There is something truly magical about opening a jar of homemade chicken soup on a cold winter day when the wind is blowing hard outside and you just want to feel cozy and warm inside your own home. This wonderful canning chicken soup recipe brings all the comforting flavors of a traditional kitchen right to your pantry shelves so that you can enjoy a wholesome and delicious meal in just a few minutes whenever you are feeling hungry or tired. When you make this delicious soup from scratch and preserve it safely in jars, you are not only saving valuable time on busy weeknights but you are also creating a healthy meal that contains no weird preservatives or hidden chemicals that you often find in store bought canned foods. You will love how easy it is to scoop out a jar, warm it up on your kitchen stove, and enjoy a steaming bowl of goodness that tastes like it has been simmering on the stove for hours even if you only have five minutes to spare.
People all around the world absolutely adore this comforting soup recipe because it combines tender pieces of chicken with wholesome vegetables and savory broth in a way that feels like a big warm hug from your grandmother. There is a deep emotional connection that comes with eating homemade soup because it reminds us of childhood days when we stayed home from school or when our family gathered around the dining table to share stories and laughter over a hot meal. The incredible taste comes from letting fresh carrots, celery, onions, and herbs meld together with rich chicken broth so that every single spoonful bursts with natural flavor and comforting goodness that makes your taste buds dance with joy. It is a timeless classic that never goes out of style and always manages to bring a smile to your face no matter how stressful or exhausting your day happened to be.
You might want to make a big batch of this wonderful soup when the weather turns chilly and you need something warm to heat up your soul or when you want to stock your emergency food supply with delicious meals that your whole family will eagerly devour. It is also an amazing choice for busy parents who work long hours and want to serve a nutritious dinner to their children without spending hours chopping vegetables and cooking from scratch every single evening. If you are someone who cares about fitness and clean eating, having jars of this protein packed soup ready to go makes it so much easier to stay on track with your health goals because you always have a wholesome meal option waiting for you in your pantry. Making your own canned soup is also a fantastic way to use up leftover chicken or vegetables from Sunday dinner so that nothing in your refrigerator goes to waste.
Embarking on the rewarding journey of canning your own food allows you to take full control of what goes into your body while also learning a traditional homesteading skill that feels incredibly empowering and satisfying. As you listen to the gentle ping of the jars sealing on your kitchen counter, you will feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment knowing that you have built a small treasure trove of nourishing food to feed the people you love the most. This recipe is designed specifically with beginners in mind, meaning you do not need any fancy culinary skills or complicated kitchen gadgets to achieve wonderful results on your very first try. So roll up your sleeves, gather your cooking pots, and get ready to create a batch of comforting chicken soup that will quickly become one of your absolute favorite things to make and share.
Ingredients You Will Need
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Whole chicken weighing about four to five pounds or six pounds of bone in chicken pieces
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Four cups of sliced fresh carrots
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Four cups of sliced fresh celery
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Three cups of chopped yellow onions
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Two tablespoons of minced garlic
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Twelve cups of fresh water or low sodium chicken broth
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Two teaspoons of salt
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One teaspoon of black pepper
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Three bay leaves
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One tablespoon of dried thyme
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One tablespoon of dried parsley
Step by Step Method
To start making this wonderful recipe, you need to prepare your chicken and vegetables so that everything is clean and ready for the cooking pot. Wash your whole chicken thoroughly under cool running water and place it into a very large stockpot along with the twelve cups of fresh water or chicken broth. Turn your stove burner to medium high heat and bring the liquid to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to low so the chicken can simmer slowly until it becomes tender and falls easily off the bones. This process usually takes about one hour to one hour and a half depending on the size of your chicken.
While the chicken is cooking in the pot, you can wash, peel, and chop your fresh carrots, celery, and yellow onions into bite sized pieces so they are ready for the next step. Once your chicken is fully cooked and tender, use large kitchen tongs to carefully lift the chicken out of the pot and place it onto a clean cutting board to cool down. Do not throw away the delicious broth left in the pot because that liquid forms the flavorful base for your soup. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, use your fingers or two forks to pull all the meat away from the bones and shred it into nice bite sized pieces.
Now it is time to combine all the ingredients together in your large cooking pot to build those wonderful flavors. Add your chopped carrots, celery, onions, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, dried thyme, and dried parsley into the warm chicken broth left in the pot. Bring the mixture back to a gentle boil and let it cook for about fifteen minutes so the vegetables can start to soften up just a little bit before they go into the canning jars. Add your shredded chicken back into the pot and stir everything together gently so the meat mixes evenly with all the vegetables and aromatic herbs.
Before you start filling your jars, you must make sure your canning jars, lids, and bands are thoroughly washed in hot soapy water and rinsed well to remove any dust or residue. Place your clean glass jars into a large pot of hot water or use a jar warmer to keep them hot because putting hot soup into cold glass jars can cause the glass to crack or break. Ladle your hot chicken soup into the hot jars, making sure to leave about one inch of headspace at the top of each jar so the food has room to expand during the pressure canning process.
Use a clean damp cloth or paper towel to wipe the rims of your jars completely clean so there is no food residue or grease that might prevent the lids from sealing properly. Place a flat metal canning lid on top of each jar and then screw the metal band down until it is fingertip tight, which means you twist it until you feel resistance without forcing it too hard. Carefully place your filled jars into a pressure canner filled with the correct amount of hot water according to your specific canner manufacturer instructions.
Lock the lid of your pressure canner securely in place and turn your stove burner to high heat until steam begins to vent steadily from the vent pipe. Let the steam escape continuously for ten full minutes to push all the air out of the canner, and then place the weighted gauge or pressure regulator onto the vent pipe. Allow the pressure inside the canner to rise until it reaches the correct pressure level for your specific altitude, which is usually eleven pounds of pressure for dial gauge canners or ten pounds for weighted gauge canners.
Process your pint jars of chicken soup for seventy five minutes or quart jars for ninety minutes, making sure to watch the canner carefully and adjust your stove burner heat to maintain a steady and consistent pressure throughout the entire processing time. Once the processing time is complete, turn off your stove heat completely and let the pressure canner cool down naturally all by itself without trying to rush the cooling process or forcing the lid open. When the pressure gauge drops all the way back down to zero and the canner is completely cool, carefully remove the weight, unlock the lid, and tilt it away from your face to avoid escaping steam.
Use jar lifter tongs to carefully lift your hot jars straight up out of the canner and place them onto a thick towel on your kitchen counter, making sure to leave plenty of space between each jar so they can cool down evenly. Leave your jars completely undisturbed on the counter for twelve to twenty four hours while they cool down, and do not press down on the lids or tighten the bands during this time. After the cooling period is finished, test the seal of each jar by pressing the center of the lid; if the lid does not pop up and down, your jar is safely sealed and ready to be stored in your pantry for future meals.
Why This Recipe Is Special
This homemade canning chicken soup recipe is truly special because it bridges the gap between old fashioned cooking traditions and modern convenience in a way that benefits your whole household. When you make your own soup from scratch, you avoid all the artificial preservatives, excess sodium, and flavor enhancers that commercial food companies pack into store bought cans to make their products last longer on grocery store shelves. Every single ingredient is handpicked by you, ensuring that only the freshest vegetables and the highest quality chicken make their way into your family meals.
From a health perspective, this soup is an absolute powerhouse of nutrition that provides your body with lean protein, essential vitamins, and hydrating fluids that help keep your immune system strong and resilient. The chicken bones release wonderful minerals and collagen into the broth during the initial simmering process, which is fantastic for supporting healthy digestion, strong joints, and glowing skin. It is a comforting meal that nurses you back to health when you have a cold and warms you up on the coldest days of the year without weighing your stomach down with heavy fats.
The taste of this soup is simply unmatched by anything you can buy in a grocery store aisle because the long canning process allows the herbs, garlic, and vegetables to infuse deeply into the chicken broth. Every spoonful tastes rich, savory, and deeply satisfying, giving you that authentic homemade flavor that instantly transports you back to your favorite family gatherings. It is a versatile recipe that you can easily customize depending on what ingredients you have in your kitchen, making it a reliable and loving staple for every home cook.
Extra Tips for Better Taste
If you want to take the flavor of your chicken soup to the next level, try roasting your whole chicken in the oven with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper before you boil it for the broth. Roasting the chicken first adds a wonderful depth of flavor and a rich golden color to your soup broth that makes it taste like it came straight from a gourmet restaurant kitchen. You can also add a splash of fresh lemon juice right before serving your soup in a bowl to brighten up all the savory flavors and add a refreshing citrus kick.
When you are filling your jars for canning, make sure you do not add any noodles or rice to the jars before processing because pasta and rice tend to absorb all the liquid and become very mushy during pressure canning. Instead, you can can your soup as a wonderful vegetable and chicken broth base, and then simply cook some fresh noodles or rice separately on the stove and add them to your bowl when you open a jar to heat it up for dinner. This simple trick ensures that your vegetables and chicken maintain a wonderful texture while your noodles stay perfectly firm and delicious.
Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices depending on what your family enjoys eating the most in their favorite meals. Adding a pinch of smoked paprika, a dash of rosemary, or even a few sprigs of fresh dill can completely change the flavor profile and give your soup a fun new twist every single time you make a batch. Always use fresh herbs when possible during the initial cooking stage, but remember that dried herbs work wonderfully well for long term canning and storage in your pantry shelves.
Final Thoughts
Making your own canned chicken soup is a deeply rewarding project that brings immense joy, comfort, and delicious food into your daily life with very little ongoing effort once the jars are safely stored. There is a wonderful feeling of pride that washes over you every time you walk into your pantry and look at rows of sparkling glass jars filled with golden broth and hearty ingredients that you prepared with your own two hands. It is a gift of love that you give to yourself and your family, ensuring that a wholesome and comforting meal is always within reach no matter how busy or overwhelming life gets. We hope this simple guide inspires you to fire up your stove, try your hand at pressure canning, and create a delicious tradition that will warm your heart and fill your home with wonderful aromas for many years to come.
Nutrition Details
| Nutrient | Amount Per Serving |
| Calories | 185 kcal |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sodium | 520 mg |
Note: The nutritional information provided above is an estimated calculation per serving based on a standard recipe yield of twelve servings. Actual values may vary depending on the specific ingredients, exact portion sizes, and brands of products you choose to use in your home kitchen.
Disclaimer
Please remember that every single person has a unique body, different dietary needs, and distinct health considerations that may affect how certain foods interact with their overall well-being. The information and recipes provided in this article are intended for general informational and educational purposes only and should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or personalized nutritional guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider or a registered dietitian before making any major changes to your daily diet, especially if you have existing medical conditions, food allergies, or specific nutritional restrictions.