Chicken Noodle Soup

Is there anything more comforting than cozying up with a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup? If there is, someone needs to let me know about it.

Whether you’re trying to warm up in cold weather, nurse a cold, or just need a food-based hug after a long day, chicken noodle soup is the answer. It’s a bowl of comfort with steamy goodness that magically melts away the day.

This version is an easy one that takes all of the work out of traditional chicken noodle soup. It takes minimal time to prepare so that you have all of the time to enjoy it.

If you’re looking for an incredible soup that you can eat all on your own, serve to your family, or take to a sick loved one, this can be your next go-to recipe. It might be the best chicken soup that you’ve had (outside of Mom’s, of course).

Common Questions about Chicken Noodle Soup

Is chicken noodle soup as healthy as people say it is?

Chicken noodle soup is, indeed, healthy. In addition to packing a protein punch, it also contains a number of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber and amino acids, all of which support your immune system.

How can I make my chicken soup better?

If you want to doctor up this chicken soup, or even a canned version, saute some herbs that you love in melted butter and then stir it into the soup. Not enough extra love? Add other spices, too.

What else can I add to my chicken soup to make it taste better?

There’s no shortage of options to add to chicken soup to make it a tasty concoction. Lemon juice will brighten it while adding Worcestershire or soy will add umami — test out your favorite flavor additions to find what works for you.

Making Chicken Noodle Soup Ahead of Time

If you’re planning to serve this soup to a crowd you can make the whole soup ahead of time, refrigerate, and then place it on the stove or in the slow cooker to warm.

Storage

This recipe makes a lot of soup so it’s fortunate that it stores well in the fridge or freezer. Leave out the noodles when you freeze it.

Refrigerator: Keep your soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cover it with a lid or keep it in an airtight container.

Freezing: Freeze chicken noodle soup (without the noodles included) for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Tips For The Best Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a simple recipe that’s a good starter recipe for chicken noodle soup. But you can do a few things to make it how you like.

• Use herbs and spices – Look beyond what we have crafted here and enjoy using other herbs that you enjoy. Marjoram, paprika, and oregano are all good potential additions.
• Wait to add the noodles – If you’re not serving the soup right away, wait to add the noodles or cook and store them separately. Pasta gets far too soft to be satisfying if it sits in liquid for too long.
• Use fresh herbs – You can definitely used dried varieties but if you want the most flavor in your soup use fresh herbs either from the grocery store or your garden.

Ingredients

What makes this a great recipe is that these ingredients are so simple and easy to source.

• Carrot (thickly sliced – either a large-sized or two medium carrots)
• Celery stalks (diced)
• Olive oil
• Garlic (minced)
• Medium onion
• Skinless chicken breast
• Chicken broth (or bone broth – you can use homemade chicken stock or store-bought)
• Dried or fresh thyme
• Ground black pepper
• Bay leaf
• Salt 
• Dry egg noodles
• Whole milk
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Cornstarch
• Parsley (for garnish, if desired)

Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need 

The best part of this recipe is that you can use just one large pot. There’s no need for a separate pot to cook the noodles.

• Large pan or pot
• Large spoon
• Knife
• Cutting board or plate
• Small bowl
• Fork

How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup

You’ll be able to make this chicken noodle soup so quickly with this easy and simple recipe.

1. Heat a large saucepan or pot drizzled with olive oil on medium-high heat.
2. Place the chopped onion, carrot, and celery into the pan and stir until the onions are tender.
3. Then, add the garlic.
4. When the garlic has become fragrant, add the chopped chicken breasts to the onion mixture.
5. Stir a bit until the chicken is beginning to cook on the outside.
6. Then, pour the broth, ground-dried thyme, pepper, bay leaves, and salt into the chicken mixture.
7. Allow the soup to come to a boil and then immediately turn the heat to medium-low.
8. Let the soup remain at a simmer until the chicken is completely cooked.
9. Turn the temperature to low heat and remove the chicken from the soup, transferring it to a plate or cutting board. 
10. Using a fork and knife, pull the cooked chicken so that it’s shredded. 
11. Once finished, return the shredded chicken to the pot. 
12. Next, add the pasta and allow it to cook for the time allotted on the package.
13. While the pasta is cooking, mix together the milk, parmesan, and cornstarch in a small bowl. 
14. When the pasta has reached the end of its cooking time and is al dente, add the cornstarch mixture to the soup.
15. Stir the soup continuously for several minutes.
16. When all ingredients are incorporated, taste the soup and adjust the salt level as needed.
17. Serve the soup immediately with fresh parsley on top (if desired) or let it cool before storing.

What to Serve With Chicken Noodle Soup

You can serve nearly anything with chicken noodle soup even though it’s that kind of comforting classic soup that warms from the inside all on its own. 

• Grilled cheese – Sure this might traditionally pair with tomato soup but it’s also an amazingly comforting meal to pair grilled cheese with homemade chicken noodle soup.
• Salad – Have a simple green salad alongside this simple soup. 
• Eggs – Have breakfast for dinner with scrambled eggs or an omelet or even make a quiche.
• Bread – Simply warm one of your favorite breads from a baguette to focaccia or ciabatta. Spread butter on it or just dip it into the soup.

Why You Should Make This Recipe

There are few reasons not to make a warm, comforting chicken noodle soup but here are a couple of reasons it’s a perfect recipe to make.

• Easy – There are no bones and such to make the broth. This is an uncomplicated way to get the flavors that you love in a homemade soup.
• Customizable – You can change it up and add different or more herbs or simmer it longer — the possibilities are endless to make this your favorite soup.
• Versatile – You can make this soup for the family or you can make it for just you and enjoy it as dinner or lunch throughout the week. You can also make it and freeze it to take to friends or family when you want.

Variations and Add-ins

You can make this warm bowl of comfort your own by adding to it or changing up any number of things in the recipe. 

• Herbs – Add any other fresh or dried herbs that you like from rosemary to sage or even fresh dill or fresh cilantro.
• Spices – Throw in spices like ginger or turmeric for even more healing qualities and flavors.
• Chicken – Instead of cooking the chicken in the broth you can save time by using rotisserie chicken. This way you can use the whole chicken, incorporating white and dark meat.
• Carrots – Instead of fresh carrots, use canned or frozen varieties to save time. 
• Garlic – If you don’t have fresh cloves of garlic handy, try using garlic powder.
• Slow cooker – You can add all of the ingredients (except the noodles) to a crock pot — start it in the morning and by evening you’ll be able to ladle out a bowl of chicken noodle soup that everyone in the whole family will love.
• Skinless chicken thighs – Instead of breasts, you can choose thighs. Throw them into the broth whole and when you pull them out briefly, remove the meat from the bones and return it to the soup.

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If you love this easy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, you’re going to love these other comfort foods too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

Other Soups

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Cabbage Roll Soup

Chicken and Mushroom Soup

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

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