Chicken Noodle Soup
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Published Nov 11, 2021, Updated Jan 27, 2023
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This classic chicken noodle soup recipe is packed with flavor and loaded with veggies, egg noodles and shredded chicken. It’s warm, comforting, cooks up in under 30 minutes and is the perfect meal for chilly fall and winter days.
How have I not shared a classic chicken noodle soup on my site yet?! This is a staple recipe that everyone should have in their back pocket. I grew up on this soup so it was fun to create my own chicken noodle soup recipe with an EBF twist.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comfort food at it’s finest! Whether you’re feeling under the weather or just want a comforting bowl of soup that reminds you of home, this recipe is for you!
- Minimal prep work required. Other than cutting the veggies and shredding the chicken, this recipe is pretty hands off!
- A delicious meal that the entire family will enjoy.
Ingredients Needed
- olive oil – to sauté the vegetables in. Avocado oil also works!
- carrots – I recommend using medium to large carrots, peeling them and slicing into ¼- inch thick slices.
- celery – wash well and then chop into bite sized pieces.
- yellow onion – did you know that white onions are the most mild and red are the sharpest? Yellow onions fall right in the middle! Peel and dice the onion before adding to the soup.
- garlic cloves – adds a delicious savory flavor to this soup.
- chicken broth – I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth so you can control the amount of salt in your soup.
- bay leaves – an important ingredients in this soup! Dried bay leaves will simmer in the soup to release a bunch of flavor. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- thyme – fresh or dried are both delicious!
- dried oregano – another important flavor.
- salt and pepper – to season the soup and bring all of the flavors together.
- wide egg noodles – the traditional noodle in chicken noodle soup! You can also use spiral egg noodles.
- shredded cooked chicken – you can either cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs and shred them or take a shortcut and use rotisserie chicken!
- fresh parsley – adding fresh herbs to a warm soup releases the essential oils that adds a delicious aroma to this soup… which actually impacts our taste of it as well!
- lemon juice – optional but the acidity helps the flavors pop and adds a brightness to the soup!
How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
To make sure your noodles don’t get overcooked and slimy, I recommend cooking them separately. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the egg noodles according to the package. When they’re done cooking, drain and set aside.
In a separate large pot or Dutch oven, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat until warm. Add the carrots, celery and onion to the Dutch oven and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften. Make sure you stir occasionally so the vegetables don’t burn. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple more more minutes.
Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil gently for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender. Add in the shredded chicken, parsley and lemon juice and boil for 1-2 more minutes or until the chicken is warmed through. Remove the bay leaves, add about ⅔ cup cooked noodles to a bowl and scoop the soup over the noodles. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- To make sure the noodles don’t get too mushy and slimy, I recommend cooking them separately and then just serving the soup over them.
- You can prep the chicken in advance or use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut! I love prepping shredded chicken in my slow cooker and then adding it to this soup. I also have a recipe for instant pot shredded chicken.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth and then add your own salt to control the amount of sodium in this soup.
FAQs
You can cook the chicken directly in the broth with the vegetables to cook, but I prefer to cook the chicken ahead of time (or use rotisserie chicken) and add the cooked chicken to the soup to reheat. This allows me to make sure the chicken is fully cooked and allows the soup to come together in no time at all! If you do cook the chicken in the soup, add the chicken when you add the chicken broth and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. When chicken is fully cooked, remove and shred. Add chicken back into soup along with fresh parsley and lemon juice.
Technically you can cook the noodles in the broth, but unless you’re serving the soup right away, I don’t recommend it because the noodles will become too mushy and slimy.
Egg noodles are traditionally used in chicken noodle soup. I used wide egg noodles but you could use spiral as well. If you don’t have egg noodles, any type of noodle should work just fine!
If you want to freeze this soup, I recommend freezing the broth in an airtight freezer-safe container and making the noodles separately once you defrost the soup and are ready to serve.
How to Serve Chicken Noodle Soup
After tasting and seasoning the soup to your liking, add about ⅔ cup of cooked noodles into a bowl and then scoop the soup over the noodles. Serve immediately! This is a meal in one but if you want to pair it with some sides, here’s what I would serve it with:
- 4-Ingredient Almond Flour Crackers – if you’re a fan of having crackers with your soup, you need to try making my homemade crackers. They’re easier than you might think.
- Farro Salad or Sweet Kale Salad – a simple side salad to add fresh flavors and a bunch of vegetables to your meal!
- Sourdough Bread – a slice of fresh warm or toasted bread would pair perfectly with this soup.
How to Meal Prep
This soup is great for meal prep! It stores super well – I just recommend storing the noodles separately from the soup or the noodles will get too soggy. Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat the soup, I recommend heating the soup and then pouring over the cold noodles to heat the noodles.
More Soup Recipes to Try
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Mexican Sweet Potato Chicken Soup
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Chicken Fajita Soup
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili
- Vegetarian Chili
- Classic Minestrone Soup
- Detox Soup
- No-Bean Chili (Beef Chili)
- Taco Soup
Be sure to check out all of the soup recipes here on EBF!
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼- inch thick slices
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 96 ounces low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if desired
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 4 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, about 1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and once the water is boiling, cook your egg noodles according to the package, drain and set aside.
- In a separate large pot or Dutch oven, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm. Add the carrots, celery and onion to Dutch oven and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, pepper, salt, and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender.
- Add the shredded chicken, parsley, lemon juice, if using, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until chicken is warmed through.
- Taste soup and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the brand of chicken broth used is, how salty the rotisserie chicken is, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more pepper, herbs, etc.) and remove the bay leaves.
- When ready to serve, add about ⅔ cup of cooked noodles into a bowl and scoop soup over the noodles and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Chicken broth: You can use regular chicken broth if desired. You probably won’t need to add any additional salt.
- Want to cook chicken directly in the broth? Add the chicken when you add the chicken broth and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. When chicken is fully cooked, remove and shred. Add chicken back into soup along with fresh parsley and lemon juice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could this be frozen?
Hey Claudia, you can freeze the broth, but I wouldn’t freeze the noodles as it will likely change the texture. I would make the noodles right before serving if you decide to freeze the broth.
We just made this and it was delicious !! We kept the pasta out as recommended and poured the soup over the noodles and it was so good! Father in law approved ! He’s usually really picky and said this soup should be in a restaurant!
Woo!! So happy to hear this chicken noodle soup was a hit, Lisa! Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate it!
This was my first attempt at making homemade chicken soup and I’m so glad I chose to it recipe! I used your recipe for Instant Pot Shredded Chicken which cooked easily while the noodles boiled. The addition of lemon and fresh parsley gave the broth a lightness and vibrance I’ve never tasted before… I could slurp the broth alone and be happy!
Ah yay! Thrilled you are loving this chicken noodle soup, Ashley. Thanks for the review :).
Great recipe! Made a few moderations but great base!! Thanks, this is one I will always use!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this soup, Sandy. Thanks for the review!
Very flavourful and hardy chicken soup. I use your recipes allot and they haven’t failed me yet
So glad you loved this soup, Judi! Thanks for the review. I appreciate it!
Can you do this chicken soup recipe in the crockpot?
Hi Lisa – I have personally never made this recipe in the crockpot. If you decide to try it, I would add in the noodles last or else they will get too mushy. If you decide to give it a try, I’d love to know how it works out for you. Enjoy
This looks delicious! Does it freeze well? Thank you!
Hi Nancy – If you want to freeze this soup, I recommend freezing the broth in an airtight freezer-safe container and making the noodles separately once you defrost the soup and are ready to serve. Enjoy!
Yum! I usually find chicken noodle soup a bit bland, but this one is so delicious and full of flavor! Will be making this regularly—thank you!
WOO! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that you find it to be packed with flavor, Nathalie. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
It says 96 ounces of chicken broth. Is this correct?
Yes, Emily! You’ll want about 12 cups of broth for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!