There’s nothing like a classic chicken noodle soup. It’s easy and nourishing, and just about the most perfect comfort food. Classic chicken soup also happens to be an awesome way to use up extra chicken, too, although this one includes cooking it from scratch. I just love this recipe, as it reminds me of the soups of my childhood that I ate when I was off from school, or on a lazy weekend afternoon. Or, of course, when I wasn’t feeling well.
This, however, is a homemade chicken soup you can take to work. Or homemade chicken soup you can whip up on a cozy, lazy weeknight in under an hour. Whatever works for you, works for us! Eat it wherever you like, but it’s portable and freezable and all the other things you love about soup.
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How to Make Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
This might feel like something only someone with special skills in the kitchen or years of cooking under their apron strings can pull off. You know, like your mom or grandma. And that you’d need a recipe that’s been handed down through the generations.
Nope. You can totally crush this recipe. Honest to goodness!
Carrots, celery, and onion make the veggie base for this soup. They are what give chicken noodle soup its classic flavor.
If you absolutely hate one or two of these ingredients, or you can’t find them, the soup will still taste good. But for a real chicken soup, you’ll want all three! The carrots give it a little sweetness, and the celery brightens it with an almost herbal taste, and onions. Well, we know how awesome they are.
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Chicken broth or chicken stock?
Yup, there is a difference between the two. Broth is usually made withseasoned liquid that had meat cooked in it at some point. Stock is made strictly from animal bones (without the meat) with unseasoned liquid. You can learn more here!
For this recipe, we’re using broth. But if you bought chicken stock instead of broth, it’s totally fine!
How do you cook the chicken for chicken noodle soup?
For this recipe, we’re poaching the chicken in water before making the soup.
No oil is needed for the process. Just the water, chicken, salt, and pepper! (And some herbs).
When you make chicken soup, it’s entirely possible you’ll see a layer of fat rise to the surface. It’s going to be a light-colored gelatinous layer. This is okay! (It’s contributing some flavor here).
When the chicken has completely cooked through, remove it from the pot and let it rest on a cutting board. Then you can use a strainer over a bowl to separate any fat that rises to the top and the broth from cooking the chicken, which is good to preserve and cook with for the soup part of the recipe.
How to use other types of chicken for this homemade soup
If you have leftover chicken, this recipe is even easier. The process will go more quickly because you don’t need to cook it from scratch. Score!
Feel free to use chicken thighs instead of boneless chicken breasts if you want.
And without a doubt, the best chicken soup comes from using what’s left of a roasted chicken. After you cook the whole chicken, just pop it in the fridge and cover it. Then, you can cook the carrots, onion, and celery, add your stock or broth, and toss the entire leftover chicken into the pot. Let it simmer, remove it 10-15 minutes later once the noodles have cooked, and remove the chicken from the bone.
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How to make this homemade chicken noodle soup gluten-free
The only source of gluten in this recipe is the noodles! We used egg noodles, which make for a really hearty and classic chicken noodle soup, but feel free to use any type of gluten-free pasta that you enjoy if you want.
Or swap out the noodles altogether and use any kind of rice you want.
How to alter this chicken noodle soup recipe
To add more volume, start with adding more mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onion).
Choose a bigger chicken breast and consider adding more noodles. Keep in mind that if you increase the volume, you may need to increase the amount of liquid you use by a cup or two. And you’ll definitely need to adjust seasonings, too; i.e, add more salt and pepper.
To fully double the recipe, double all the ingredients and add about 10-15 minutes of extra time to cook.
You can also use orzo or elbow macaroni instead of the egg noodles, or use spaghetti and break it up into smaller pieces, like an old-fashioned Lipton chicken noodle soup.
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How to boost the flavor of this chicken noodle soup
Use some fresh chopped parsley to garnish
Use fresh thyme or oregano instead of dried (try 1 tablespoon each of fresh for the dried)
Pop in a cube or two of pesto you may have frozen from the summer.
Add some heat by adding a dash of red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
How to store and reheat this chicken noodle soup
This chicken noodle soup can last in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container. You can freeze it for 3-6 months, which may come in handy. I love usingSouperCubesto easily store frozen soup because they can help protect against freezer burn. This soup will reheat well in the microwave or on the stove. You can also take it out of the freezer in the morning and transfer to the fridge so it’s ready to cook by dinnertime.
Related: 5 Essential Freezer Meal Prep Tips
Try our other delicious free soup recipes!
- Cozy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Thai Coconut Curry Soup With Chicken (One-Pot!)
- The Best Slow-Cooked Beef Chili Recipe
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Author: Carrie Havranek
Rating
Servings: 3 meals
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Pin RecipePrint RecipeShop Ingredients
Ingredients
- 16 oz chicken breast
- 1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
for cooking the chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 3 celery sticks chopped
- 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme dried
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano dried
- 4 cups broth or stock (1 entire package of 32 oz broth)
- 1 cups water
- 6 oz egg noodles or other small pasta of your choice
Instructions
In a large stockpot, add a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes; add the garlic and stir until it becomes fragrant. Add the chopped celery and carrots, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. Stir to combine and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water, chicken broth, or stock, and the chicken. Bring it to a boil, and then simmer it, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Fat will likely rise to the surface; you can just skip it off, but you certainly don't have to. (Fat give flavor!) Remove the chicken from the pot to a cutting board.
Add the remaining stock or water to the pot along with the egg noodles. Let the noodles cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they're al dente. With a fork, shred the chicken into smaller pieces while the pasta cooks. Then return the chicken to the pot when the noodles are ready.
Stir everything together and simmer for a few minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings. It will likely need more salt and pepper.
To assemble: divide the soup into 3 or 4 containers and store in the fridge. Any extra can be frozen!
Notes
Fat may rise to the surface while you’re making chicken noodle soup, and that’s ok. You can always skim it off the top and discard it.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a comment below on the blog or share a photo with us and tag @workweeklunch! Can’t wait to see what you made!
