Aunt Peggy’s Chicken Noodle Soup – An Old Fashioned Chicken Soup Recipe

Aunt Peggy’s Chicken Noodle Soup is a from-scratch classic recipe that starts with a whole chicken cooked in the crock pot. The flavors are authentic and old fashioned, and it’s certainly good for your soul on a cold winter day.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Have I introduced you to Aunt Peggy? She’s our aunt by marriage who is a down-right amazing cook.  If you haven’t tried her Hot Taco Dip with Ground Beef, you need to head on over to find that recipe.

Aunt Peggy’s Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch is one of her staple winter recipes that she’s fed me on numerous occasions. She goes old fashioned by starting with a whole chicken. However, she’s brought it up-to-date by cooking the chicken in the slow cooker.

The slow cooked whole chicken method results in a moist, tender, melt in your mouth shredded chicken that is packed with flavor. She uses celery salt, garlic salt and black pepper to season up the chicken before cooking it. After a few hours in the slow cooker, she debones and shreds the chicken for her old fashioned chicken noodle soup with egg noodles.

Tender Crockpot Whole Chicken Ingredients

• Whole Chicken
• Celery Salt
• Garlic Salt
• Black Pepper
• Water

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

• Deboned, shredded whole chicken
• Broth from the slow cooker whole chicken
• Additional Chicken Broth
• Carrots
• Celery
• Leeks
• Kluski Egg Noodles
• Chicken Bouillon or Better than Bouillon (optional)

How To Make Cook Whole Chicken in Slow Cooker (for chicken noodle soup)

Step by Step Instructions

1. Combine celery salt, garlic salt and black pepper.
2. Sprinkle all surfaces of the whole chicken including the center cavity.
3. Put seasoned whole chicken into crock pot insert.
4. Add water.
5. Cover with lid and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours. Do not over cook.
6. Remove chicken from insert; remove bones and shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
7. Save the broth for the soup.
8. If desired, freeze the shredded chicken in an airtight zip lock bag for up to three months.

For the full instructions and ingredient list for crock pot whole chicken, scroll to the bottom of this post. 

What is a substitute for celery salt?

Use equal parts celery seed and salt if you don’t have celery salt on hand.

How do I know if my crock pot whole chicken is done?

There’s several ways to determine the doneness of a whole chicken in a slow cooker. The chicken juices should run clear instead of pink. The texture of the chicken should bounce back when you touch it (as opposed to stay indented). However, the most accurate way to check the doneness of a crock pot chicken is with a thermometer that checks the internal temperature.

What temperature do I cook a whole chicken to?

The FDA determines a safe temperature for cooked chicken to be 165 degree F.  If you are going to add it to our from scratch chicken noodle soup recipe, it can register a bit lower than 165 because it will finish cooking in the soup on the stovetop.

How to Make From Scratch Chicken Noodle Soup

Step by Step Instructions

1. In a large covered pot, simmer chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, and leeks) in chicken broth until fork tender.
2. Stir in shredded cooked chicken (see slow cooker whole chicken recipe above) and Kluske noodles.
3. Simmer over medium-high heat until the noodles are cooked through.
4. Taste broth, and add chicken bouillon or Better than Bouillon to taste, if needed.
5. Additional celery salt, garlic salt and pepper can be added if needed.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For the full instructions and ingredient list for old fashioned chicken noodle soup with egg noodles, scroll to the bottom of this post. 

Recipe FAQs

• This from scratch chicken noodle soup is broken into two parts. Step one involves cooking a moist, flavorful whole chicken in the slow cooker. Step two involves using that chicken (and the broth) and making a homemade chicken noodle soup recipe.
• Do not overcook your whole chicken! If anything, under cook it a tad and finish cooking it in the soup.  No dry chicken allowed!
• Keep the broth in the crock pot to add to the soup. If you want to add more chicken broth, I recommend using low-sodium.
• Omit leeks, if desired. Or, use onions instead.
• Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, or add a bay leaf or thyme for more flavor.
• If you want a larger pot of soup, add more broth and vegetables than this recipe calls for.
• Start with a half a bag of Kluski noodles and then add up to a whole bag depending on how much broth your soup has.
• Before serving, taste your homemade chicken noodle soup.  If the broth isn’t as flavorful as desired, add chicken bouillon, Better than Bouillon, or additional celery salt, garlic salt or black pepper to taste.

Soup Recipes for Cold Weather

Soup is one of our favorite things to make…honestly all year long but especially when the weather turns colder. Some soup recipes hold special memories, including our Grandma’s Oyster Soup which we make during the holidays. We also are big fans from this Crock Pot Low Carb Taco Soup over at Beyer Eats and Drinnks. Below are some of our favorite soup recipes.

Creamy Ham and Bean Soup

Hamburger Vegetable Soup with V8

Shortcut Nacho Soup

Mom’s Wild Rice and Broccoli Soup

Southwestern Three Bean Soup