Chicken Noodle Soup
Posted Jan 16, 2021, Updated Mar 14, 2024
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This is the best homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe ever! This easy chicken noodle soup is flavorful, hearty, healthy and it’s made in one pot in under an hour! Follow our step-by-step instructions & watch the video to learn how to make chicken noodle soup!
Soup season is here! And on a busy weeknight when I want a cozy, healthy meal – or when we’re feeling under the weather – I make our favorite Chicken Noodle Soup (or this chicken rice soup or vegetable soup)!
This easy chicken noodle soup is flavorful, hearty, healthy and it’s made in one pot in under an hour! You’ll say, “goodbye” to canned soups forever once you make this homemade chicken noodle soup!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive Oil. Any neutral oil works well in this chicken noodle soup. Suggested substitutes are avocado oil, canola oil, and butter.
- Onion. Yellow, white, red, sweet, any onion variety works well in this recipe.
- Minced Garlic. Garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic, add it with the broth.
- Chicken Broth. Homemade or store-bought chicken broth works well in this recipe.
- Better than Bouillon. This is the secret ingredient in my chicken soup recipes. You can use a different chicken base, but I have had the best results with this brand.
- Raw Chicken Breasts. If you have precooked, leftover chicken you can use that instead. Just make the soup according to the instructions and add the chicken once the noodles are cooked.
- Fresh thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. You can use dried spices, however I don’t recommend it. Fresh is best.
- Egg noodles. Any noodles work well in this chicken noodle soup recipe, egg noodles are our favorite – but rotini, macaroni, wheels, etc. are all great choices.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup
This best chicken noodle soup recipe is easy to make in one pot in less than an hour. As always, we’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video!
Begin by cooking the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and garlic in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until onions are translucent.
Once vegetables are cooked, add the chicken broth and better than bouillon to the stockpot and whisk to combine.
Next, add the chicken breasts, parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaves salt, pepper to the stockpot and stir to combine. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. After it reaches a boil reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 45 minutes, covered.
Once the chicken is cooked and can easily be shredded with a fork, remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Then, remove the chicken from pot and transfer it to a large bowl or cutting board to shred. Return the shredded chicken to the stockpot.
Once the shredded chicken is returned to the pot, bring the mixture to a boil and add the noodles. Boil for 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked.
Serve
Serve this homemade chicken noodle soup with your favorite crusty bread, like this no-knead bread, pretzel bread or the best homemade dinner rolls. Or make these easy homemade biscuits!
Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Freeze
Let the chicken noodle soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly, airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat
Remove frozen chicken noodle soup from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight, or on the counter (faster). You can also let it thaw slightly then transfer the mostly-frozen soup to a pot and thaw it over low heat, stirring often.
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe FAQs
Chicken noodle soup contains carbohydrates, protein and vegetables all of which are imperative to giving you the energy to fight off illness. The salt in the soup also helps balance your electrolytes and hydrate your body.
Yes. This recipe calls for raw chicken to be cooked with the rest of the ingredients.
We usually stick to the classics: celery, onion and carrots. You can really add any vegetable you’d like such as broccoli, peas, corn, zucchini, bell peppers, etc.
The classic choice is egg noodles, however you can use any pasta or even rice as the starch in chicken noodle soup.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion (diced)
- 1 cup carrots (peeled & diced)
- 1 cup celery (finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 quarts chicken broth (8 cups)
- 1 Tablespoon chicken base (better than bouillon recommended)
- 2 Pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
- 4 cups egg noodles
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, combine olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add chicken broth and better than bouillon to the stockpot and whisk to combine.
- Add chicken breasts, parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaves salt, pepper and stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a boil.
- After it reaches a boil reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 45 minutes, or until chicken is fork-tender.
- Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
- Remove chicken from pot and shred, return it back to the pot.
- Bring mixture to a boil and add noodles.
- Boil for 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked.
- Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Olive Oil. Any neutral oil works well in this chicken noodle soup. Suggested substitutes are avocado oil, canola oil, and butter.
- Onion. Yellow, white, red, sweet, any onion variety works well in this recipe.
- Minced Garlic. Garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic, just add it with the broth.
- Chicken Broth. Homemade or store-bought chicken broth works well in this recipe.
- Better than Bouillon. This is my secret ingredient in my soup recipes. You can use a different chicken base, but I have had the best results with this brand.
- Raw Chicken Breasts. If you have precooked, leftover chicken you can use that instead. Just make the soup according to the instructions and add the chicken once the noodles are cooked.
- Fresh thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. You can use dried spices, however I don’t recommend it. Fresh is best.
- Egg noodles. Any noodles work well in this chicken noodle soup recipe, egg noodles are our favorite – but rotini, macaroni, wheels, etc. are all great choices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tripled this recipe last weekend for a big family reunion and everyone went crazy over how delicious the soup was. I confess I added a little cayenne pepper since my family likes things with a little kick and it turned out great. Many said it was the best soup they have ever had. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe!