Chicken Noodle Soup

Name: Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped; Salt and black pepper; 8 cups chicken stock; 2 bay leaves or thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme); 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or dill, stems reserved, plus more for garnish; 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 6 ounces dried noodles, such as egg noodles or short pasta; 3 cups shredded, cooked chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)

By Ali Slagle

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Total Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 4(1,379)
Notes: Read community notes

With carrots, celery, egg noodles and specks of green herbs, this homemade chicken noodle soup is classic and comforting, but instead of boiling a whole bird for hours, this quick and easy recipe calls for stock and cooked chicken, so it’s doable on a weeknight. Because the majority of the soup is the chicken stock, use one that’s sippable on its own, whether store-bought or homemade. Without noodles, the soup can be made and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months; add the noodles when reheating the soup. For chicken noodle soup using raw, bone-in chicken, try this recipe.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

2tablespoons unsalted butter
1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
8cups chicken stock
2bay leaves or thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
¼cup finely chopped parsley or dill, stems reserved, plus more for garnish
2medium carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces
2celery stalks, cut into ½-inch pieces
6ounces dried noodles, such as egg noodles or short pasta
3cups shredded, cooked chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 2
Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and herb stems and bring to a boil over high. Add the carrots, celery and noodles and cook, uncovered, over medium-high until the pasta is al dente according to package directions, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer just until warmed, 1 to 2 minutes. Pluck out the bay leaves and herb stems, stir in the chopped parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,379 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

jules7 months ago

I shred the rotisserie chicken as soon as I get home while it is warm. Toss the skin, juices, and carcass to simmer while prepping other ingredients. Usually crack big bones with a mallet and add tsp vinegar. Strain broth and decide what kind of soup today. Add appropriate vegetables and spices, Asian, Italian, Mexican. Shred breasts , add back when vegetables tender. Save dark meat for quesadillas and sandwiches. The 2 of us get at least 4 meals from a chicken $$$

Craig Burdick8 months ago

Took the chicken carcass, along with chopped carrots, celery and onion, along with two cartons of Walmart no salt broth and let it simmer for an hour. No fuss, but a serious upgrade in the flavor.

Jen7 months ago

Trader Joes has the best Organic Chicken broth that you can find. Not clear, watery, or salty. It is excellent.

Mark B8 months ago

I put the herb stems into a metal mesh tea ball, which made them easy to pluck out. This soup was delicious!

Bobbito7 months ago

I kind of made this. Onions, then celery and carrot? No way, add them together and Sautee together. Add about 2-5 cloves of garlic when sofrito is soft for a minute. When you add broth, deglaze/scrape the bottom. I also added mushrooms - fun fact, you do NOT need oil to cook them. Throw them on a pan, dry, and they'll give you a crazy umami flavor. So I added those as well. I added some crushed red pepper since capsaicin helps people get well faster when they're sick. I also like spice :)

Donna7 months ago

I boil the noodles separately and add with chicken at the end. Store leftovers separately as well. There’s nothing worse than leftover soup with gummy noodles that have been sitting in the broth.

Sheila8 months ago

A pinch of red pepper flakes gives it a nice zip!

Bluebird NYC7 months ago

I make chicken soup with a chicken. Real chicken soup is Easier than this recipe.

Lori7 months ago

And this soup is made with a real chicken too.

Athena617 months ago

Made a few modifications. Poached boneless skinless chicken thighs in chicken stock, strained it, and used the chicken stock in the soup. Cut fresh corn off the cob and added it to the soup along with the cooked chicken during the last few minutes of simmering. Add the cob to the soup along with the herbs, carrots, celery, and removed it at the same time as removing bay leaves, etc. Added a few tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice for brightness before serving.

Sandy G.4 months ago

When using celery in beef or chicken soup, don’t forget the leaves. Chop them up and include them for additional flavor.

Kate7 months ago

Homemade broth hack: Soup socks (can be found on Amazon). Stuff them with your broth ingredients and simply squeeze them out and discard when your done, life-changing.

Harriet7 months ago

Have been making this recipe with rotisserie chicken for years. I always add a good infusion of garlic along with all the veggies. Like another poster, I debone the chicken when I get home, save the meat for the soup, and cook the bones and skin in the chicken broth with the onions and garlic. Makes for a nice, deep flavor. I’m going to try the Trader Joe’s chicken stock. Thanks for that tip!

Steve7 months ago

I pressure cooked a half raw chicken with lots onions, veg and herbs and 12 cups water for 45 minutes. Had my own stock and shredded chicken at the same time. Loads of flavor.

pooch7 months ago

I don’t know, hard to swallow this shortcut.

shrey5 days ago

This is genuinely one of the best chicken noodle soups I have ever made. I think about it all the time. Definitely use good quality rotisserie chicken - makes such a difference in the flavor. I also added a bit more noodles as I preferred it as a thicker consistency.

carrie4 weeks ago

2 cartons of stock is 8 cups

Vail Cook1 month ago

I thought the broth tasted a little thin, so I added two rotisserie chicken wings to the pot to simmer and removed them when finished for a heartier broth taste.

Christine1 month ago

Followed other’s directions - shredded the chicken while it was still hot. And let the bones boil in the stock. Added a bunch of garlic, a sprig of rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Keeping the noodles and dill in separate containers to be added right before eating to keep them fresher. Feel like it’s missing an element of citrus. Might add some lemon or lime juice.

Christina1 month ago

I made this vegetarian using 1 can of chickpeas and 1 can of white beans in place of the chicken. It was a huge hit!!!

Vanessa Malone1 month ago

This was a quick meal for our Sunday lunch. It was easy and delicious!

ADHDelicious2 months ago

"Can you double this next time, mommy?" Made this for the first time today because my family is fighting off a head cold and soup seemed like the perfect remedy. Absolutely delicious! I didn't have a rotisserie chicken so I just cooked what I had: 2lbs of chicken thighs in olive oil on the stovetop while the noodles were boiling. Also added a bit of turmeric for the immune support, color, and flavor benefit. Will definitely make again!

Jill E.2 months ago

I had made the stock a few days earlier from rotisserie chicken carcasses, and this was the perfect recipe to turn that into delicious chicken soup. Made as directed, but sauteeed the onions, carrots and celery together with 2 smashed garlic cloves before adding the stock. I added wide egg noodles which I cooked separately and added to each bowl, then saved in a separate container from the rest of the soup.

Mac3 months ago

Sauteed the carrots, onions and celery together. Added turmeric and used a good chicken bone broth. Added half a jalapeno on a whim... then I added some heavy cream and it was delicious! Went with a mix of dill and parsley and fresh thyme sprigs. Honestly, this is a great dish you can slightly modify and its done in record time. Exactly what I needed on a weeknight I was tired.

Jennifer E.3 months ago

Have you tried roasting your chicken in an air fryer? My new fave. Cooked in 50 mins then stripped the meat and added bones to my pressure cooker with usual stock vegetables (leek, onion, garlic, carot, celery, seaweed, bay, thyme, parsley s+p). One bird plus the above made 3+ quarts of stock, plus 4 cups + meat. Easy, fast, and versatile top quality ingredients to make this version of chicken soup or however else you might like to use them.

ellie3 months ago

Add a little fresh ginger and garlic- also finish off the soup with a couple squeezes of lemon!

Amy3 months ago

Perfect, especially with homemade poultry bone broth and -- strongly suggested -- fresh or fresh frozen dill.

Linda3 months ago

I added more carrots and celery. I didn't have parsley, so I skipped it. Added crushed garlic and extra pepper. Very little salt added because of the sodium in the stock. I added 4 cups of water to dilute the stock. It is delicious!

Heddy&Scott3 months ago

This was pretty easy and tasty. I sautéed the carrots and celery with the onion, then added garlic and some turmeric once that was all soft. Also added some lemon zest with the chopped parsley. Very nice.

Cali3 months ago

So quick and easy! I made a big batch so I could freeze some - if freezing, withhold the noodles. When you're ready to reheat, simply cook the noodles in another pot and add together at the end.

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