Description
This homemade chicken noodle soup is pure comfort in a bowl! Classic recipe with tender chicken, hearty egg noodles, fresh vegetables, and a rich golden broth. Better than canned, perfect for cold days, and truly healing when you’re under the weather. Ready in just one hour!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups (1.9L) low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- 1½ pounds (680g) bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and thighs (or 1 small whole chicken, about 3–4 lbs)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3–4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 8 ounces (225g) wide egg noodles
- ¼ cup (15g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup fresh spinach or kale, chopped
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt butter (or heat olive oil) over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and onion becomes translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Add Liquid and Chicken: Pour in the chicken broth and water. Add the chicken pieces (bone-in, skin-on), bay leaves, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and make sure chicken is mostly submerged in the liquid.
- Bring to Boil and Simmer: Increase heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F/74°C) and tender. During this time, occasionally skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface with a spoon or skimmer for clearer broth.
- Remove and Shred Chicken: Using tongs or a slotted spoon, carefully remove the cooked chicken pieces from the pot and transfer to a large bowl. Let cool for 5-10 minutes until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin and bones. Using two forks, shred the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Remove Herbs: Fish out and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the soup—they’ve done their job!
- Cook the Noodles: Bring the soup back to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions (usually 6-8 minutes) until tender but still slightly firm (al dente). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If adding peas or other quick-cooking vegetables, add them during the last 3 minutes of noodle cooking.
- Return Chicken to Soup: Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Stir to combine and heat through for 2-3 minutes.
- Final Seasoning: Remove pot from heat. Stir in fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice if using. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning generously with additional salt and pepper as needed—chicken soup needs good seasoning to shine! The broth should taste vibrant and well-seasoned.
- Serve: Ladle hot soup into bowls. Garnish with extra fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately while hot with crusty bread, crackers, or a simple side salad.
Notes
- Using Rotisserie Chicken: For a quicker version, skip cooking chicken and use 3-4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken. Add it in step 7 just to warm through.
- Cooking Noodles Separately: For meal prep or if serving over several days, cook noodles separately and add them to individual bowls when serving. This prevents them from absorbing all the broth and becoming mushy.
- Broth Richness: For even richer broth, use all chicken stock instead of stock + water, or add a Parmesan rind during simmering.
- Noodle Substitutions: Any pasta works—rotini, shells, spaghetti broken into pieces, or rice noodles for gluten-free.
- Storage: Store soup and noodles separately if possible. Noodles will absorb liquid over time.
- Freezing: Freeze soup without noodles for best results. Add freshly cooked noodles when reheating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1½ cups)
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 95mg