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Literally the BEST chicken noodle soup, this has thick chicken chunks, sliced carrots, and celery, wide noodles. It soaks in a smooth chicken broth filled with flavorful seasonings and cooked to perfection. It’s the perfect warm and comforting soup for the winter!
Warm up to this savory soup this wintertime. If you love soup, here are your classic soup recipes to try some homemade tomato basil soup, broccoli cheese soup, or minestrone.
The BEST Chicken Noodle Soup
This is literally the BEST chicken noodle soup recipe EVER! The flavoring is absolutely incredible, and the ingredients are simple. Colder days are here and still ahead of us, and you know a good chicken noodle soup is going to be needed to get you through. This soup is perfect because it’s so hearty and filled with chunks of chicken, thick slices of vegetables, and all the flavor you can imagine with simple and easy ingredients.
Chicken noodle soup is made for those days when you are sick and just need some comfort food to fill you up and warm your core. When I make this soup, my entire family loves it, and I know that yours will too! Pair this soup with some homemade bread or rolls, and you will be all set! Trust me when I say that you will want to double this recipe to have more often than not this winter season.
Ingredients to Make Chicken Noodle Soup
This chicken noodle soup is just what you need this winter season. Everything is so simple to throw together and perfect for that leftover chicken! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient measurements.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is great for sautéing your vegetables and making sure that they don’t stick.
- Carrots: Slice these up up as thick as you prefer.
- Celery: You can cut these up into larger or smaller slices, depending on your preference. My kids always like all the vegetable chopped up into tiny pieces!
- Onion: Chop this onion up into pieces that are the same size so that it cooks evenly.
- Garlic Cloves: If you don’thave any fresh garlic cloves on hand then you can use minced garlic. ½ teaspoon equals about 1 clove of garlic.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme stems really add in a deep flavor to the broth.
- Salt and pepper: You only need a pinch to have these make an impact.
- Chicken broth: The chicken broth adds a lot of depth and flavor to the base of the soup.
- Egg noodles: Using egg noodles that are thick will help to soak up the broth when eating.
- Chicken: You can use leftover chicken that you have on hand. Or make it easy on yourself and grab a rotissarie chicken from the store and shred that up to put in this recipe!
- Parsley: The parsley pairs well with the thyme creating a very flavorful seasoning.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup comes together quickly and effortlessly with these few steps. Simply sauté your vegetables, add broth and noodles, then simmer with your leftover chicken- it is that simple! You will have a quick and easy dinner within 20 minutes.
- Sauté vegetables and seasonings: In a large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté until tender 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, fresh thyme, and salt and pepper and sauté for 1 minute more.
- Add broth and noodles: Pour in the chicken broth and egg noodles and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce to a simmer and let the noodles cook until al dente for about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken and simmer until ready to serve: Add in the chicken, and fresh parsley right before serving and continue to simmer until the chicken is heated throughout. Salt and pepper additionally to taste.
Variations to Try
I love my chicken noodle soup simple with just a few ingredients and flavorings. But here are more adventurous ways of making chicken noodle soup recipes! Substitute or add in to make this chicken noodle soup recipe your own.
- Oil: Instead of oil you can use butter to sauté the vegetables.
- Vegetables: Spinach, green beans, peas, zucchini, canned tomatoes, corn or even potatoes are some things to try.
- Seasoning: Try adding or substituting any herbs to fresh or dry.
- Meat: Leftover meat is always best and trying turkey, variations of chicken or shredded ham are always great.
- Broth: Switch out your chicken broth for turkey broth or bone broth for different variations.
- Noodles: Tortellini, bowtie pasta, small shell pasta or even spaghetti noodles are great to have if you don’t have egg noodles on hand.
Cooking Tips
This chicken noodle soup recipe is simple and easy to make. And then, what is even better is how quick and easy it all comes together and tastes AMAZING! With these simple-to-use tips, you will have one fantastic chicken noodle soup! You will have your family and friends asking for more because it is one of the BEST chicken noodle soup recipes out there.
- Cut vegetables ahead of time: To plan ahead, cut up your vegetables the night before or morning of before cooking. That way it just takes minutes to put everything in the pot.
- Larger slices: Avoid your vegetables from getting soft and mushy by cutting them larger if you plan to simmer or use a slow cooker.
- Use a slow cooker: Use a slow cooker for cooking your chicken noodle soup. Follow the recipe just leave out your noodles until ready to serve.
- For thicker soup: To thicken you soup, add a starch like flour or cornstarch. In a seperate bowl, add about one tablespoon mixed with water and then continue to add more depending on the thickness and consistency you are looking for. If you plan to thicken your soup don’t add the flour or cornstarch directly into the soup. It will clump up and won’t work to thicken the broth.
- Add more broth: As your noodles sit in the broth it will continue to absorb the broth and you will need to add more when warming up again.
How to Store Leftover Soup
I love to double my chicken noodle soup recipe to have for now and then stored in the freezer. It will be the one soup everyone is raving about this winter season! It makes it perfect for warming up on the cold winter days or when I know someone is not feeling well.
- In the refrigerator: Follow the recipe and let cool completely. Once your chicken noodle soup is cooled, place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. When reheating you may need to add in more broth.
- Can you make chicken noodle soup ahead of time? Yes! I love this recipe for that. Simply make and cook your chicken noodle soup. I like to leave out the noodles if I know I am making ahead of time. I even chop my vegetables thicken so they won’t be mushy or too soft while cooking for a longer period of time. This is a great way to make it in a slow cooker too.
- Can you freeze chicken noodle soup? Yes, this chicken noodle soup will freeze well. Follow the directions making the chicken noodle soup except skip adding in the noodles. Allow the chicken noodle soup to cool completely. Place in a ziplock bag and lay flat in the freezer. Make sure that you label the bag with the date! When ready to warm up then you can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat then you can reheat iton the stove or in the microwave and add in the noodles at this time. This will last in the freezer for about one month.
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Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large carrots sliced
- 4 celery stalks sliced
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme stems removed
- salt and pepper
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 12 ounce wide egg noodles
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté until tender 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 1 minute more.
- Pour in the chicken broth and egg noodles and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce to a simmer and let the noodles cook until al dente for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the chicken, and fresh parsley right before serving and continue to simmer until the chicken is heated throughout. Salt and pepper added to taste.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Serves: 8
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Made this tonight and ut was delicious! Will definitely make again.
Amazing!! Will definitely be repeating this one!!
If I plan on making this in the crock pot, do I add the egg noodles right away and let it simmer or should I throw those in a bit later?
Add the egg noodles at the very end.
This recipe is awesome! This is maybe the best soup I’ve ever made, and I’ll be making this one again for sure.
This is seriously the best chicken noodle soup. I used gluten free egg spirals and they were great! I cooked the chicken in a pan with butter a bit of fresh thyme and garlic and basted it until it was cooked and then shredded it with a hand mixer since it was hot and then put a bit of the chicken broth back in the pan the chicken was in and added the chicken and heated it up a tad bit to make it moist while the noodles were cooking. 100% reccomend!
My family really enjoyed this recipe. I especially love how hearty the soup is with the wide egg noodles. I did end up adding more chicken than called for and some additional garlic and poultry seasoning. Very good rewarmed the next day too!
I will pre cook my chicken and I like the idea of adding spinach. Great web site thanks
i like recipe best ever
This is a lovely recipe I love a chicken that why loved it.
Made this for dinner tonight. Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious!!! It’s now going to be a family fav! Thank u!
Great recipe! How do you make your corn starch slurry to thicken the soup and when should I add it? Thank you!
I take some of the broth and equal parts corn starch, shake very well in a mason jar with tight lid, then add to pot.
I’ve made soup like this before but I used chicken thighs n boiled them for my broth. Took them out and removed all the skin n bones and shredded and chopped up the meat and returned it back to pot. Then I added my noodles when it was all done I served it. But I used chervil in my soup and I think it gave it tons of flavor just wasn’t happy about how much salt I had to add.
I have been making this Chicken Noodle Soup for about 20 years, which I just through together one day. I add less herbs and add fresh spinach (long stems removed). Always delious. Is is also fantastic with tortellini.
If freezing under cook the pasta/egg noodles.
I normally add the chicken earlier and cook longer to release the flavors. I then cook the noodles separately.
For thickness without starch . Take some of the vegetables , put them in blender and add them to the soup. ( specially stuff some people don’t like , like garlic , onions, herbs tomatoes, potatoes , zucchini etc…) this makes the soup hearty without processed flours. My kids and guests love it.
just what I’m in the mood for, especially since my favorite little grocery is always out of their home-made version, so thank you
I’m REALLY bad at knowing how much salt to add to recipes. How much do you think I should use Alyssa? Thanks!! Really want to make this!
I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon or leave it out until the ending and add it when serving it if you are nervous about adding salt. Hope that you enjoy!
I have a question…I don’t like the flavor of rotisserie chicken. I’m wondering how you would recommend cooking the chicken needed to add to the soup. Should I bake it or can I boil it in the broth? Any advice would be so helpful. Thanks!
Hi
You can poach chicken thighs for 10 minutes in the chicken stock your using for the soup.
Cheers Roz
If I don’t have any leftover cooked chicken, I just cook fresh chicken pieces in the broth with the vegetables. Once cooked, I then de-bone larger pieces or just leave smaller pieces as they are – the chicken literally falls off the bone anyway, and tastes much nicer cooked from scratch.
I bake mine pull the mea.t Take the skin and bones boil them and make stock. Skim fat. Reduce down and add back to soup. Add meat to soup.
What I usually do is use a couple of nice chicken breasts, place them in a round pie dish, season them with salt and pepper to taste, a little garlic powder and onion powder. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your breasts and then shred them. Vthen you can add them to your soup.
Hi Heather,
There’s many ways to handle the chicken, I would suggest simply steam boiling it along with some onions, green bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Then shredding it. The steam boil would be just enough water to nearly cover it along with the vegetables and seasonings. This will make the chicken flavorful but not over powering.
I boil it in chicken broth for about 45 min on med. Then shred the chicken in the stock. Ad more chicken as you see fit. I usually used a box for the boiling and another box to add the the chicken and veggies for the soup.
I boil a whole chicken until tender. Debone and remove skin. I use the broth it made along with pkg broth.
I usually add the chicken earlier and cook longer to release the flavors. I then cook the noodles separate
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