# Old-Fashioned Chicken and Vegetable Soup Recipe Source: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/chicken-soup Author: Trevor Farias (Trevor's Kitchen) Published: 2026-10-01 · Updated: 2026-10-01 Category: Soups · Cuisine: American > For old-fashioned chicken soup, simmer bone-in, skin-on chicken legs or thighs with onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and water for about 45 minutes to make a rich broth. Lift out the chicken, add diced carrots, potatoes and corn and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes, then return the chicken, shredded or as whole drumsticks, and season with salt, pepper, parsley and a squeeze of lemon. ## At a glance - Prep time: 20 minutes - Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes - Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes - Yield: About 3 quarts (6 servings) - Servings: 6 - Calories per serving: 360 ## Ingredients ### For the broth - 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs, about 6 to 8 pieces - 12 cups cold water - 1 large yellow onion, halved - 2 celery stalks, cut into large pieces - 4 garlic cloves, smashed - 2 bay leaves - 6 sprigs fresh parsley, stems are fine - 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns - 2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more to taste ### For the soup - 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter - 1 small onion, diced - 2 celery stalks, diced - 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces - 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, about 3 medium, cut into 3/4-inch cubes - 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley - 1 tablespoon lemon juice - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional ## Instructions 1. **Start the broth.** Put the chicken in a large pot and cover with the cold water. Add the halved onion, celery pieces, garlic, bay leaves, parsley sprigs, peppercorns and salt. Bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat, skimming off any foam that rises. 2. **Simmer.** Reduce the heat to low and keep at a gentle simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, until the chicken is very tender. 3. **Strain.** Lift the chicken onto a plate to cool. Pour the broth through a fine strainer into a large bowl and discard the vegetables and aromatics. You should have about 10 cups. Spoon off some of the fat if you like. 4. **Cook the vegetables.** Wipe out the pot, set it over medium heat and add the oil. Cook the diced onion and celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the strained broth and add the carrots, potatoes and thyme. Simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the corn for the last 5 minutes. 5. **Prepare the chicken.** While the vegetables cook, pull the skin off the chicken. Keep the drumsticks whole if you want to serve them as in the photo, and pull the thigh meat off the bone in large pieces. Discard the skin and bones, or save the bones for stock. 6. **Finish and season.** Return the chicken to the pot and heat through for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice and red pepper flakes, if using. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed; homemade broth usually needs more salt than you expect. ## Equipment - Large soup pot or Dutch oven (at least 6 quarts) - Fine-mesh strainer - Large heatproof bowl - Slotted spoon or tongs - Ladle ## Notes - Keep the pot at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil, for a clear broth. - Add the vegetables after the broth is strained so they stay tender, not mushy. - Season at the end. Homemade broth needs more salt than you might think. ## Why this recipe works - Bone-in, skin-on chicken legs and thighs give a broth with real body and flavor in under an hour. - Starting the chicken in cold water and keeping it at a gentle simmer gives a clear, golden broth. - Adding the vegetables after the broth is made keeps them tender rather than mushy. - Dark meat stays moist through the long simmer, where breast meat would dry out. - A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the whole pot. ## Choosing the chicken Chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs) are ideal: inexpensive, full of flavor and gelatin, and they stay juicy. You can also use a whole cut-up chicken; remove the breast meat after about 20 minutes of simmering, once it reaches 160°F, so it does not dry out, and return it at the end. If you would rather use leftover roast chicken, make the broth from the carcass, then add the picked meat in the last 5 minutes just to warm through. ## For a clear, golden broth Never let the pot boil hard. A rolling boil churns the fat and proteins into the liquid and makes it cloudy and greasy. Keep it at a lazy simmer, with just a few bubbles breaking the surface, and skim off any foam that rises during the first 10 minutes. If you want a leaner soup, chill it overnight. The fat will set on top and you can lift it off in one piece. ## Adding noodles or rice Cook egg noodles or rice separately and add them to each bowl, rather than to the pot. Cooked in the soup, they keep absorbing broth in the refrigerator and turn soft and bloated by the next day. ## Storage - Cool the soup quickly and refrigerate in covered containers for up to 4 days. - Freeze for up to 3 months. Potatoes soften a little after freezing but are still good. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until steaming. ## Variations - Chicken noodle: leave out the potatoes and add cooked egg noodles to each bowl. - Chicken and rice: leave out the potatoes and stir 2 cups of cooked rice into the finished soup, or add it to each bowl. - Greens: stir in 2 big handfuls of baby spinach or chopped kale in the last 2 minutes. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I make chicken soup with boneless chicken?** You can, but the broth will be much thinner in flavor. If you use boneless chicken, start with 8 cups of good store-bought chicken stock instead of water and simmer the chicken in it just until cooked, about 20 minutes. **Why is my chicken soup broth cloudy?** It boiled too hard. A rapid boil emulsifies fat and proteins into the liquid. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer and skim the foam in the first few minutes. Cloudy broth still tastes good, though. **How long does homemade chicken soup last?** Up to 4 days in the refrigerator and about 3 months in the freezer. Cool it quickly by dividing it into shallow containers before refrigerating. **Can I make this in a slow cooker?** Yes. Put all the broth ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Strain, then return the broth to the cooker with the soup vegetables and cook on high for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until tender before adding the chicken back. ## Nutrition (per serving, estimated) - Calories: 360 - Fat: 16 g - Saturated fat: 4 g - Carbohydrates: 24 g - Fiber: 4 g - Sugar: 5 g - Protein: 30 g - Sodium: 980 mg - Cholesterol: 140 mg --- Recipe by Trevor Farias. Full page with photos: https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/chicken-soup Structured data (JSON): https://trevorfarias.com/recipes/chicken-soup/recipe.json