This soup is the kind of thing I make when I want something honest and restorative — not fussy, but made with intention. It starts with a whole chicken simmered gently with simple aromatics to build a clear, flavorful broth. From there, hearty potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots join in for substance and texture.

I’ll walk you through the exact steps I follow, what gear makes the job easier, common mistakes to avoid, and sensible swaps if you don’t have everything on hand. The process is forgiving; the order matters more than tiny details. Read through once, then follow the method and the soup will reward you.

Shopping List

3–4 pound whole chicken, giblets removed — the foundation: bones, skin, and connective tissue build rich broth and body.
2 large yellow onions, peeled and halved — add sweetness and depth while simmering with the chicken.
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally — roasted-in-broth flavor without overpowering; remove halves before serving.
½ small jalapeño, seeded and ribs removed — a faint background warmth; remove seeds and ribs to keep it mild.
2 dried bay leaves — quietly aromatic, they round out the savory notes.
½ teaspoon kosher salt, + more to taste — start conservative; you’ll season at the end.
½ tablespoon whole peppercorns, or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper — choose whole if you prefer to discard them later for a cleaner broth.
12 cups water — the cooking medium; just enough to cover the chicken and aromatics.
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes — hold shape and add creamy texture when simmered.
2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes — bring subtle sweetness and color contrast.
3 large carrots, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes — classic vegetable in chicken soup for sweetness and body.
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce — a small umami boost that doesn’t make the broth taste like soy sauce.
1 large lemon, juiced — brightens the finished soup and balances fat and salt.

The Method for Homemade Chicken Soup From Scratch

Place the whole chicken (3–4 pounds, giblets removed), 2 large yellow onions (peeled and halved), 1 head garlic (cut in half horizontally), ½ small jalapeño (seeded and ribs removed), 2 dried bay leaves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tablespoon whole peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper) into a large stockpot, soup pan, or Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water to cover.
Set the pot over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. As it heats and foam or cloudy particles rise to the surface, skim them off with a fine-mesh skimmer or large spoon and discard.
Once the broth is at a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edges), reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and falling apart.
Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a cutting board or large bowl. Remove and discard the onions, garlic halves, bay leaves, and—if you used whole peppercorns—discard those too. (If you used ground pepper, it will remain in the broth.)
If you prefer a clearer, less fatty broth, refrigerate the broth for a few hours or overnight so the fat rises and solidifies on the surface. Skim off and discard the hardened fat before proceeding. (This step is optional.)
Return the broth to the stove and bring it back to a gentle simmer over medium heat if it has cooled.
Add the vegetables to the simmering broth: 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes), 2 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes), and 3 large carrots (peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes). Stir in 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20–30 minutes.
While the vegetables cook, prepare the chicken meat: remove and discard the skin, remove the meat from the bones, and discard the bones. Shred or dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Measure out 2–3 cups of the shredded chicken to add back to the soup; save any remaining cooked chicken for another use.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the 2–3 cups of shredded chicken to the pot and simmer 2–5 minutes, just until the chicken is warmed through.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the juice of 1 large lemon and stir to combine.
Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Serve hot.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is straightforward cooking that rewards patience rather than technique. The whole chicken and low, steady simmer make a broth with real body — not thin water-flavored stock. Using both Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes gives you a pleasing contrast: the Yukon Golds hold their shape and add creaminess; the sweet potatoes give sweetness and color.

The final lemon juice brightens everything, cutting through any heaviness from the chicken skin and adding lift. The result is familiar and soothing, but layered and balanced. It’s great for sick days, weeknight dinners, or when you want something that feels homemade.

Quick Replacement Ideas

Chicken: Use bone-in chicken parts (legs or thighs) if you don’t have a whole bird; increase the number of pieces to approximate the same amount of meat and bones.
Potatoes: Swap Yukon Gold for red potatoes for similar texture and less starch.
Sweet potatoes: If you don’t want the sweetness, use an additional Yukon Gold or a white potato.
Jalapeño: Omit for no heat, or use a pinch of crushed red pepper for a milder effect.
Soy sauce: Omit if you need gluten-free; a splash of fish sauce (if you have it) or extra salt can replace the umami.

What You’ll Need (Gear)

Large stockpot, soup pan, or Dutch oven — roomy enough for a whole chicken and 12 cups of water.
Fine-mesh skimmer or large spoon — for removing foam while the broth comes up to a simmer.
Cutting board and chef’s knife — for prepping vegetables and removing chicken meat from bones.
Slotted spoon or tongs — to lift the chicken out of the broth cleanly.
Large bowl — to collect the cooked chicken while you shred it and to discard aromatics.
Measuring spoons and a measuring cup — for the soy sauce, salt, and water if you prefer exactness.

Frequent Missteps to Avoid

Boiling too hard: A rolling boil agitates the broth and emulsifies fat and impurities, making it cloudy. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
Skipping the skim: Not removing the foam near the start can leave the broth murky or bitter.
Over-salting early: The broth concentrates slightly while reducing; salt toward the end after you’ve added vegetables and tasted.
Leaving skin on in the final soup: The recipe calls for discarding the skin before shredding. Leaving it increases oiliness and can make the soup greasy.
Cutting vegetables too large or too small: The recipe’s ½-inch cubes give even cooking — bigger pieces take longer; smaller pieces will break down.

Smart Substitutions

Stock vs. Water: If you want the quickest path to deeper flavor and you have low-sodium chicken stock, you can partially replace the 12 cups of water with stock, but the recipe is designed to build flavor from a whole chicken and doesn’t require it.
Herbs: Fresh thyme or a few sprigs of parsley added in the last 10 minutes will add nuance. Add sparingly so you don’t overpower the clean chicken flavor.
Vegetables: Celery or parsnip can be added with the carrots if you like, but follow the same dice size for even cooking.
Acid: If you don’t have a lemon, a splash of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can brighten the broth — add sparingly and taste.

Chef’s Rationale

I keep this recipe intentionally simple. A whole chicken provides gelatin and depth from bones and skin, which is why step 1 instructs starting with the whole bird. Skimming during the first heat-up clarifies the broth without the need for egg white raft or straining. The low-and-slow simmer extracts flavor without breaking the broth down into greasy particles.

Removing the aromatics (onion, garlic, bay leaves) before finishing gives you a clean, drinkable broth that’s flavored yet not cluttered. The addition of a teaspoon of reduced-sodium soy sauce is a tiny, deliberate umami nudge; it doesn’t make the soup taste Asian, it just rounds the savoriness. Finally, lemon at the end brightens everything and brings balance.

Meal Prep & Storage Notes

Cool the soup quickly before storing: transfer to shallow containers so it chills faster and stays safe. Refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. If you want a clearer broth, refrigerate overnight and remove the solidified fat from the surface before reheating.

To freeze, cool the soup completely, then freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Potatoes can change texture when frozen and thawed; if you plan to freeze, consider either undercooking the potatoes slightly before cooling or freezing the broth and cooked chicken separately and adding freshly cooked potatoes when reheating.

Quick Q&A

Can I use only chicken breasts? Yes, but you’ll lose some gelatin from bones and skin. For the deepest broth, include bone-in parts or a whole bird.
Do I need to peel the Yukon Golds? No — Yukon Gold skin is thin and adds texture, just scrub them well. The recipe specifies scrubbed Yukon Gold potatoes.
Why remove the jalapeño seeds? To keep the soup mild. The flesh adds subtle flavor without much heat once seeds and ribs are removed.
Can I make this in a slow cooker? Yes — brown notes will be different but you can simmer a whole chicken and aromatics on low for 4–6 hours until tender, then proceed with vegetables in a separate step.
How do I get a clearer broth? Skim foam early and refrigerate to solidify fat for easy removal. Straining through a fine-mesh sieve after cooling helps too.

That’s a Wrap

Follow the method, taste as you go, and you’ll end up with a bowl that’s both nourishing and satisfying. This recipe is forgiving and designed to reward simple, patient cooking — a whole chicken, quiet simmer, and a few vegetables make for a soup you’ll rely on again and again. Make extra shredded chicken, freeze portions, and you’ll always have a quick, homemade meal ready to go.

Homemade Chicken Soup From Scratch

A simple, from-scratch chicken soup made by simmering a whole chicken with aromatics, then adding potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Finished with lemon juice and seasoned to taste.

Print Recipe Save it

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 20

Course Soup

Servings 12 servings

Equipment

Fine-Mesh Strainer Spoon

Ingredients

3-4 poundwhole fresh chicken giblets removed
2 largeyellow onions peeled and halved
1 headgarlic cut in half horizontally
1/2 smalljalapeno seeded and ribs removed
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoonkosher salt + more to taste
1/2 tablespoonpeppercorns or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 cupswater
2 largeYukon Gold potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 largesweet potatoes scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 largecarrots peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoonreduced sodium soy sauce
1 largelemon juiced

Instructions

Place the whole chicken (3–4 pounds, giblets removed), 2 large yellow onions (peeled and halved), 1 head garlic (cut in half horizontally), ½ small jalapeño (seeded and ribs removed), 2 dried bay leaves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tablespoon whole peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper) into a large stockpot, soup pan, or Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water to cover.
Set the pot over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. As it heats and foam or cloudy particles rise to the surface, skim them off with a fine-mesh skimmer or large spoon and discard.
Once the broth is at a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edges), reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and falling apart.
Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a cutting board or large bowl. Remove and discard the onions, garlic halves, bay leaves, and—if you used whole peppercorns—discard those too. (If you used ground pepper, it will remain in the broth.)
If you prefer a clearer, less fatty broth, refrigerate the broth for a few hours or overnight so the fat rises and solidifies on the surface. Skim off and discard the hardened fat before proceeding. (This step is optional.)
Return the broth to the stove and bring it back to a gentle simmer over medium heat if it has cooled.
Add the vegetables to the simmering broth: 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes), 2 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes), and 3 large carrots (peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes). Stir in 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20–30 minutes.
While the vegetables cook, prepare the chicken meat: remove and discard the skin, remove the meat from the bones, and discard the bones. Shred or dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Measure out 2–3 cups of the shredded chicken to add back to the soup; save any remaining cooked chicken for another use.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the 2–3 cups of shredded chicken to the pot and simmer 2–5 minutes, just until the chicken is warmed through.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the juice of 1 large lemon and stir to combine.
Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Serve hot.

Notes

Notes
Chicken:
Feel free to use chicken pieces versus a whole chicken. Just be sure they are bone-in and preferably skin on for the most flavor and nutrient-rich broth.
Add Noodles
. If you would like to add noodles to your chicken soup, it is best to cook egg noodles in boiling, salted water according to package directions and add to the soup right before serving.
Keep it Gluten-Free.
If you need this soup to be gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari or coconut-aminos.
Storage
: Store chicken soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer in a freezer-safe container, leaving 1-inch of space for expansion. Store any leftover shredded chicken in the an airtight, freezer-safe bag/container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.