There’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of warm chicken noodle soup. It’s an easy soup made with inexpensive but healthy and hearty ingredients. As we don’t make the chicken stock from scratch, this soup recipe comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for a busy weeknight.
Filled with chicken, noodles, and vegetables, this soup is perfect for any meal of the day. Pair this soup with my homemade crusty bread or dinner rolls recipe, and you won’t have a drop left in the pot! Filled with homey, classic flavors, you can even make extra and freeze it for later as it stores and reheats beautifully.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Mirepoix — a key component in many stews and soups, a mirepoix is made of a mix of aromatics, usually onions, carrots, and celery. While these simple ingredients may not seem like a lot, they add a significant layer of flavor as the traditional base for soup’s flavor.
Chicken — I use chicken breasts for this soup, but you are welcome to use whatever cut of chicken you have available.
Chicken stock — you can use homemade or storebought chicken stock for this soup. I recommend using low sodium chicken stock and seasoning the soup to taste.
Noodles — traditionally, you use egg noodles as they’re light and will soak up the soup’s flavor without becoming mushy.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup
1. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the chicken breasts to the pot.
3. Add the bay leaves and the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken pieces and place them on a tray to cool for a few minutes. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
5. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the black pepper. Taste and add ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste.
6. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the noodles. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.
7. Stir in the lemon juice.
8. Stir in the parsley and discard the bay leaves. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve the chicken soup with noodles immediately.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- The lemon brightens the flavor of the soup. I highly recommend using fresh lemon instead of bottled lemon juice for the best results.
- Avoid overcooking the noodles. Simmer until the noodles are just tender as the noodles will continue to cook in the hot soup.
- Fresh parsley adds a pop of color and flavor to the soup at the end. Other fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme are a great swap.
- The egg noodles absorb the chicken stock as they sit in the soup, so you may need to add additional stock when reheating. Chicken stock will keep the soup from being watered down compared to adding water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a rotisserie chicken?
Feel free to use rotisserie chicken if you have leftovers hanging around the kitchen. Shred the meat off the bone and stir the chicken into the soup. You can even simmer the soup with some rotisserie bones to add more flavor to the soup. As the rotisserie chicken is cooked, you can decrease the simmering time.
How do I make this ahead of time?
If you want to make this soup ahead of time, skip adding the noodles to the soup pot. Refrigerate the soup for up to 5 days. When reheating the soup, bring the soup to a simmer and add the noodles, cooking as directed. Or, boil the noodles separately in a pot of salted water and cook according to the package directions. Add to the soup pot or individual bowls when ready to serve.
Can I freeze this?
This is the perfect freezer-friendly soup. If you plan on freezing the soup, skip adding the egg noodles. Add the noodles when you thaw and reheat. Allow the soup to cool before transferring to a freezer-safe container. You can freeze chicken soup for up to 3 months.
Can I use another type of noodle?
Feel free to use another pasta noodle such as rotini pasta for this chicken noodle soup recipe. You will have to adjust the cooking time as the pasta will take longer to cook than egg noodles.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter (57g)
- 1 onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 celery ribs chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (900g)
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups chicken stock (2 quarts/1.92ml)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 2 cups wide egg noodles (90g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add the chicken breasts and bay leaves. Pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken pieces and place them on a tray to cool for a few minutes. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the black pepper. Taste and add 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste.
- Increase the heat to medium and stir in the noodles. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Discard the bay leaves. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The lemon brightens the flavor of the soup. I highly recommend using fresh lemon instead of bottled lemon juice for the best results.
- Avoid overcooking the noodles. Simmer until the noodles are just tender as the noodles will continue to cook in the hot soup.
- Fresh parsley adds a pop of color and flavor to the soup at the end. Other fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme are a great swap.
- As the egg noodles absorb the chicken stock as they sit in the soup, you may need to add additional stock when reheating. Chicken stock will keep the soup from being watered down compared to adding water.
