the chicken is broken up and put back in the water, thence "Chicken Soup". Persian physician Ali Sina Balkhi, (known as Avicenna), in the 10th century, referred to chicken soup's curative powers in his writing. In the 12th-century the Jewish physician and sage Moses Maimonides (shown below) wrote that chicken soup "has virtue in rectifying corrupted humours," and recommended it as nutrition for convalescents; Maimonides also recommended the soup for people suffering from hemorrhoids and the early stages of leprosy.


Recent studies have shown that Chicken soup may actually have some health benifits. A resent study at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, showed that the blend of nutrients and vitamins in traditional chicken soup can slow the activity of certain white blood cells. This may have an anti-inflammatory effect. Their research was published in 2000 in the Scientific Journal.

Chicken soup is easy to prepare, nutritious, and easily digested. Warm soup can clear the sinuses because of the steam ventilating into the nasal passages, serving as a natural decongestant. In a study, prolonged cooking of a bone in soup increases the calcium content of the soup.

Campbell's condensed soup in the 1930s featured a "chicken soup with noodles". But a slip of the tongue on the "Amos 'n' Andy" radio show in 1930 referred the soup as "chicken noodle soup". Until then, the soup was not selling and Campbell's was preparing to discontinue the soup. After the broadcast, letters began pouring in asking for Chicken Noodle Soup.

Today Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the globe, with Tomato Soup being the best seller of the soup line.

Since the Campbell Soup Company beginnings in 1869, they have became the world's largest soup manufacturer. They also are a leading producer of juice beverages, sauces, and biscuits?

Chicken Noodle Soup is one of my specialties. The recipe I use varies in the way I make it each time. This is my own recipe, never written down, one of those experiments that comes from my head. As with the many of my recipes, I will throw this and that together; a handful of this and several shakes of that. When I do use a recipe, rarely do I follow it completely the way it is written. This irritates my daughter, since she was never interested in cooking as she was growing up. Her excuse, "Mom...this is a different age. We do not have to be domesticated. My guy will do all the cooking and cleaning for me."

Now that she is in College, she will call me up and ask how to make various dishes. Since I don't have these written down, I have to think through the steps and I actually visualize her irritation on the other end of the phone.

We picked our daughter up this weekend (prior to making this lens) from her apartment, 118 miles one way. She told me that she would like to help make "Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup". Of course at the time I had envision her saying the day that we would be making this, "Mom, I am too tired. Can you just do it?"

But she ended up being a good helper.

I had prewritten the recipe, knowing that we would probably make changes along the way. We even decided to video tape it; put it on YouTube and this lens. (See note above guest comment area.)

This is a recipe is for a slow cooker, but a large stock pan can be substituted. Adjust the seasoning to your taste. (Hopefully, my overseas friends can convert it to their metric system.)

3 1/2 to 4 lbs. frying chicken
1 large onion (or 2 medium) - diced
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. parsley flakes (crushed)
1/2 tsp sage
2 tsp. beef bouillon (or 2 cubes)
2 tsp chicken bouillon (or 2 cubes)
1 1/2 to 2 c. 100% orange juice
2 1/2 to 3 c. egg noodles
5 c. of water
1 c. of water for bouillon

Wash chicken thoroughly, peel off skin and cut off any excess fat. Place chicken in slow cooker with 5 cups of water (or enough to cover chicken). Follow the directions on the slow cooker. In most cases, heat at 300 degrees until boiling, then simmer 3 to 4 hours. Chicken will be done when the meat falls off the bone.

During the time that you are cooking the chicken, cut up the vegetables and set aside.

When the chicken is done, take it out of the cooker, debone the chicken and break it into pieces. Strain the broth for any small bones through a strainer. (You can also strain it through cheesecloth to trap some of the grease. The fat can also be removed by chilling the broth overnight and skimming off the layer of fat from the top.)

Add back all of the broth to the slow cooker. Place the bouillon in the cup of hot water and mix until dissolved. Add the bouillon mixture and the orange juice to the slow cooker. Combine the chicken, vegetables and spices to the slow cooker. Heat the soup to boil and then simmer for at least an hour or until vegetables are tender.

Cook the egg noodles according to the directions, and then add to the pot. Cook another 30 minutes.

Makes about 4 1/2 quarts
Serves 10 (or 4 very hungry people)

Added notes:

After we made the video, (a little hard to make ingredient changes, during filming), I did add an additional teaspoon of lemon pepper and basil then what is listed above. Even then, I found it less seasoned to how I usually cook it. But seasoning is an individual taste. Feel free to experiment and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Cut the recipe in half for smaller portions. Even after all these years of cooking, I still haven't figured out to cook for a few people.

Soup can be placed in smaller containers for the freezer. Can be frozen for several months.

Lemon pepper is a great substitute for salt. You can use more of it in place of the salt. Read the ingredients before you buy the spice. Make sure it has lemon powder and not salt in it. Better yet, there are recipes online to make your own lemon pepper. I might grab one of those and put it in my blog Recipes for All Check back on the blog to see if it is there. If you have a great recipe for it, email it to me and I will put it on my blog with your name included.

Beware of MSG in seasoning, (as pointed out with lensmaster sandys5324).

Buy Sandy a Cup of Soup :-) if you liked this lens.

We made a video on making Chicken Noodle soup, so you could follow the recipe in action. This would of been the first time on YouTube. The problem was my daughter needed a camcorder for some classes. It took a bit, but now the video is here as shown above.

If you like this lens write to lotd@squidoo.com and tell them that this should be the Lens of the Day!

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