Every spoonful is filled with fresh veggies, juicy chicken, hearty pasta and wrapped up in a warm silky broth. Chicken Noodle Soup is an easy way to get a healthy and delicious meal on the table quick. Which makes it perfect for busy families, especially on hectic weeknights!
Homey, cozy, and soothing this soup seems to be an easy cure-all for anything and everything that may ail you. I love making up a big pot of this feel-good soup, anytime someone is in need of a little extra comfort.
There is nothing quite like a delicious bowl of chicken soup when feeling blue. It really is perfect for those sick days and cold nights.
And if you love Chicken Noodle Soup then you have got to try these other favorite easy meals. Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, EASY Chicken Pot Pie or Southwestern Tamale Pie are sure to all become quick family favorites!
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🥘 Ingredients
Full of traditional classic flavors without the hours and hours of work, this easy homemade soup is a real winner!
Just wait, your days of purchasing canned chicken noodle soup are over. The next time you have a hankering for a bowl of yummy, comforting soup, this recipe will be right here waiting for you.
- Chopped Vegetables - traditional vegetables include celery, carrots, onion but we also enjoy adding potatoes and corn to our soup
- Minced Garlic
- Chicken Stock - using a pre-made stock is one of those things that helps to shave off serious prep time
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Shredded Chicken - using precooked shredded chicken is another way to save HUGE amounts of time
- Uncooked Pasta - any pasta will do, wide egg noodles are a traditional go-to, but if looking for a really delicious option you absolutely need to make up a batch of our homemade egg noodles to add
- Seasonings - we stick with pretty traditional flavors and use salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme and oregano
🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare Vegetables
Dice up all the veggies and chop the potato. I prefer smaller pieces as they cook faster and get way more tender. Plus, then you don't end up with a huge mouth full of celery.
Another tip or trick for making soup prep go even quicker, use a food processor to dice those veggies. This little kitchen gadget makes it so quick, so easy to get small chopped veggies ready quickly.
Saute Vegetables
Add butter to a large pot. When melted add onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Allow them to saute until onions are translucent.
Make Soup Broth
Add everything else to pot excluding the chicken and pasta. Once the potatoes are tender enough to bite through add the chicken and pasta.
Add Chicken and Pasta
Allow soup to cook. I usually let everything cook and come together for about 15 minutes or until the pasta reaches my desired tenderness.
(Be careful not to overcook the pasta it will get mushy.) Remove the bay leaves before serving.
We are all about getting dinner on the table faster and easier. When making homemade chicken noodle soup here is the trick!
Making Chicken Noodle Soup Fast
I HATE making chicken noodle soup with a whole chicken. I’ve done it before and it just takes soooooo much time. For years I avoided making chicken noodle soup.
I hated the process of cooking a whole chicken to create a stock and then having to pick the meat off of the bones. It’s messy and blah.
Plus, it also feels like the process quickly escalates from an easy and healthy quick dinner, to a whole blown kitchen event with lots of dirty dishes.
And honestly, I’m just not here for that level of commitment every time I want a bowl of soup.
So the real key to saving time is using cooked shredded chicken. With this recipe you can use a rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken from earlier in the week or canned chicken.
Really, whatever you have on hand ready to use up will work great!
Rotisserie Chicken
One advantage of using a rotisserie chicken is that it is a great way to get a good amount of dark meat. Which will add lots and lots of flavor to your soup!
And if pulling meat off the bones isn’t your thing, don't worry. Costco makes it even simpler. They sell already pulled chicken in pre-packaged bags.
So the next time you are at the store grab a bag of “hand pulled” rotisserie breast chicken. It’s right next to the whole rotisserie chickens and prepared deli meals at the back of the store.
I like to have a few in my freezer at all times.
Canned Chicken
If I do use canned chicken, it usually takes two large Costco sized cans or four of the smaller ones you'd pick up at the grocery store. And don't forget, rinsing canned chicken thoroughly before adding to soup is crucial.
If I am using canned chicken I like to add it a little sooner than if I was using a rotisserie chicken. Instead of waiting to add with the noodles I usually add it after the veggies are done sautéing.
📋 FAQ's
What can I add to chicken soup to give it flavor?
The key to getting even more flavor out of your soup is to start off by using a good quality chicken stock. Another tip is to be sure that you utilize all that dark meat.
Dark meat provides extra flavor and doesn’t overcook as easily as white meat, providing for a much yummier tender bite.
How do I spice up bland chicken noodle soup?
In addition to using a good stock and dark meat you do not want to underestimate the power of a little salt and pepper. With so many other great herbs and seasonings adding a little bit of salt and pepper will take the overall flavor a long way.
Just before serving be sure to give your soup a little taste. If needed add extra salt and pepper before serving. Choosing to use a homemade pasta over a store bought option is also sure to take your soup to the next level!
Should I boil noodles before adding to soup?
Noodles do not take long to cook. Because of this you do not want to add them too your soup too early. To ensure the right cook time on your pasta you handle your pasta in several ways.
- Cook your pasta to al dente and stir in just before serving. This method is really good when deciding to freeze any leftovers.
- Add dry pasta to the broth and allow it to cook with the soup until the desired tenderness is reached. Remove from heat and serve!
- If using homemade egg noodles be sure to adjust the cook time accordingly on if the pasta is fresh or dried. If fresh only cook pasta for 2-4 minutes.
Can you freeze soup?
If you are going to freeze any soup I suggest waiting to add the noodles until you reheat the broth. This will make sure that your pasta is cooked to perfection and does not become mushy when you reheat to enjoy later!
Then when you are ready to enjoy your chicken noodle soup down the road you will just need to pull it from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat it on the stovetop adding in your pasta and letting it cook until pasta reaches the tenderness you desire.
👩🏻🍳 Make it Your Own
- For an extra creamy, yet low fat / high protein variation try adding 24 ounces of cottage cheese. Add to soup just before adding the pasta. Stir cottage cheese into the soup until it begins to melt. Then proceed by adding your uncooked pasta and watch the cottage cheese disappear all together!
- Have a little extra time? Definitely make up a batch of fresh homemade pasta to add in place of store-bought pasta. Trust us, a little extra effort goes a long, long way with this!
- Want even more veggies? Add your favorite fresh or frozen vegetables like peas, bell peppers or broccoli.
- Finish off your soup by adding fresh chopped dill for some extra pizazz!
🍽 How to Serve
It is true, this soup is delicious all by itself. But if looking to add delicious toppings our go to is saltine crackers, croutons or french fried crispy onions. You can also serve soup alongside our favorite soft dinner rolls!
And of course, soup and salad always make for a classic pairing. If on the hunt for other soups recipes be sure to check out our list of the 7 Best Soup and Salad Recipes.
👪 Storing
Keep in mind that any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days or kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Wrapped up in a warm and silky broth every spoonful of this chicken soup is filled with fresh veggies, juicy chicken and hearty pasta.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 5 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 ¼ cups shredded carrots
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 large russet potato, skinned and cubed
- 1 can corn
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 96 ounces chicken stock
- 2 chicken bullion cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme ( ½ teaspoon if dried)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 16 ounces egg noodles
- 3 cups shredded chicken
Instructions
- Dice all vegetables into bite size pieces or smaller. Skin and chop potato into cubes. The smaller the pieces the faster the soup will cook.
- Add butter to a large pot on medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic to pot. Allow to sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add stock, bullion, lemon juice, bay leaves, seasonings, potatoes and corn to the pot. Simmer on medium-high heat until potatoes are tender to the bite, about 20 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken and uncooked egg noodles to the soup. Cook soup for an additional 10 minutes or until pasta reaches the desired level of tenderness.
- Taste test the soup and add additional salt if needed. Remove bay leaves from the pot and serve soup while hot.
Notes
- For a heartier soup you can choose to cut the carrots and celery into larger pieces. I just prefer a smaller bite so prefer to dice my veggies.
- Bullion cubes are technically optional. I like to add them with the broth as it does provide more flavor.
- If wanting to up your soup game try making this recipe with our favorite homemade egg noodles. So simple and easy but with HUGE returns! It's worth it, we promise.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 348Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 775mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 25g