Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This warm favorite includes all your favorites and only takes 30 minutes to prepare.

• Servings 6 to 8
• Yields approximately 10 cups
• Preparation 15 minutes
• Cooking Time 25 to 30 minutes

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Chicken noodle soup provides ultimate comfort. I have prepared this traditional soup in many ways:
This straightforward stovetop technique is my go-to method. It features all the traditional elements of chicken noodle soup: a vibrant, flavorful broth, moist chicken pieces, chunky vegetables, and soft egg noodles. Most importantly, the initial preparation is easy, and the soup is ready in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup

Pre-cooked chicken.

Using rotisserie chicken makes preparing chicken noodle soup quick and effortless while guaranteeing that the chicken remains tasty, juicy, and tender without becoming dry or overcooked.

Butter or olive oil.

Including butter adds a delightful richness to the soup, but if you want to keep it dairy-free, olive oil is an excellent alternative.

Vegetables.

Yellow onion, carrots, and celery infuse the broth with flavor.

Chicken broth.

Using a couple of cartons of low-sodium chicken broth is a quick and easy option, though if you feel adventurous, you might try making your own chicken stock.

Wide egg noodles.

For simplicity and fewer dishes, the egg noodles cook right in the soup, enhancing the flavor. Fresh parsley or dill. Chopped herbs added at the end of cooking help keep the soup tasting fresh and add a splash of color.

Lemon.

Squeezing some lemon juice after removing the pot from the heat is optional, but I find it essential. A touch of acidity brightens the soup and increases the comfort factor.

How Can I Enhance the Flavor of Chicken Soup?

• You can infuse a lot of flavor into chicken soup during the cooking stages, from the start until the soup is ready to serve.
• Starting by sautéing fragrant vegetables, like onion, carrot, and celery, and then simmering them in the broth enhances the taste. Adding fresh thyme sprigs and dried bay leaves also contributes to the flavor.
• Seasoning the soup with salt and pepper early allows flavors to deepen as it cooks.
• Fresh herbs like parsley or dill, combined with lemon juice, offer an excellent flavor enhancement. These additional ingredients maintain the soup’s freshness, and the lemon’s acidity balances the savory broth.
• At the end of cooking, taste the soup. If it seems a bit bland, more salt or lemon juice can improve it.

Tips for Making Chicken Noodle Soup

Chop the vegetables into larger chunks. Keeping them thick ensures they remain tender without becoming mushy, maintaining their vibrant color.
Cook the noodles separately if you aren’t consuming all the soup at once.
This is important because the noodles will soak up more broth the longer they sit in the soup, which will make them mushy over time. In my experience, certain egg noodles can maintain their firmness, but most end up being a soggy mess and break apart easily.
Add any leftover meat from the rotisserie chicken. Depending on how big the chicken is, you may notice that even after taking the meat you want, there’s still some left. Feel free to include it in the soup unless you have another recipe in mind for the extra chicken, like preparing chicken salad.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 25 to 30 minutes
Makes about 10 cups
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 medium carrots
• 3 medium stalks celery
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cartons low-sodium chicken broth (around 8 cups)
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) rotisserie chicken, or about 1 pound of cooked, boneless chicken
• 6 ounces dried extra-wide egg noodles (approximately 3 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 medium bunch of fresh parsley or dill
• 1/2 large lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Get the following ingredients ready, placing each one into a large bowl as you finish preparing it: Chop 1 large onion (around 2 cups). Peel and slice 3 medium carrots into 1/2-inch thick rounds (about 1 3/4 cups). Slice 3 medium celery stalks into 1/2-inch thick pieces (around 1 1/4 cups). Mince 3 garlic cloves.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter or warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, 2 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion looks clear, which takes about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in 2 (32-ounce) cartons of low-sodium chicken broth, add in 5 sprigs of fresh thyme and 2 dried bay leaves. Raise the heat to medium-high and wait for it to boil. In the meantime, use 2 forks to break down the meat from 1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) rotisserie chicken or 1 pound of cooked, boneless chicken into small pieces (about 3 cups).
4. Stir in the chicken along with 6 ounces of dried extra-wide egg noodles into the soup. Lower the heat to keep a gentle simmer and cook the noodles until they are almost al dente, which takes around 6 to 7 minutes or 1 minute shorter than what the package suggests. At this time, finely chop the leaves and soft stems from 1/2 medium bunch of fresh parsley or dill until you have around 1/4 cup.
5. Take out and throw away the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste the soup and add more kosher salt if it needs it. Mix in the chopped parsley or dill. If desired, squeeze juice from 1/2 large lemon until you have about 2 tablespoons. Put it into the soup and stir well.

Recipe Notes

General Advice:

If you do not plan to eat right away, cook the egg noodles for one minute less than the time suggested on the package for a firmer texture. Combine with the soup when you are ready to serve.

Storage:

Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator within a sealed container for no more than 4 days.

Nutritional Information

• Calories 378
• Fat 21. 2 g (32. 6%)
• Saturated 7. 0 g (35. 1%)
• Carbohydrates 20. 2 g (6. 7%)
• Fiber 2. 4 g (9. 5%)
• Sugars 2. 9 g
• Protein 27. 7 g (55. 3%)
• Sodium 769. 6 mg (32. 1%).