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Pioneer Woman Chicken Noodle Soup

Pioneer Woman chicken noodle soup with a deeply rich, butter-enriched farmhouse broth and tender shredded chicken. Wide egg noodles cook directly in the pot for a cozy, hearty bowl with bright carrot coins and celery.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Whole chicken
  • 1 whole chicken Use a 4-lb chicken for the best tender shredded meat.
Vegetables and aromatics
  • 5 carrots Slice into coins.
  • 5 celery Slice into thin stalk rounds.
  • 1 large onion Quarter the onion.
  • 4 cloves garlic Use fresh garlic cloves.
Broth and seasonings
  • 10 cup water You will strain the broth after simmering.
  • 2 bay leaves Whole bay leaves.
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns Use peppercorns, not ground pepper.
Butter and noodles
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter Stir in after straining for richness.
  • 12 oz wide egg noodles Cook until tender, 6–8 minutes.
Finish and seasoning
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley Chopped; stir in at the end.
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste Season very generously at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the broth
  1. Place the whole chicken in a large pot with the water, onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately get ready to lower the heat for simmering.
Simmer until tender
  1. Skim off foam from the surface, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 1 hour until the chicken is very tender.
Shred the chicken and strain
  1. Remove the chicken from the pot and strain the broth through a fine strainer, reserving the strained broth. Shred all chicken meat into bite-size pieces.
Enrich and simmer vegetables
  1. Return the broth to the pot and add the unsalted butter, then bring back to a simmer. Add the remaining sliced carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
Cook noodles
  1. Add the wide egg noodles to the pot and cook for 6–8 minutes until tender. Stir occasionally so the noodles cook evenly.
Finish and season
  1. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the fresh parsley. Season very generously with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: After simmering, straining the broth keeps the texture smooth even with bay leaves and peppercorns, and skimming foam prevents bitterness. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days. Freezing is yes—cool completely and freeze up to 3 months, then reheat gently (the noodles may soften more). For a lower-sodium swap, use reduced-sodium chicken seasonings and add salt gradually at the very end.