Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is easy and delicious, and it comes together fast with leftover chicken or turkey. This classic recipe is perfect for chilly days, runny noses, and anyone who needs a bowl of comfort to cheer up.

Comforting Recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup

Even though it’s meant as comfort food for cold days and tough situations, I find myself making this Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe every time I have leftover rotisserie chicken. However, you don’t need leftover chicken to make it.

If you prefer to start with raw chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or any combination of chicken pieces, you can poach chicken in water until cooked through. If you’re using chicken with bones and skin, you’ll end up with maximum flavor while making a full-bodied homemade chicken stock at the same time. Bone-in chicken produces a gelatinous, flavorful broth that makes the best possible chicken soup recipe.

But not everyone has time to make bone broth, so that’s why this recipe gravitates towards leftover chicken. It’s great with turkey too, and Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup is my go-to after Thanksgiving when I’m using up the bird.

Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Chicken: Leftover chicken torn into bite-sized pieces works perfectly here, or you can poach a chicken (and make broth at the same time). Cooked turkey is delicious too.
• Best Broth for Chicken Noodle Soup: Homemade chicken broth is ideal or you can make broth with chicken bouillon. Better than Bouillon chicken base paste is my personal preference if I’m not using homemade broth.

How to make Chicken Noodle Soup

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add chopped onion, chopped carrots, and chopped celery stalks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in broth, chicken, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in pasta and cook until tender, about 5 minutes longer.

4. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Chicken Noodle Soup Tips and Variations

• Yield: This recipe makes about 16 cups of soup, enough for 8 servings, 2 cups each.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Pack into freezer-safe containers (a mason jar works well) leaving 1-inch headspace for expansion. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Slow cooker: This takes a lot longer than the stove-top, but I don’t mind if you don’t. Add the broth, chicken, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or LOW for 6 hours. Stir in the egg noodles and cook 15 minutes longer on HIGH until the egg noodles are tender.
• Aromatics: Enhance the flavor of your broth with garlic, fresh herbs (especially fresh dill), and more veggies. Halved ears of corn, diced tomatoes, spears of zucchini, and fresh mushrooms are all delicious ideas.
• Finishing touches: I love easy chicken noodle soup recipes finished with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Hot sauce is good too!
• Chicken Wild Rice Soup: Ready in just 40 minutes, this creamy soup recipe is crowd-pleasing and perfect for cozy dinners or parties.
• Chicken Tortilla Soup: Make Mexican Chicken Soup and garnish with crunchy tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

How to store Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Does Chicken Noodle Soup freeze well?

Pack into freezer-safe containers (a mason jar works well) leaving 1-inch headspace for expansion. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

By Meggan Hill

This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is easy and delicious, and it comes together fast with leftover chicken or turkey.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings (2 cups each)

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Calories 249

5 from 16 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• ▢ 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 carrot peeled and chopped
• ▢ 1 celery rib chopped
• ▢ 8 cups chicken broth (2 quarts, see note 2)
• ▢ 3 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (see note 1)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 8 ounces wide egg noodles
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ minced fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions 

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in broth, chicken, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in noodles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Chicken: Leftover chicken torn into bite-sized pieces works perfectly here, or you can poach a chicken (and make broth at the same time). Cooked turkey is delicious too.
2. Chicken broth: Homemade chicken broth is ideal or you can make broth with chicken bouillon. Better than Bouillon chicken base paste is my personal preference if I’m not using homemade broth.
3. Yield: This recipe makes about 16 c. of soup, enough for 8 servings, 2 c. each.
4. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
5. Slow Cooker: Add the broth, chicken, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, and thyme to the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or LOW for 6 hours. Stir in the egg noodles and cook 15 minutes longer on HIGH until the egg noodles are tender.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 cupsCalories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 18gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 921mgPotassium: 436mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1359IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg

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