How to Make Homemade Chicken Soup to Treat Colds and Flu

A pot of hot chicken soup is good even if you're feeling fine.

Chicken soup has long been a folk remedy for cold and flu season; regardless whether it has any real medicinal value, this hot, fresh soup will sooth your throat and warm your innards when you're suffering from seasonal afflictions.

Things You'll Need

• Large pot with lid
• Whole chicken
• 2 onions
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 bunch carrots
• 2 lbs. green beans
• 3 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. black pepper
• Lemon
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 lbs. egg noodles
• Water

Instructions

1. Wash the chicken and place it in the large pot. Brown the chicken on all sides over medium-high heat; do not add anything to the pot until all side of the chicken are browned.

2. Add 3 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of pepper, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 7 cups of cold water to the pot. Allow to come to a boil with the lid on.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low once the liquid boils. Cook the chicken for one hour, then turn the heat off. Allow the pot to cool, remove the chicken and place it in a large bowl, leaving the broth in the pot.

4. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning to taste. Chop the onions, celery, green beans and carrots into small pieces and place them in the broth. Stir, cover and set to simmer over medium-low heat.

5. Strip the meat from the chicken and shred it while the vegetables are cooking. Place all of the meat into the broth and mix well. Add one-half cup of lemon juice and stir. Replace the lid and continue to simmer on medium-low heat.

6. Cook the egg noodles -- in a separate pot -- according to the instructions, then drain, rinse and chop them roughly. Add the chopped noodles to the broth. Do not cook the noodles in the broth; they will come out gummy.

7. Serve hot, with bread or crackers if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• If you need more broth, all you have to do is get the bones of the chicken that you have and place into a pot with four to five cups of water. Add a few tablespoons of salt and pepper and cover for an hour. Drain, and add to the soup for more broth!

• With any soup be careful handling. Can be extremely hot, is best to serve with a plate underneath for safety precautions.