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!
Monique Callagy says
I have made this soup twice and we use small mason jars to freeze portions for lunch boxes (a great tip, btw, so thanks!). However, once the soup cools down, the pasta absorbs most of the chicken stock and there is very little liquid compared to the amount of pasta. I even tried cooking the pasta and veggies in a separate pot of water but no luck. Any ideas? Thanks!
shawn says
Hi Monique, I often just boil my noodles fresh because my kids like it better that way. You can boil a small amount of noodles the night before and add them as you are heating the soup up in the morning.
Amanda says
Another great recipe to add to the collection. Definitely the best way to use the chicken leftovers from the crock pot chicken recipe. Super easy and delicious made per the recipe.
Eileen Miller says
Thanks for your answers. I ended up making chicken rice soup with the stock. Put everything in the slow cooker in the am and it was ready for my family to eat at lunch. They were recovering from the stomach virus and it was easy for them to eat. It turned out delicious!
Eileen Miller says
I made the chicken in a crock pot yesterday and the stock overnight. I was surprised that it was darker than what I am used to. Is that normal?
Phyllis A says
Hi Eileen, just wanted to say mine turned out dark too...maybe it is the spice mixture? It tastes great...but definitely way darker than when I use the bones and skin from a deli rotisserie chicken.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. A darker, richer broth is perfectly normal for this recipe. :)
Pam says
I assume that the turkey stock that I made after our Christmas dinner will work as well? Also, on a different matter what would I use the turkey drippings for that I saved as well? We love soup!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Yes, turkey stock should work, too. You can use drippings for gravy or to add flavor to a stuffing or veggies, like green beans.
Jenn says
I just made this after making the chicken in a crock pot and homemade chicken stock recipes. So delicious! I will say that I did modify the recipe a tad, as I like my veggies tender is soup. I sauteed them, plus some parsnips and onion, in olive oil. Once they were tender, then I added the broth and some fresh chopped parsley. When it came to a boil, I added the noodles and chicken and simmered until the noodles were done. I have no doubt the recipe as is would have been wonderful, but I was worried that the carrots and celery would be too crispy for soup. :)
Andrea says
Cn you somehow convert this to crockpot? I'd like to make it while at work so I have an awesome, WARM dinner to come home to in this crazy polar vertex. :-)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Andrea. This might help as a reference point: http://www.chow.com/recipes/30868-slow-cooker-chicken-soup.
Courtney says
I'm printing this for the 4th or 5th or 10th time because I keep misplacing the recipe after I use it. You'd think I'd have it memorized by now! Yum!!
Vincent Reagan says
Hi Courtney. I'm glad you like this recipe! I think it's a great endorsement of the recipe itself! I can't figure out WHY you'd waste ink and paper printing the recipe when you could just save the recipe to your computer!? Good luck.
Vincent Reagan
BTW I'm the same guy who wants to buy an E-book Version of the cookbook!?!?
:-)
Courtney says
You're right! Our computer isn't in our kitchen and the iPad met an untimely demise. But, never fear, I now have a new Fire and the recipe is Pinned, so I'm good to go.
Marlys Stellingwerf says
The Chicken Noodle Soup is delicious. I don't know what happened! If I made it again, I will cut the vegetables in half. Also cut the noodles in half. Thanks for your reply.
Jeannette says
Hi There, I would like to make this soup with brown rice instead of noodles. Any suggestions on how to best make that work?
Should I cook the rice ahead of time and add it to the soup at the end or should I add the rice uncooked and let it simmer for 45 minutes? If I do the latter I am assuming I will need extra broth but not sure.
Thanks for your help! :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Jeannette. Yep, you can do it either way. You would need to add more broth or water because the rice will absorb the liquid. :)
Courtney says
I have often made this with pre-cooked brown rice.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. The soup does have plenty of noodle and veggies but should have still been soupy. I am not sure what might have gone wrong. Did it taste great? :)
Marlys Stellingwerf says
Please excuse my typos. I was in a hurry. Sorry! Marlys
Marlys Stellingwerf says
I made the Chicken Noodle Soup yesterday. Follow the recipe. I put in the Chivken Broth like the recipe plus noodles, carrots and celery.. I had way to many vegetables and noodles. I added six to eight mare cups of homemade brith and it still has to much bulk. What did I do wrong? It seems that the proportions are not correct!
Barbara says
I had the same problem! I had 5 extra cups of the stock but gave it to my friend. Luckily I had several quarts in my freezer, so I added a quart. Still simmering. I feel like maybe 3 cups of the elbows was too much?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. If you look at Lisa's soup, it is pretty heavy on the noodles. You can always just cut back on the amount. The same is true for the veggies. I tend to add even more veggies and use quinoa rather than noodles. It is very versatile.:)
Andrea says
I just made this soup using your stock recipe and it smells amazing while cooking and tastes amazing!
I hope to never buy canned or packaged soup again for my family!
Thank you!!!!
Dana @ 3BoysUnprocessed says
Those pretty noodles though!! :) Oh the little things that make me smile!
Jessica S. says
We made this tonight by request of my fiancé and it is AMAZING!! We used the homemade stock from the crockpot whole chicken that we made last week. The carrots we used were just picked from our garden about 30 minutes ago so that really put this recipe over the top! There's not one recipe we've tried from this website that is anything less than spectacular :)
Ashley says
Having the whole chicken tonight and I can't wait to try it. Up next the homemade stock followed by the soup. I was wondering though - would rice noodles (spiral) hold up ok in the soup (for my gluten sensitive daughter)? Thanks :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Ashley. I think rice noodles should work fine. I've made it with quinoa noodles quite successfully. ~Amy
Maureen Cooper says
I have made this recipe several times starting with chicken in the crockpot which leads to chicken stock in the crockpot which leads to the soup and it is just a fantastic dinner all the way around! A real lifesaver for moms everywhere. Or families in general!
karrie Shoffner Poston says
You free this with the noodles and the texture of the noodles is ok when thawed?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Karrie. Yep, its fine. I'm sure they are a little softer but have not noticed. ~Amy
Mel says
Good soup but very bland....
Also, this recipe calls for way too much pasta. I think next time I will only add 1.5 - 2 cups instead of 3.
Jamie says
Hi! I love this site so much but after making it quite a few times I am wondering if everyone else's stock ends up as fatty (greasy looking) as mine? The taste is amazing but I am just wondering if I am missing a step (like maybe skimming it at some point) or if this is just typical of this recipe. Either way, I will continue to make because it is a real crowd pleaser in my house :) Thank you so much for all you do!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. The fat adds a lot of good flavor but you can always skim some off if you choose. ~Amy
Tonya says
My family has been following your recipes and meal plans since the end of December. We are hooked! I made this soup yesterday and it was a hit. My husband hates chicken noodle soup, but he loved this recipe so much he had two servings. I made some slight modifications- I didn't have a whole chicken so I boiled organic chicken breasts in water with minced garlic. I used the water as the stock base and supplemented it with organic chicken stock. I also included chopped onion when I added the vegetables. The recipe was a success!
Seosaimhin (Sho-sa-veen/Josephine) says
I don't know if you get a lot of teenagers on this wonderful website or not, but I'm seventeen years old, and definitely going to make this for my boyfriend. I absolutely love this recipe and made it for the first time a few weeks ago. Please keep up the amazing work.
Slainte. :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. The soup should be fine in the fridge for 3 days or so. Just reheat the portion you need to a safe temperature. Here is more info from the experts: http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/turkey_leftovers.html. ~Amy
Alexia says
Hi, I have a question about the chicken broth, which I made and froze after my last slow cooker chicken. Today, I used the frozen broth to make your chicken noodle soup (which was so good by the way, thank you for this delicious recipe). Is it safe to keep the leftovers in the fridge for a few days, given the broth has been made, frozen, and now heated and used in the soup? Thank you :)
Ali says
My kids are asking for bowl after bowl of this soup. So simple, but the homeade stock is key. Delicious and easy. Thank you!
Jamie Dunson says
I used elbows and it came out ok.
Steve says
Is 5 minutes enough time for the vegetables to cook?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Steve. It is. But, you could add them a little sooner if you prefer them to be more soft. ~Amy
Petra Schwaberger says
Any type of grains are bad for you, whole grains are just a consumer blind fold, so we get tricked into believing we are actually eating a healthier version of grains...There are a lot of substitutes you can use instead of wholegrain. Also the bought pasta is quite processed...don't fall for it! Please educate yourself more on wholegrain products! Short blog i found online and I am sure there are more http://wellnessmama.com/575/how-grains-are-killing-you-slowly/
Julia says
I just made stock last night after roasting a chicken for dinner yesterday. I froze it in quart size bags to use later. Thank you so much for all of your great tips, recipes, and info. I love your site! :)
Shawna says
Can you give me a rough idea how many pounds (or cups of "penny" chopped) of baby carrots I would use in this recipe? I buy my organic baby carrots in 5 pound bags at Costco. Thank you!!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Shawna. Not sure about weight but the conversion I use for carrots to baby carrots is 6 baby carrots=1 medium carrot. So according to this recipe, you would need about 60 penny sliced baby carrots. Hope that helps. ~Amy
Winnie says
This looks so delicious! I love the idea of using the crockpot for the chicken. I believe nothing is more comforting that homemade chicken soup. I will give this a try this season. I make lots of chicken soup, and love trying new recipes! Thanks.
Jill S. says
Just made the whole thing - the whole chicken, followed by the overnight broth, and the soup (finally) today. It was fantastic! I froze 9 thermos sized portions for my daughter's lunches. Like another commenter, I didn't have enough broth at the end (and I measured exactly 9 cups to start.) I followed the recipe exactly. I ended up having to add one whole box of chicken broth to get enough liquid at the end. Any thoughts on why it used so much liquid? Otherwise I am very pleased and appreciate the recipes you post!
Joan says
The pasta absorbs the cooking liquid, so it's not going to have as much liquid at the end as what you started with.
Shelby says
Hello. I recently discovered your site and I LOVE IT! I am psyched to get my school lunches in even Bette reorder. Already reread the smoothie containers and cupcake holders as well as the glad containers. My question is about the chicken noodle soup. I have done the chicken in the crock pot before and made my own stock several times and it's amazing. But when you freeze kid portions of that for lunches do you freeze it with the noodles and all in the c.jar then reheat in the am? Just wondering how the noodles do with the freezing? Thanks and keep up your good work! Loving it.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Shelby. Yep,we freeze it all and the noodles hold up fine. ~Amy
Jessica P. says
Just made the soup and it was FANTASTIC!! My 6yr old who usually will only eat the broth of canned chicken noodle, gobbled this right up and didn't think twice!!the only problem I had was it seemed like my broth was a little low at the end. Not sure if I didn't have enough broth or a little too much noodles?? Any suggestions for next time?? Plus, I may add some chives next time. All in all, not too bad for my first ever chicken noodle soup and best of all, totally fresh!!
Amanda says
We made the crockpot chicken a week ago & the stock overnight to put in the freezer. Tonight was the chicken noodle soup & it was a big hit!! My husband had two large bowlfuls & the 4.5 year old liked it, too. Delicious! Thanks!
Kim says
Delicious! After serving crock pot chicken yesterday, I then made the stock and soup. My 7 and 4 yr old children were standing by the stove waiting to taste the soup! I added some pressed garlic and softened the carrots and celery in a bit of olive oil before adding them to the stock. My husband didn't even want me to freeze any, he wants it all now! It's a winner on a rainy spring day!
Laura says
One tip I have for chicken noodle soup - add a little turmeric. It gives it a certain something.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Stefanie. You could always freeze it and add it to your next batch. You could use it to flavor another dish, as well. ~Amy
Stefanie says
I made the whole chicken and then the overnight stock. I only have about a quart of stock. Now what?! I was going to make your soup, but obviously don't have enough stock for some reason.