Savory, homemade chicken noodle soup is the best way to warm up on a chilly night! You can’t go wrong with simple seasonings, fresh mirepoix veggies, shredded chicken and big egg noodles. It’s a cozy, flavorful combo that can’t be beat.
This easy, healthy recipe is perfect on a busy weeknight because you can get it on the table in just 45 minutes. Plus, leftovers make for an easy lunch the next day.
If you’re looking for more chicken soup recipes, I’ve got you covered! Be sure to check out my Instant Pot Southwest Chicken Soup, Chicken Vegetable Soup or this incredible Sweet Potato Chicken Soup.
I typically think of chicken noodle soup as a main course, but it also makes a really great side. Serve it with any hot sandwich or grilled panini! It also goes great alongside Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or Broccoli And Cauliflower Casserole.
How To Make Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs — Chicken breast meat will also work, though thighs tend to have more fat which adds extra flavor to your soup.
- Salt and ground black pepper — Simple and classic seasonings. Feel free to add others if you’re feeling inspired.
- Extra virgin olive oil — Avocado, coconut or vegetable oil can be substituted.
- Chicken broth — Vegetable broth also works well in this recipe.
- Fresh vegetables — White onion, carrots and celery.
- Bay leaf — This herb adds extra flavor to your broth, remove it before serving.
- Spiraled egg noodles — Straight, fettuccine style egg noodles/pasta will also work.
- Chives — Fresh chopped chives add fantastic flavor to this soup. Sprinkle extra on top before serving, if desired. You can also use fresh parsley or dill. You can add some extra spinach if you prefer too.
Instructions
Season and sear chicken:
- Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Measure olive oil into a large stockpot or Dutch oven and place on medium-high heat.
- Once oil is shimmering, place chicken thighs in the pot (skin side down). Cook for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Mix in your diced onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Add broth and increase heat to high.
- Stir in chopped chives and bay leaf.
- Cover the pot and allow ingredients to come to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower heat and simmer mixture for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Shred chicken and cook noodles:
- Discard bay leaf and remove thighs from the pot.
- Place chicken on a cutting board and use forks to shred into small pieces. You can throw the chicken skin and bones away, or save them to make broth at a later time.
- Now bring your soup back to boiling and add egg noodles. Cook, uncovered, until noodles soften. Last, add shredded chicken back to the pot and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Serve:
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- Add salt/pepper slowly and taste test until perfectly seasoned.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with more fresh chives. You can also crumble saltine crackers on top or provide a side of garlic bread for dipping, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Make this recipe even more quickly by buying pre-shredded or rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.
- You can also save time by purchasing a package of chopped mirepoix veggies in the produce section at many grocery stores.
- Dice onion, carrot and celery into very small, even pieces so that you get a little of each in every bite.
- Overcooking chicken can make it tough and more difficult to shred. Once you’ve added all ingredients and the soup comes to a boil, quickly lower heat to a gentle simmer and remove chicken as soon as it’s cooked through.
- Be careful not to overcook your egg noodles. They won’t take long to soften and can become mushy when boiled for too long.
- If you don’t have egg noodles you can substitute a different type.
- Be careful with the salt. Chicken broth already has sodium, so I recommend seasoning your soup once it’s done cooking. Add salt pinch by pinch, and taste test along the way until desired flavor is reached.
Chicken Noodle Soup Variations
Seasonings: Feel free to play around with herbs, seasonings and spices. Try adding some garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried rosemary or fresh thyme. You can also squeeze a little bit of lemon juice.
Add heat: If you like spicy food, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce. I know, hot sauce in chicken noodle soup sounds weird but it’s actually super tasty!
Protein: Shred up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey and use it as a substitute for chicken in this recipe.
Veggies: Add more vegetables to your soup. Think green beans, green peas, cabbage, kale or even mushrooms.
Make it creamy: Stir in a splash of half-and-half or heavy cream.
How To Store Leftovers
- Allow leftovers to cool completely and transfer them to an airtight food-storage container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- I don’t really recommend freezing this soup as the noodles will not maintain good taste or texture once thawed. What you can do is make chicken soup without noodles and freeze it for up to 6 months! Then, remove from the freezer, reheat in a pot on the stovetop and add noodles once boiling.
More Soup & Stew Recipes
- Healthy Meatball Soup
- Zucchini Noodle Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Brazilian Fish Stew
- Ground Turkey White Bean Kale Soup
- 30 Healthy Soup Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Mirepoix is typically made of diced onion, carrots and celery. These veggies are commonly used to create a flavorful base for lots of different soups and sauces.
A bit more salt and freshly ground pepper will add a lot of flavor! You can also add other seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder or a dash of paprika. If you like spicy food, try adding a little hot sauce.
Egg noodles are most common in chicken soup. However, almost any type will work and taste great.
There is no need to cook your noodles before adding them to this soup because they’ll cook quickly in the simmering broth.
Watch the Chicken Noodles Soup Web Stories.
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Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skin-on bone-in chicken thighs trimmed of excess skin or fat
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chives chopped
- 5 ounces 3 cups wide egg noodles
Instructions
- First, season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs to the pot, skin-side down, and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until browned.
- Add diced onion, carrots and celery to the same pot. Mix vegetables together with the chicken and sauté 3-5 minutes.
- Add broth and increase heat to high. Stir in chopped chives and bay leaf, then cover the pot and bring ingredients to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat down to low and simmer mixture for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.
- Discard the bay leaf and remove chicken from the pot using tongs. Place it on a cutting board. Then, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Discard the skin and bones or save them to make chicken broth at a later time.
- Bring the soup back to a boil over medium-high heat and add the egg noodles. Cook, uncovered, until noodles are al dente or according to your taste. Note that the noodles will continue to cook for a few minutes while you warm the chicken.
- Add shredded chicken back to the soup and cook over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, add some chopped chives and serve warm.
Tips
- Save time by using pre-shredded or rotisserie chicken.
- Purchase a chopped mirepoix vegetable mix in the produce section to cut down on prep time.
- Chop veggies into small, even pieces.
- Avoid overcooking chicken as it can become tough.
- Egg noodles can get mushy if they boil for too long.
- You can use a different type of noodles if desired.
- Be careful with the salt. Go slow and taste test often.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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