Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade chicken noodle soup for the soul is super easy and flavorful. Make it from scratch, full of love and comfort, and loaded with chunks of tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and perfectly al dente egg noodles. Hearty, healthy, and effortless!
This homemade chicken noodle soup is an excellent home remedy for a good reason. I had been under the weather for three days. But instead of resorting to over-the-counter medicines, I decided to go with natural remedies like a warm lemon and ginger tea (which I learned from my mom) and hearty bowls of soup.
When I made this chicken noodle soup, just the wonderful aromas filling my kitchen made me feel better. And because I know my son and I share everything, I made a double batch to nourish him, too.
The Versatility of Homemade Chicken Soup
What I love most about the majority of soup recipes is how versatile they are. If I see vegetables in the fridge getting ready to go south, I throw them in a big pot, add the broth, and choose my seasonings. Add your choice of protein, simmer, and enjoy. For this soup, I obviously used chicken and noodles.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup at Home
- Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf, thyme, Italian seasoning, white pepper, and paprika for 2-3 minutes or until onions wilt. (Photo 1)
- Add the chicken and bouillon (if using) and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the carrots and broth, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. (Photos 2-3)
- Transfer the chicken to a plate, let it cool enough to remove the meat from the bones, shred the meat, and save the bones to make stock later. Deglaze the pan with a cup of broth. (Photo 4)
- Add the noodles, shredded chicken, and water to cover (if needed). Simmer for 6-8 minutes or until the noodles are al dente. (Photos 5-7)
- Serve – Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy hot. (Photo 8)
Tips and Notes
- Dark meat with the bones provides a stronger flavor than white meat, like chicken breast. But it still makes good soup if that’s what you use.
- Save the bones for stock for more waste-free cooking.
- Feel free to add more herbs, like basil, rosemary, and oregano.
- Aside from celery and carrots, you can toss in broccoli florets, green beans, pumpkin, spinach, and even corn kernels.
- I prefer egg noodles for this soup, but angel hair, spaghetti, penne, or other pasta works fine.
- For a spicy kick, add ¼ teaspoon of crushed red chili pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce.
- Garlic bread and a refreshing salad are perfect pairings for any soup.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can make this soup ahead and freeze it in meal-sized packages. It lasts fine in the fridge for 4-5 days.
More Soul-Satisfying Soup Recipes
This blog post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated with additional tips and delicious photos.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1 cup (110g) sliced celery (2 large or 3 medium stalks)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons (4g) minced thyme
- 1 teaspoon (3g) Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon (3g) white pepper (or black pepper)
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) paprika
- 4-5 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin removed)
- 1-2 teaspoons (4-8g) chicken bouillon (optional)
- 1½ cups (360g) diced carrots
- 6 cups (1.5l) chicken broth
- 6 ounces (170g) egg noodles
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium. Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf, thyme, Italian seasoning, white pepper, and paprika for 2-3 minutes or until onions wilt.
- Add the chicken thighs and bouillon. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the carrots and broth, and add enough to cover the chicken if necessary.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, let it cool enough to remove the meat from the bones, shred the meat, and save the bones to make stock later.
- Deglaze the pot with a cup of broth, and stir to scrape all those delicious bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the noodles and shredded chicken to the soup. Add water to cover if needed. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until the noodles are al dente.
- Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy hot.
Tips & Notes:
- Save time with leftover baked or rotisserie chicken.
- Add shiitake mushrooms for more healing nutrition.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
This was AMAZING! I can’t stop eating it thank you so much for this recipe, I’m not adding it to my list of staples.
Awesome!!! Thank you so much.
Really yummy & easy
Thanks, Haley. So happy to hear that.
I followed this recipe for the most part, just adding more or less of the ingredients as I liked, and this soup turned out DELICIOUS. I forgot how to make this dish and you brought it back to life. Thank you for this recipe, it’s wonderful!
Aww, glad to know it helped you remember your comfort food recipe. 🙂
I’d like to add more vegetables. What would you recommend? I’ve used quite a few of your recipes and love your use of seasonings.
Hi Diane,
I love adding a bag of frozen veggies. Just about any veg goes great. Please let me know what you added.
Hello! I have made at least 10 ofyour recipes and I absolutely adore all of them! I am Pakistani and can appreciate how you use these spices and the attention to detail. So excited to try more!
Best!
Sadaf Ahmad
Hi, Sadaf! Thank you for trying them out and for your lovely feedback. Can’t wait for you to try the rest. Enjoy!
Hi Imma!
Been following your recipes for years now, and always revert to them for some trusty doughnut or puff puff (and more)!
I am embarking on a meal prep trial, and on the hunt for soups (winter fuel!). I would love to try out your chicken noodle soup (I love chicken noodle soup!) but was wondering if you could suggest substitutions I could make to lower the calorific value.
Same question goes for delicious looking Vegetable Beef Soup!
Thank you!
For this recipe, I would cut back on the noodles and chicken. Also for the chicken go with chicken breast. And for the vegetable beef soup cut back on the beef and use cooking spray to slightly brown the chicken.
Thank for this recipe. It’s delicious. Made this as my daughter was finding it hard to swallow food while suffering from fever/flu. I blended it up for her and she loves it and so did everyone else who had it as it was.
Thanks for the feedback Francine. Hope your daughter gets to feel better soon!
Hi Imma,
I love your recipes, and look forward to receiving a new email with a new recipe to try! I am going to make your chicken noodle soup this weekend, but was wondering if you could suggest something to help bring out the flavor of chicken breasts if I use those instead of thigh meat? I am just not a fan of chicken thighs. Thanks!
Hi Jill,
Bone in breast would do just fine. Thank you so much for your kind words.