Feeling under the weather and craving comfort food? This easy chicken noodle soup recipe is for you! 1,000,000 x better than store bought soup, this classic recipe is loaded with flavor. I load my homemade chicken noodle soup with onion, carrot, celery, and bite-sized pieces of chicken. Egg noodles are my preferred choice, but almost any type of noodles will work in a pinch!

Feeling Under the Weather? Make Comfort Food!

Homemade chicken noodle soup might sound like a hard topic. But it’s actually so easy to make; trust me, I’m an old pro. I’ve been making some version of this noodle soup recipe for over 35 years! I have my mom to thank for that, who had me helping her make pots of soup from the tender age of 3.

Here’s why this is homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is truly the best! Whether you’re feeling under the weather or you’re just craving comfort food:

• A million times more delicious than any store bought chicken noodle soup. Period!
• The chicken broth is so rich and loaded with onion, carrot, black pepper, and egg noodles!
• Bite-sized pieces of chicken are tender and flavorsome.
• Hearty and satisfying… this soul-warming chicken noodle soup can easily be a full meal. Especially when served with some bread, garlic knots, or a simple salad.
• Chicken noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food and what most people crave when they have a nasty cold!
• Skip cooking a whole chicken and roast chicken breasts instead! This is much easier and adds so much flavor to the chicken and broth. Chicken thighs would also work.

Can I Use a Rotisserie Chicken?

• Oh yeah, you can! To make this easy chicken noodle soup recipe even easier, you could use a store bought rotisserie chicken.
• Just tear it up into bite-sized pieces and toss it into the soup. In that case, add the “chicken spices” directly into the soup. This will make up for the flavor the rotisserie chicken is missing.

Can I Can Chicken Noodle Soup?

• You can absolutely can this chicken noodle soup! But you must follow a few “rules” to can it safely!
• No Noodles! No matter what type of noodles you’re using, egg noodles or otherwise, you must leave out the noodles. This goes for rice (and rice noodles), too. 
• No Thickeners! Flour, cream, milk, half and half, you name it. You need to leave them out, or you will not safely can your soup. 
• What you want to can is the broth, cooked chicken, and vegetables. This is your homemade chicken noodle soup base.
• When you’re ready to eat, you’ll cook your preferred type of noodles. Reheat the soup over high heat, stirring occasionally, then add the noodles to the hot soup base. 
• Pro Tip: Be sure to use a pressure canner, not a water bath, to process your canning jars. 
• P.S. You can easily turn this into creamy chicken noodle soup by adding a cup of heavy cream after you remove the soup from heat. Slowly pour the cream in, stirring constantly!

Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe: The Ingredients

• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breast work best for this recipe. In a pinch, you can use chicken thighs although you’ll need to cook them longer. Or use a store bought rotisserie chicken.
• Olive Oil: I prefer a mild olive oil for this chicken noodle soup, but any variety will work.
• Spices: Garlic powder, ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf! If you enjoy bay flavor, use two bay leaves. Fresh thyme is also a nice addition. Sometimes I use 1 teaspoon finely chopped.
• Carrots: Peeled and diced carrots add color, texture, and a great dose of vitamin c!
• Celery: I am a celery lover and use 3 large stalks. You can use less or add an extra stalk depending on how chunky you like your chicken noodle soup recipe to be.
• Onion: I use a yellow onion, but a white onion or even red onion could work here.
• Garlic: 8 whole cloves add plenty of flavor to this chicken noodle soup recipe! While you could reduce it to 6 cloves, I don’t suggest using less than that.
• Broth: Chicken bone broth, regular chicken broth or stock all work here.
• Water: I prefer filtered water but use whatever you typically cook with.
• Egg Noodles: I prefer egg noodles, but almost any noodle will work! I suggest cooking the noodles separately and al dente. Then add the noodles to the soup as needed. Otherwise they’ll soak up all the chicken broth or stock and leave you with little broth.
• Lemon: Adding fresh lemon juice brightens the flavor of the broth. It also adds a pop of vitamin c! If you love lemon in soup, try my chicken and rice soup next!
• Fresh Dill: This fresh herb adds a delicious flavor and makes this chicken noodle soup extra special. I don’t suggest using dried dill as a sub.

Let’s Make Some Chicken Noodle Soup

• Bake the Chicken: Coat the chicken with oil and spices. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool. Once cool, shred into small chunks.
• Make the Soup: In a soup pot, cook the onion, carrots, and celery until tender. Then add the garlic and bay leaves, along with the water and chicken broth or stock. Cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the Noodles: You can technically add the noodles directly to the chicken broth, but I don’t suggest it. They will soak up a lot of the broth, so if you plan on eating some of the soup later, cook them first then add the noodles to the broth. 
• Finishing Touches: Stir in the cooked chicken, lemon juice, and dill. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed 

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How do I Freeze this Chicken Noodle Soup?

1. Cook soup as directed, but don’t add the noodles, dill, or lemon juice.
2. Cool completely then transfer to a freezer safe bag. Lay on a flat surface and freeze until solid.
3. Continue freezing for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before use. Reheat and add noodles, dill, and lemon.

This chicken noodle soup recipe is so healthy, bold, and flavorful! I would truly be content eating a heaping bowl for lunch every single day. To be honest, most winter afternoons, I do.

If you’re serving more than 4 people, don’t expect leftovers. And don’t be shocked if your family polishes off this entire pot of chicken noodle soup in 15 minutes!

More Noodle Soup Recipes

• Italian Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Pasta Fagioli 
• Blackened Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup
• 20-Minute Spicy Sriracha Ramen Noodle Soup
• Italian Wedding Soup

The Best Chicken Noodle Soup

Ashley Manila

This classic chicken noodle soup recipe is the best comfort food when you’re feeling sick! Loaded with tender chicken, egg noodles, onions, carrots, and celery. But it's fresh lemon juice and dill that me this soup is stand out from the rest! See my tips for freezing the soup below. 

4.91 from 54 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Soup

Servings 8 bowls

Ingredients

 

For the chicken:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the soup:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 very large onion, finely diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• Big pinch of salt
• 32 ounces of chicken stock (or chicken bone broth)
• 4 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups noodles of your choice (I suggest using a smaller noodle like elbows or egg noodles)
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Place chicken tenders in a large baking dish lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with spices. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, flipping the chicken at the half way point. Once cooked, pull into small chunks using two forks.
• While the chicken is roasting, prepare the soup.
• Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pan over a medium flame. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and cook – stirring occasionally – for 8-9 minutes.
• Add garlic and salt and cook for another minute before adding the bay leaf, water and chicken stock.
• Increase heat to high, bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, stir in noodles, and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the pasta al dente. Note: If you're not eating the whole pot of soup in one sitting, cook your noodles separately, then add them as needed.
• Stir in cooked chicken, dill, and lemon juice. Taste soup to adjust seasonings, then serve at once.

Video

Keyword soup, soup recipes, chicken noodle soup

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