6lb whole chicken
32 oz vegetable broth
32 oz chicken stock
86 oz water (I refill one of the empty cartons of stock three times)
4 stalks celery, washed and cut into 3-4 inch pieces
4 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and cut into 3-4 inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1 large bay leaf or 2 small
1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
Salt to taste (wait until after the broth is made)
½ lb wide egg noodles

Add all ingredients except salt and noodles to a large stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium high or medium heat and allow to gently boil 45 minutes to an hour. Cook until the meat of the chicken pulls easily away from the bone. Remove pot from the heat. Remove all solid ingredients from the pot. I usually place a colander over a large bowl and use a small strainer or spider basket to remove everything and allow it to drain over the bowl. Allow chicken to cool enough to be able to pull the meat off the bone and shred into smaller pieces for the soup. Leaving the pot uncovered, bring broth to a boil and add egg noodles. Cook for 8 minutes. While the noodles cook, shred the two legs, thighs, and one of the breasts from the chicken and add back to the pot. Chop the cooked carrots and add the pieces back to the pot. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

This recipe allows for plenty of wiggle room! You can add more chicken if you like a thicker soup. You can also add more veggies and water and broth if you want to make enough to use the whole chicken. If you do so, I would add 32 oz of chicken stock, 32 oz of water, double the veggies, and use 1 lb of noodles. If you like celery, dice some fresh celery and add to the pot when you cook the noodles.

My whole family loves this recipe! When I roast chicken or turkey, I make the broth with the leftover carcasses. Simply add a couple of chicken thighs or breasts while you’re making the stock then use the meat from those in your finished soup.