German Chicken Noodle Soup
Making chicken noodle soup from scratch is easy and satisfying! This is a traditional German recipe, except for the fresh ginger. The ginger adds a very subtle, refreshing spice note. My homemade chicken stock made with a whole chicken and soup vegetables including celery root and leek is full of deep flavors that make this recipe stand out. I used storebought German egg soup noodles for this recipe, which are fun and different. My kids say this the best chicken noodle soup they've ever had!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 404kcal
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 whole chicken I use an organic chicken that weighs around 5 pounds.
- 1 leek trimmed and sliced
- 1 large carrot or 3 little ones, peeled and chopped
- ½ celery root peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 yellow onion large, skin on, cut in half
- 1 piece fresh ginger thumb-sized piece
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon salt I use pink Himalayan sea salt
When Serving
- vegetables of choice I used frozen peas, sliced carrots, small broccoli florets (or cauliflower)
- parsley use the stems to cook with the chicken and the leaves for garnish
- 1 package egg soup noodles I love these German ones that look like short angel hair pasta
Instructions
- Prep the chicken by running cold water over it (whether frozen or refrigerated), then add to a stock pot (or pressure cooker if using).1 whole chicken
- Trim and peel the vegetables, then roughly chop them up and add them to the chicken (just cut off the parsley stems and add them whole). Don't peel the onion, but just cut it in half and add it to the chicken with the peel on.1 leek, 1 large carrot, ½ celery root, 1 yellow onion, 1 piece fresh ginger, parsley
- Add the bay leaf, pepper and salt and 3 quarts of COLD water (if using a pressure cooker, fill water to the max line, then add more water after removing the chicken when it's cooked).1 dried bay leaf, 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns, 1 tablespoon salt
- Place a tight fitting lid on the stock pot and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the chicken can easily be pulled off the bones using a pair of tongs (see notes below if using a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot).
- Strain the soup, saving the chicken and liquid, and toss (or compost) the vegetables. Shred the chicken.
- Bring the liquid back to a simmer, then season to taste with more salt and pepper. Add your fresh soup vegetables such as frozen peas, sliced carrots, small cauliflower or broccoli florets and cook until desired consistency.vegetables of choice
- Boil the egg noodles separately, so it doesn't get all mushy for when you're storing leftovers. This also helps the soup to stay clear and not become slimy and cloudy.1 package egg soup noodles
- In individual bowls, combine the noodles, shredded chicken and broth with vegetables and garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or chives.parsley
Video
Notes
Chicken Noodle Soup Instant Pot Instructions
Instead of combining the soup ingredients in a stock pot, add to your Instant Pot or pressure cooker and fill with liquid to the max line. I love using the pressure cooker for this recipe because I think it preserves flavor better, cooks quicker and it saves energy. Cook a whole frozen chicken on high pressure for 13 minutes a pound plus 15 minutes natural pressure release time at the end. Cook a fresh, whole chicken for 6 minutes per pound plus 15 minutes natural pressure release time at the end.Storing Chicken Noodle Soup
I like keeping all of my soup ingredients such as the broth, chicken meat, noodles, and vegetables separate, so nothing gets mushy and gross while sitting in the fridge, waiting to be reheated. You can store these your chicken noodle soup ingredients up to 5 days in the fridge.Nutrition
Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 997mg | Potassium: 491mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1627IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg