This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is warm, cozy, comforting, and flavorful! This is the perfect recipe to make when you are sick, on a cold winter day, or when feeding the whole family. Kids love it! This 30-minute meal is a great way to add more vegetables to your diet. The broth is so savory, the chicken is tender, and the vegetables are tasty!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This chicken noodle soup is hearty and savory.
- It is a classic and timeless recipe.
- This whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes.
- This homemade soup is cozy and comforting.
- Everything is made in one pot. This makes clean-up quick and easy!
- It is a great remedy for sickness.
- Way better than store-bought Campbell's soup!
- This recipe is made with pantry staple ingredients and requires minimal prep time.
- This chicken soup is packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals.
- It is a nourishing and satisfying meal!
- Both kids and adults love this chicken soup.
- Check out this Chicken Orzo Soup for another family favorite dinner!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full chicken noodle soup recipe.
Olive oil helps cook the onion, carrots, and celery. Substitute with avocado oil if needed.
The onion, carrots, and celery add flavor and freshness. Dice the onion finely.
Garlic cloves add that classic garlicky flavor! If you do not have fresh garlic, use minced garlic or garlic powder.
Chicken broth adds nutrients and a savory flavor. Choose one that is made without added sugars or preservatives.
Use shredded or diced chicken. This is a great way to up leftover chicken!
The bay leaf and dried thyme add an earthy flavor.
Use whole-grain noodles. These are less processed than regular noodles.
Add in salt and pepper to suit your taste.
Lastly, garnish the soup with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Taste & Texture
Chicken noodle soup has many flavors and textures!
The chicken and veggies add a hearty and savory flavor. The chopped herbs add a touch of freshness.
The chicken is so tender and juicy. The veggies become soft and melt-in-your-mouth tasty!
How to Make
Step 1
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery to the pot. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Step 2
Add the minced garlic to the pot. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 3
Pour in the chicken broth. Add the cooked chicken, bay leaf, and dried thyme. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Step 4
In the meantime, cook the egg noodles separately according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Step 5
Once the soup has simmered, remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste.
Step 6
Next, divide the noodles among the serving bowls. Ladle the hot chicken soup over the noodles.
Step 7
Finally, garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve!
Expert Tips for Success
To extract maximum flavor, simmer the chicken and vegetables over low heat for an extended period. This slow cooking process allows the flavors to meld together, resulting in a rich and tasty broth. For this recipe, 15 to 20 minutes is great.
Do not overcook the noodles.
If you plan to have leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add them to each bowl when serving. Overcooked noodles can become mushy when stored in the soup.
Feel free to get creative with your choice of herbs and spices. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste.
Different Cooking Methods
- Instant Pot: For a quick option, add all the ingredients except the uncooked noodles into the Instant Pot. Seal the lid, and choose "soup" setting for 7 minutes. Once the timer goes off, manually release the pressure. Then stir in the uncooked noodles. Press sauté and cook until noodles are cooked, about 6 to 7 minutes. The result is a flavorful soup in a fraction of the time.
- Slow Cooker: Perfect for those busy days, the slow cooker method involves adding all the ingredients except the noodles and letting them simmer on low heat for 4 to 6 hours. Then, stir in the uncooked noodles and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Stovetop: The traditional stovetop method involves gently simmering the soup ingredients in a stockpot until everything is tender and the flavors have melded together.
How to Serve & Store
To serve, ladle the hot chicken noodle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley or a squeeze of lemon for an extra burst of freshness.
It pairs perfectly with crusty whole wheat biscuits or whole wheat crackers for a satisfying meal.
Refrigerate any leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
If you intend to freeze it, consider storing the soup without the noodles to maintain their texture.
Thaw and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave before adding fresh noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, this recipe is made with healthy ingredients and real foods.
The broth has electrolytes, potassium, and magnesium.
Use diced or shredded chicken for this soup recipe. Both work well. Feel free to use chicken thighs or chicken thighs.
Large Nonstick Skillet: This nonstick pan is large enough for this soup.
You May Also Enjoy
- Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta
- Easy Spaghetti
- Weeknight Tomato Basil Pasta
- Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
If you enjoyed this chicken noodle soup recipe, please leave a rating and comment! For more inspiration, check out my Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. For 5 free weekly meal plans and more free resources, sign up to receive my free newsletter! Check out these Dinner Recipes for more healthy and easy family dinner ideas.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 large carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (washed and chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup whole-grain noodles
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add the minced garlic to the pot. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Add the cooked chicken, bay leaf, and dried thyme. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- In the meantime, cook the egg noodles separately according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Once the soup has simmered, remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Next, divide the noodles among the serving bowls. Ladle the hot chicken soup over the noodles.
- Finally, garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve!
Notes
- This is a great way to use up leftover chicken!
- Allow the veggies to sauté until they begin to soften.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat, add leftovers to a pot over low-medium heat. Stir frequently, until the soup is warmed.
Enjoy this classic chicken noodle soup recipe!
Erin says
What is the best way to defrost the soup once frozen? Stovetop? Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Erin. If you know the day before that it is on your menu, pop it in the fridge to defrost. If it is a last minute thing, I usually defrost in the microwave. If you use the stovetop, use a lower heat setting because it is easy to burn. Hope that helps. ~Amy
Marsela says
So, I made the whole chicken, the broth, and the soup today for a family get together. Yum! Everyone loved it! Thanks!
Gary says
This chicken soup recipe is very close to one I use about every two weeks during the winter months. I make about 5 quarts at a time and freeze as needed. My go to veggies in the soup are carrots, celery, fennel (just the bulb), onion, garlic and frozen peas.
To really give the chicken broth some depth try the following (I know some of these items sound "out there" but try them):
Microplane fresh nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon or less to taste.
Crushed or ground whole coriander seeds, one teaspoon or more to taste.
Good squeeze of fresh lemon in the soup just before serving.
Fresh chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon added to soup just before serving.
Now you've got some serious chicken soup!
Noodles/pasta:
Make your own as it's really easy and they cook in two minutes.
100 grams flour or about one cup, one large egg, pinch of salt and small drizzle of olive oil. Mix. Roll out thin keeping both sides well floured on your counter or board. Roll thin dough up like a wrap and cut in 1/4" strips across. That's it....pasta machine makes this process much faster if you find you like making your own pasta often.
Kim says
Would you happen to have a recipe for a healthy version of Ramen Noodles? If not, perhaps a suggestion for a great tasting noodle substitute, we could figure out which spices to use. I assume these ramen noodles are fried and that would be why they aren't healthy...what's your opinion? My son just loves them, but I have stopped buying them for him.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kim. No, we don't have any such recipe. Jill
Erin says
This soup is delicious! Thank you, love your site :)
AutumnJo says
The stock and soup are amazing! Shared it with my facebook friends and it was a total hit with them too. This is my new go to soup on a chilly winter night. Thank you for always sharing fantastic recipes :)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=515828861783461&set=a.123677214331963.13283.123634807669537&type=1
Karen says
We first made the crockpot chicken, then the chicken stock, and have just finished round 1 of the soup...YUMMY. We have typically purchased chicken noodle soup from Whole Foods soup bar and thought we hit the jackpot on delicious tasting soup until now. I love it that we made everything from scratch and that I am eating natural soup with NO preservatives or additives. The broth is SO delicious and hearty. All we added was a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I used whole wheat pasta shells that required just a little more boiling. My only lesson learned is to chop the carrots, celery, and chicken into larger pieces than I did this time around. I think I went a little crazy and chopped everything too small. But that's the only thing I'd do differently. We love this soup and I can't imagine buying chicken soup anymore when it's this easy and tasty to make it ourselves. Thank you!
Christy says
Has anyone tries barley in the soup instead of noodles? I tried a little bit of brown rice but ended up mushy after being reheated once. But thought barley might work.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Christy. I make mine with brown rice (my husband is gluten free) and I just keep the rice separate and when I'm ready to eat the soup I add the rice to each individual serving. You might want to give that a try. Jill
Kim says
I just had one question - if the noodles are packaged, then how can they be clean? I've been looking high and low for a non-processed boxed noodle and can't find it!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kim. We still allow products with 5 ingredients or less under "our rules". Check out this brand of pasta here that we like...it's called BioNaturae...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/#other. Jill
Christie says
I have a question about freezing portions for another time. I bought the small canning jars, when you reference freezing portions of soup on this website in the jars, am I following the directions for canning or can I just slap a lid on it and put it in the freezer?
Lindsey says
I've wondered the same thing! Seems like a silly question, but what is the best way to put soup (or anything) in these glass jars? I tried just putting the lid on it but haven't opened it so dont know the result yet.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Lindsey. For the soup, we just freeze it, no canning. Jill
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Christie. For this soup, we're just referring to freezing the portions. Jill
Elizabeth says
Made this for the first time tonight. Never made homemade soup before so I was happy it turned out. Plus I was even able to cook the chicken and stock last night, then work today and put everything in a pot when I got home from work today.
Sarah says
Just a question about freezing this soup. Won't freezing it with the noodles make the noodles extremely soggy?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Sarah. I'm not sure it will make the noodles soggy as much as the noodles tend to absorb the liquid. Once you defrost it you could always add a little extra chicken stock if that were the case. Jill
Esther says
I really like my noodles al dente, so when I make this soup I'm going to leave the noodles separate and just ladle the soup over them for each serving. So when I freeze this, I'll just make separate noodles the day after I pull it out.
Jessie says
Wednesday I did your chicken in a crock pot whlie I was at work. After dinner, I threw everything back into the slowcooker with some garlic cloves, carrots, and celery and let the stock brew all night and Thursday during the day. Last night I drained all the yuck and made this soup! We added some matzo balls (not a fan!) and some chopped zuchinni from the garden.
All in all, a very easy and succesfull week of cooking! We had chicken for dinner Wed, chicken salad sandwiches for lunch Thursday and Chicken Noodle Matzo soup for dinner Thurs and again for lunch today.
AND now I have a freezer with quite a bit of frozen chicken noodle matzo soup!
Heading back to the recipe page to see what I'm going to do this weekend!
Andreea says
I follow exactly the recipes for chicken in the crock pot and the home made stock. Now I am doing the home made soup. I tried the stock and it's a little too spicy. What can I do for the soup to taste not so spicy so my 2picky kids to eat it?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Andreea. The only thing I could think of that might be spicy is the pepper - maybe just omit that? Unless it's another spice they do not like...you could always eliminate that. Jill
Ashlee says
Maybe it's the cayenne pepper from the "Crockpot Chicken" recipe if you're going from that recipe to the stock? I know I have to omit that because I have Ulcerative Colitis and can have NO spice in anything.
Tracy Newton says
Hi Lisa,
Just made your crock pot chicken and it was so delish! Making your crock pot stock now. So next of course will be your chicken soup. I was just looking it over to see what I would need and noticed something about Matzo balls however, I can't find the recipe on your site. Can you help me locate this please. Love your site! Thanks for all the work you do.
Tracy
100 Days of Real Food says
Glad you are enjoying the recipes! And yes you can add matzo balls, but I don't think I ever posted the exact recipe anywhere. Try searching online for a matzo ball recipe that uses crackers (and not a powdered packet) and then buy whole-wheat matzo crackers to make it. It's pretty simple...crushed crackers, eggs, salt and maybe a few other things. Good luck!
Rachel says
I'd like to see what recipe you use for the matzo balls. I tried one I found online and it was a total flop. Thanks for the stock and soup recipe though!
Christina says
@Vanessa, I had to do the same (add more water).
I had approx. 12 cups of stock from using your recipe (ps the Chicken was AWESOME!) but I still needed more water. We're a family of 6 so I really need to double this recipe.
vanessa says
I made it but I ended up needing a lot more stock, and I just added some water. I used an elbow macaroni though, and I added 1 onion. How would you substitute rice for the noodles? I love chicken, and rice soup but I'm not a very good cook ;)
Cecilia says
This was the best chicken soup I have ever had! My husband and I loved it. I made it with the chicken and chicken stock from the crock pot recipes. DELICIOUS! So easy. Thank you!! :)
Amanda says
Very delish! The only thing we wound up changing was that I had some herbs de Provence from Costco so I added it to the crockpot chicken , omitted the garlic powder since I didn't have any (the horror!) and b/c out of habit, added 1/4 cup of water. At the last moment, I just drizzled a touch of honey (yes, I am still working thru the sweet tooth)...with the stock, added the herb of Provence again and let her cook in the crockpot. For the soup, added loosely chopped onion and 2 potatoes and some rotini noodles. Kids and I gobbled it up! Too bad hubby is out of town so he can't enjoy...
Richard says
this may not be real food worthy, but I put a few drops of yellow food coloring in my homeade chicken broth and it looks beautiful!
You eat with your eyes first!
I LOVE your blog. Just finished "In Defense" and started "Omnivores Dilemma." I am trying to make small changes and your info is really helpful.
Thanks!
Richard
100 Days of Real Food says
I'm glad you are enjoying the recipes and blog...but I would definitely stay away from the food coloring (just because it is artificial!). You can buy natural food dyes online though.
Genny says
This was great! My 2 and 3.5 year old even ate the carrots and celery! Thank you! :)
Anthony_Rodriguez says
You're right! This chicken noodle soup is sublime. Especially with the homemade stock and the crock pot chicken. The condensed variety is a thing of my past.
Caitlin says
So delicious and easy!!! I am trying to lose weight so instead of noodles I made it with corn, peas, sweet potatoes and carrots, and then a dash of parsley and garlic. The mix of veggies really gave it something extra! Its more like...chicken and veggie soup, but still delicious!
Rosemary Evergreen says
What a coincidence! I happen to have stock going in the crockpot right at this moment. I follow the same method - roast the chicken one day and have some for dinner, then put the carcass in the crockpot with water and a little vinegar (I've read it draws out some calcium from the bones) overnight. In the morning, I strain the stock and put it back into the crockpot, along with any large pieces of meat that have come off the bones, and add the vegetables for soup. Dinner that night is nearly labor-free, a nice break after the chicken-roasting night. Here's my tortilla soup variation (yes, no actual tortillas in the ingredients!) for a change of pace from chicken noodle: http://rosemaryevergreen.blogspot.com/2010/03/tortilla-soup.html
Jen says
This might be a dumb question, but why do you need to boil the matzo balls in water rather than in the stock?
100 Days of Real Food says
There is no such thing as a dumb question when it comes to cooking! The matzo balls take on a lot of liquid when they cook so if you boil them in your stock you won't have enough stock left for soup! Not that I figured that out the hard way or anything :)
Carol says
This looks yummy! Can't wait to try it. I have a question about making my own chicken stock. I've always wanted to try it, but it sounds intimidating, but I'm going to try! You mentioned that the best way you've found it to make with leftovers from Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot recipe and that you make the stock with the leftover bones overnight. How do you do it overnight? Follow the chicken stock recipe and put it in the crock pot overnight instead of in a pot on stove?
100 Days of Real Food says
You will love homemade chicken stock! So we make the chicken in the crock pot in the afternoon and then for dinner we pull all the good meat off the chicken leaving everything else in the crock pot. Then after dinner I just fill up the crock pot with water, add the bay leaf, parsley, thyme, carrots, celery, & onion and then put it on low all night long. Then the next morning I strain the stock and either refrigerate or freeze it. Works great!
Jessica says
I'm a newbie to this blog and, well, cooking anything not in the microwave. So forgive the elementary question while I try to play catch up: when you freeze this, what kind of container do you put it in? How do you thaw it to serve?
Maggie says
I think, from what she's shown us of her freezer, they can be frozen in glass mason jars (not filled all the way to the top!).
As far as for how I defrost things: When I freeze pasta sauce in glass jars, I generally defrost it in the fridge the night before in the glass jar, then heat it up in a regular dish in the microwave or on the stove in a pan.
100 Days of Real Food says
Lately I've been freezing my soups in "freezer safe" jars (not filled to the top so there is room for the liquid to expand) and to thaw them I take out a jar the night before then just heat it up on the stove the next day. I hope that helps...and I am so thrilled that you are giving cooking a chance! It can be very rewarding :)
Deb says
This looks so yummy--perfect for the Fall weather. I will be trying a batch of this soup soon!
Jennifer says
we like to add lots of veggies to ours. anything that we have on hand! it's a good way to use fresh veggies that may not get used quick enough...
Ann-Marie says
Sounds just like mine, except I add peas, and a dash of Summer Savory to mine. YUMMY! Especially in this cool, damp weather. Awesome reminder.
Jen@FoodFamilyFitness says
I've been looking for a good chicken noodle soup, this one looks perfect! Can't wait to try it :)
Jocelyn Skelly says
After the rainy day we had, that looks like exactly what we need...and your recipe sounds just like mine! but those noodles are cool!
Amanda says
I had a great moment yesterday. Our family visited a local apple orchard, and I ordered an apple dumpling from the bakery. I adore apple-anything, so I was pretty excited about it, even though I knew it definitely wouldn't follow "real food" rules. Well, my first bite was so disappointing that I couldn't eat any more! I thought "I could make this myself SOOO much better!" The greatness in that thought was that since we've made the switch to real food, I've often complained often about making "everything" myself and how I still sometimes crave those treats. In that moment, I realized that I love real food so much better, I love making it myself, and I love knowing that I'm using the best (or at least much better) ingredients that will improve my family's health. I'm in for the long haul!
lilmrsmchenry says
I've had moments similar to that. For example, about a week ago I went out for the day and forgot my water bottle. The place I went had a drink machine with sodas and sports drinks. I decided to go with the sports drink and it tasted horrible. It was like I could almost taste the chemicals in it. Same with supermarket vs farmers market produce, the super market variety tasted like a watered down version of the fresh,local produce. I can honestly not see myself going back to my old way of eating.
Mimi says
I find your point to be especially true the few times we actually eat out. I always think I will appreciate a nite off from cooking, but then when my food comes it tastes like a tin can, chemicals or just like processed junk. So I pick at my dinner with visions of what we could have had if we hadn't gone out!! Real food is just toooo good!
Ashley says
I've had similar experiences "rewarding" myself for a job well done with a processed food only to be seriously disappointed. I just read this article http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/whats-really-in-your-food and it's just sickening what most companies put in food these days! 80-100 ingredients in things like a hamburger, sundae, and pot pie?! Absurd!
100 Days of Real Food says
I can relate...there are so many things I will only eat at home now b/c I know that's where it will taste best! :)
Patty Wilcox says
America's Test Kitchen has a recipe for a great stock that only takes an hour.
Machelle says
Is this the same recipe you freeze and send for lunch in the canning jars?
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, exactly. Except I did add the whole-wheat matzo balls to the batch you saw in the jars as well. My kids love this soup (and so do we!)
kellyj says
Lisa,
Where did you find the yummy whole wheat pasta in the photo. Those shells look delish!
100 Days of Real Food says
I am currently in love with those little pasta shells! I got them at Earth Fare of course...my favorite store. It is one of their store-brand organic whole-wheat pastas sold in a bag.
Sarah Wildhagen says
Try adding crushed or minced fresh garlic, one onion (chopped), and some dried or fresh parsley. It really adds to the flavor of homemade chicken noodle soup!
Jill Allen says
So true that once you make homemade stock you can't go back. It really is easy and so healthy and delicious.
Jenifer says
I made some just like this last week only I added some chopped onion. I can never go back!! This makes the BEST soup!!
Allison says
Yum, I just made a batch of homemade stock last night. It smells heavenly!