Nothing provides a dose of soul-warming comfort quite like the American cure-all, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Made with juicy chicken breasts, hearty vegetables, buttery egg noodles, and a rich, flavorful broth, this soup is deliciously soothing and deeply satisfying. Best of all, it's remarkably easy to make.
There's no need to go to extremes with extra ingredients and elongated cook times. This easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe is as much about convenience as it is about comfort. You can build big flavor with time-saving ingredients and turn them into something truly spectacular. In fact, you can do it in less than 45 minutes.
You can also build flavor fast with a few of our other favorite soup recipes, Creamy Tomato Soup and Stovetop Taco Soup!
CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP INGREDIENTS
- Chicken - There are multiple routes you can take when it comes to putting the chicken in Chicken Noodle Soup. This recipe calls for the quick and easy method of poaching chicken breasts in a ready-made broth, which cooks the chicken and adds extra flavor to the soup. If you're short on time, omit the poaching, buy a rotisserie chicken, shred it, and add it to the soup. You could also put the leftovers of Whole-Roasted Chicken to good use, or if you're a planner, you can bake chicken breasts in the oven up to two days in advance.
- Noodles - The noodle of choice for a classic Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is Extra-Wide Egg Noodles. However, you could also use broken-up spaghetti noodles, orzo or star pasta.
- Mirepoix - Mirepoix is a mixture of diced onion, celery, and carrots mixed together and cooked in oil, and it is an absolute necessity in Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Save yourself a little time in the kitchen and forget about dicing those veggies extra small. Leaving the carrots and celery a little larger makes for a heartier spoonful.
- Store-Bought Chicken Broth - Sure. You could go the extra mile and make your chicken broth from scratch. But, to be honest, you really don't need to. There's going to be plenty of flavor going on within this pot. The one thing you absolutely want to be sure of is that you buy a high-quality unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth, which will give you total control over the flavor of your soup.
- Seasoning - The only thing you'll need from the herbs and spice department is Kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and bay leaves. If you happen to have some fresh parsley on hand, feel free to give it a rough chop and garnish your soup with a sprinkle of green!
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
- Cook the Noodles - Put a large pot of water on to boil, and season it generously with salt. Once it reaches a roaring boil, cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Then, strain and set aside until ready to use.
- Sauté the Vegetables - Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil has come to temperature, add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots and sauté. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the Broth and Poach the Chicken - Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder to the pot and stir. Allow the broth to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. At this point, add the chicken breasts and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered. Note, if you're using prepared chicken for your Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup rather than poaching it, add the cooked, shredded chicken at this point, simmer for 15 minutes, and skip to step 5!
- Shred the Chicken - Once the chicken has cooked through, turn off the heat, remove it from the broth, and transfer it to a cutting board. Once it is cool enough to handle, dice or shred the chicken.
- Add Noodles and Chicken Back To the Pot - Return the chicken to the pot, along with the cooked egg noodles. Stir, serve, and enjoy!
HOW LONG IS IT GOOD FOR?
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup will last 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
CAN YOU FREEZE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?
Chicken Noodle Soup Freezes extremely well! To freeze Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, allow it to cool down and transfer it to a freezer-safe airtight container or a gallon-sized, freezer-safe ziptop bag. If using a ziptop bag, be sure to seal it tightly. Then, place the bag on its side and lay it on a flat surface (e.g. a small baking pan) to freeze. Freezing it on a flat surface will make quicker work of thawing the soup.
IS CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP HEALTHY?
According to UPMC, the healing power of Chicken Noodle Soup is more than a nostalgic notion.
- Carrots, onions, and celery contain a hefty dose of Vitamin A, strengthen the immune system, fight off viruses, and speed up recovery from illnesses more quickly.
- Bonus, you can count on that protein-packed chicken breast to also give your immune system a boost.
- Chicken broth helps to clear the nasal passages and provides hydration.
- And, the noodles? Well, they'll leave you feeling full and satisfied.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is a meal in itself and doesn't require any accouterments, but if you're looking to make this meal a little "extra," here are a few things you to serve alongside it:
- Grilled Cheese
- Cold Sandwiches
- Side Salad
- Baked Potato
- Buttered Bread
- Saltine Crackers
5 MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings comes fully loaded with slow-cooked, tender bites of chicken, flavorful broth, hearty vegetables, and great big, fluffy dumplings!
- Broccoli Cheese Soup cooks up easily on the stovetop and is made with perfectly steamed broccoli, freshly grated Cheddar and Colby Jack cheese.
- Creamy Tomato Soup is made extra special thanks to the addition of fire-roasted tomatoes, fresh thyme, basil, and of course, a decadent drizzle of cream.
- Stovetop Taco Soup is a quick, family-friendly dinner perfect for chilly nights! An easy recipe you can put on the table in less than 30 minutes, with maximum flavor and minimal prep.
- Potato and Leek Soup features creamy potatoes with oniony undertones and a hint of garlic. Top it off with bacon, Cheddar, and fresh chives!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups extra-wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons oil (extra virgin olive oil, canola, or avocado oil is fine)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 ribs of celery, sliced at ¼" bias
- 4 carrots, sliced at ¼" bias
- 8 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. Season generously with salt and cook the pasta according to package directions. Strain and set aside until ready to use.
- Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil has come to temperature, add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, then add the chicken broth, bay leaves, Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and stir. Allow the broth to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, add the chicken breasts, and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Once the chicken has cooked through (registering at an internal temperature of 165°), turn off the heat, remove from the broth, and transfer to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, dice or shred the chicken. Then, return it to the pot, along with the cooked egg noodles. Stir, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Anita says
This is my most favorite soup, and you cook it to perfection, Kelly! I also cheat with my chicken stock, though I found out that if you use store-bought bone broth version, it actually tastes really good. 🙂
Mary says
This soup is pure comfort!
Dannii says
Chicken noodle soup is just total comfort food. We always make a big bowl when we are ill.
Sophie says
I totally love this recipe. And love that it’s made from scratch. Thanks for the recipe.