• 1.8 kg whole chicken, rinsed and cleaned. If you can opt for a free range chicken.
• 1 head of garlic , cut in half horizontally
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 celery ribs, cut into chunks
• 2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• 4 thyme sprigs (or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves)
• 9 – 10 cups water (enough to just cover the chicken)

Soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, cut in quarters lengthwise then chopped
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1 cm/ 1/2″ thick pieces
• 2 cups shredded chicken (from homemade broth)
• 2 litres / 2 quarts homemade chicken broth (above)
• 200g egg noodles or pasta of choice
• 2 – 3 tsp Vegeta or other stock powder 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 thyme sprigs, (optional)
• 1 bay leaf, (optional)
• Finely chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Method

Broth

• Place the chicken in a large pot and add remaining broth ingredients. Then add enough water so the chicken is just covered (too much water = weak broth). 
• Cover with the lid and bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Then adjust heat so it’s simmering GENTLY with the lid on. Simmer for 1.5 hours until chicken is tender and easily comes off the bone. (Or 8 hours on low in a slow cooker) Don't forget to scoop the scum off the surface once or twice during the first 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a pan and shred the meat and discard the bones. You will only need half the chicken meat which is great because you get two meals out of the one whole chicken!
• Remove carrots, celery etc from the broth and discard. Optional: Chop carrot and celery, add back into soup with the chicken. 
• Optional: Refrigerate soup for a few hours until the fat sets, then scoop the fat off the surface. This is a good tip if you're looking to make the soup a little but healthier. 

Soup

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium meat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots, cook for 5 minutes until softened and a bit sweet but don’t let them brown.
• Turn heat up to medium-high. Gently pour 8 cups broth in (top up with water if necessary), leaving behind residue settled in the bottom of the broth pot. 
• Add Vegeta (stock powder), thyme, bay leaf and pepper. Stir.
• When it starts bubbling, add noodles/pasta. Cook for time per packet MINUS 2 minutes. Stir gently only once or twice. 
• Add half the chicken, stir (it warms quickly), then season with salt and pepper to taste – season well!
• Serve soup immediately, garnished with fresh parsley. Voila! Fresh homemade chicken noodle soup!