Homemade German Chicken Soup with noodles (Hühnersuppe)

A classic German chicken soup that will leave you feeling so good, so warm, so cozy. Perfect for sick days and cold nights!!! It is a treat the whole family will enjoy. 

Let me fill you in on my secret cure when we are feeling a bit under the weather. My Oma's German chicken noodle soup will make you feel better in no time. 

By popular demand, this reader-favorite recipe made it into my debut cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes!

By popular demand, this reader-favorite recipe made it into my debut cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes!

The BEST chicken noodle soup recipe 

Homemade soup beats store-bought ones every time! Hands down! I make this comfort food every time someone in my family is feeling a bit poorly. It does warm them from the inside out. 

What makes this soup authentic German is the way the chicken broth is made. It uses "Suppengrün" which refers to a mixture of different vegetables (carrots, parsley, onion, celery root, and leeks). Here in Germany, you can buy them as one pack. They are discarded later but make the most incredible homemade chicken stock. 

Chicken soup in Germany is "Hühnersuppe" - Hühner is the plural for chicken in German and "Suppe" is the word for soup.

Simple ingredients and a delicious flavor make this homemade chicken noodle soup a winner in my household. 

German Soup Noodles

German soup noodles (affiliate link) are a must in my chicken soup. In Germany, they are called "Suppennudeln" because they are extra small so they fit onto a spoon. You won't need a fork to eat these noodles! They are available in different forms. You can get them in the form of letters (then we call them ABC suppe at home - my kids love them), as little stars or these short "strings". They are done in less than 5 minutes, but it is best to cook them separately from the soup. This way the broth stays clear and the noodles do not become mushy when you want to reheat leftovers. Of course, you can use any kind of pasta in this soup, although the noodles are quite easily available online. 

How to make German Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients: 

• For the broth - A whole chicken, suppengrün; which are traditional German soup vegetables (2 carrots, ¼ piece celery root (optional), 3 carrots, onion, leek). The broth is seasoned with bay leaf and peppercorns
• For the soup vegetables - You can really use whatever vegetables are in season. For this recipe, I used garden peas, carrots, the leftover leek, and some cauliflower. However, this is pretty arbitrary. I also used broccoli, green beans, potatoes, sugar snaps, and asparagus before. 
• German soup noodles (affiliate link) - However, you have lots of different pasta options. Egg noodles are traditional, but you can also use regular pasta, orzo, or even spaetzle for a change.  

German Chicken Soup Recipe Steps:

1.  Wash the chicken under running water. Then place it in a large pot and cover it with about 2.5 liters of water and 2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and skim off the froth that builds up on the surface. This will make for a clear soup afterward. The foam at the beginning is the worst, so I like to boil the chicken on its own at the beginning as it makes it easier to skim without the other vegetables in the way. 
2. Peel the onion and roughly chop the rest of the vegetables and parsley. Place in the pot alongside the chicken, peppercorns, and bay leaves, and leave to simmer for approximately 90 minutes with the lid off. You will need to skim off the scum that rises off the surface intermittently.  
3. In the meantime, you can peel carrots, cauliflower, and leek (or whatever vegetables you choose to use) and chop them into bitesize pieces.
4. After the cooking time, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to slightly cool. Remove the vegetable solids, bay leaves, and peppercorns, from the soup broth and discard. Strain the broth with a fine-meshed sieve or a cheesecloth - then place back in the pot.
5. Remove the chicken meat from the carcass, discarding the skin, any fat or grizzle. Roughly chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot. 
6. Add the fresh vegetables and boil until cooked - this should take between 10-15 minutes. 
7. In a separate pot boil the soup noodles (or whatever pasta you are using) until al dente. Add the noodles to the soup just before serving. (If you want to keep leftover soup, I advise not to add all the noodles to the soup, as otherwise the pasta will become mushy). 
8. Before serving sprinkle the soup with fresh parsley. 

Recipe Variations

Chicken - feel free to speed up the process a bit, by using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, and store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. If you do not want to use a whole chicken you can also use chicken breasts or tights. However in my personal opinion, bone-in chicken makes the best broth flavor. 

Seasonings - add any you feel your broth needs. Other recipes call for juniper berries (affiliate link), or ginger (especially good if you have a sore throat) and chillies.

Different cooking methods 

Pressure cooker - will speed up the time it takes to make your broth. Simply place the chicken with the broth ingredients in your pressure cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes. 

Slow cooker (affiliate link)/crock pot - I also often make the first stage of the soup in my slow cooker (affiliate link). The chicken broth takes about 10 hours on low to complete.

Storage Instructions 

As mentioned it is best to store homemade chicken soup without the noodles. They will get mushy and overcooked. Place the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

This easy chicken soup recipe is also perfect for freezing. Before freezing, it should first be allowed to cool to room temperature and then packed in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. There it should keep for up to three months. 

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