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Paula Deen Chicken Noodle Soup

Paula Deen chicken noodle soup is a Southern-style, butter-enriched comfort soup with fall-off-the-bone chicken and wide egg noodles in a rich golden broth. This method simmers the whole chicken first, then strands are stirred back in with vegetables so everything cooks through and stays tender.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken base
  • 1 whole chicken Use a 3-4 pound chicken.
  • 10 cup water
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 carrots Sliced.
  • 5 celery Stalks with leaves, sliced.
  • 1 onion Large, diced.
  • 4 garlic Cloves, minced.
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter For the rich, golden broth.
  • 12 oz wide egg noodles
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
  • 1 fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Simmer the whole chicken
  1. Place the whole chicken in a very large pot with the water, 2 cups chicken broth, half the carrots, half the celery, half the onion, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil.
  2. Skim any foam from the top. Simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender with visible gentle bubbles.
Shred and strain
  1. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool briefly enough to handle. Shred all meat and discard the skin, bones, and used vegetables.
  2. Strain the broth to remove solids. Return the strained broth to the pot.
Finish the soup
  1. Add the remaining chicken broth, butter, remaining carrots, remaining celery, remaining onion, and the minced garlic to the strained broth. Simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly.
  2. Add the shredded chicken, dried thyme, and dried parsley. Simmer just until heated through, with the broth actively bubbling.
  3. Add the wide egg noodles and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender. Stir occasionally so the noodles don’t stick.
  4. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: skim foam thoroughly during the first boil for a cleaner, richer golden broth. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing is not ideal because egg noodles can soften too much after thawing. Dietary swap: use low-sodium chicken broth and season with salt gradually so you can control sodium while keeping the same hearty texture.