This homemade chicken soup is warm, simple, and made with just a few fresh ingredients. The whole chicken gives it a rich flavor, and the veggies make it hearty. Perfect for cold days, easy dinners, or when you need comfort in a bowl.

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Ingredients Needed:

1 (3 pounds) whole chicken
4 carrots, halved
4 stalks celery, halved
1 large onion, halved
water to cover
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (Optional)

How To Make Chicken Soup Recipe?

Add everything to a pot: Put the whole chicken, carrots, celery, and onion in a large soup pot. Pour in enough cold water to cover everything.
Boil and simmer: Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about 90 minutes until the chicken is soft and falling off the bone. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
Remove and chop the chicken: Take the chicken out of the pot and let it cool. Remove the skin and bones, then chop the meat into small pieces.
Strain and reuse the broth: Strain out the vegetables and keep the broth. Rinse the pot, pour the broth back in, then chop the cooked vegetables and add them back along with the chicken.
Season and heat: Add salt, pepper, and bouillon if using. Warm the soup on low heat until hot and ready to serve.

Recipe Tips:

Use cold water when starting the soup: This helps the chicken and vegetables release more flavor slowly, which gives you a rich and tasty broth.
Don’t skip skimming the foam: As the soup boils, white foam will rise to the top. Skim it off with a spoon to keep the broth clear and clean-tasting.
Simmer gently, don’t boil hard: A slow simmer makes the broth deeper in flavor and keeps it from getting cloudy.
Cool the chicken before chopping: Let the chicken sit for a few minutes after cooking so you can pull off the meat easily without burning your fingers.
Taste and season at the end: Don’t add too much salt early—wait until the end to add salt, pepper, and bouillon so you don’t over-season the broth.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

Refrigerate: First, let the leftover Delia chicken soup cool down to room temperature. Then, pour it into an airtight container and place it in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Pour the soup into a pot and warm it over medium heat. Stir often and heat until it’s fully hot, about 5–10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 220 kcal
Total Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 85mg
Sodium: 460mg
Potassium: 480mg
Total Carbohydrate: 7g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 28g

Try More Delia Smith Recipes:

Delia Smith Chicken Liver Pate Recipe
Delia Smith Chicken Tagine Recipe

Delia Chicken Soup Recipe

Course: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

minutes

Calories

220

kcal

Ingredients

1 (3 pounds) whole chicken
4 carrots, halved
4 stalks celery, halved
1 large onion, halved
water to cover
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (Optional)

Directions

Add everything to a pot: Put the whole chicken, carrots, celery, and onion in a large soup pot. Pour in enough cold water to cover everything.
Boil and simmer: Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about 90 minutes until the chicken is soft and falling off the bone. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
Remove and chop the chicken: Take the chicken out of the pot and let it cool. Remove the skin and bones, then chop the meat into small pieces.
Strain and reuse the broth: Strain out the vegetables and keep the broth. Rinse the pot, pour the broth back in, then chop the cooked vegetables and add them back along with the chicken.
Season and heat: Add salt, pepper, and bouillon if using. Warm the soup on low heat until hot and ready to serve.

Notes

Use cold water when starting the soup: This helps the chicken and vegetables release more flavor slowly, which gives you a rich and tasty broth.
Don’t skip skimming the foam: As the soup boils, white foam will rise to the top. Skim it off with a spoon to keep the broth clear and clean-tasting.
Simmer gently, don’t boil hard: A slow simmer makes the broth deeper in flavor and keeps it from getting cloudy.
Cool the chicken before chopping: Let the chicken sit for a few minutes after cooking so you can pull off the meat easily without burning your fingers.
Taste and season at the end: Don’t add too much salt early—wait until the end to add salt, pepper, and bouillon so you don’t over-season the broth.