Take the time to make Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch and you’ll never be able to make it another way again! My mom’s version is a step above the rest, made with homemade stock and egg noodles that take just minutes to make. The end result is the BEST Chicken Noodle Soup you’ll ever have!
My kids literally jump up and down with excitement whenever homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is on the menu, and rightfully so, because it is AMAZING! This is one of my go-to recipes to bring to friends or neighbors (along with a loaf of Artisan Bread) during the cooler seasons and it’s always a hit.
What Type of Noodles?
My mom always made chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles, but the great thing about this soup is that any kind of noodles will work!
- Homemade Egg noodles : all you need is flour, salt, milk and eggs and they’re ready in 5 minutes!
- Farfalle pasta
- Elbow macaroni
- Rotini
About the Chicken Stock:
If your questioning whether you should use homemade chicken stock, or store-bought for this recipe, homemade is definitely the way to go! The secret is to use a rotisserie chicken so that you can use the meat in the soup and make chicken broth with the leftover carcass and bones. You wont believe how easy it is and it really takes the soup over top in terms of depth of flavor.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup:
Make Homemade Chicken Stock ahead of time using a rotisserie chicken, or choose a good brand of store-bought chicken stock.
Sauté veggies. Add butter, diced celery and carrots to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add chicken stock or broth. Season the broth with salt (definitely TASTE the broth before adding more salt), pepper, and a tiny pinch of rosemary, thyme, and crushed red pepper. I may add another small spoonful of “better than bullion” chicken or chicken bouillon powder as well, if needed, to taste.
Add noodles and boil. Once boiling, add noodles (either the uncooked homemade egg noodles, or dry store-bought pasta) and cook just until noodles are al dente. If using store-bought noodles, be cautious not to overcook them! Remove the soup pot from heat as soon as the noodles are just barely tender, as they will continue to cook off of the heat.
Add chicken. Add chicken meat from the rotisserie chicken. Taste the broth again and add more seasonings, if needed.
Serve. I love to serve this healthy soup with this easy No Knead Bread or homemade rolls! If you love this recipe, try my new Chicken and Dumpling Soup!
Is chicken noodle soup healthy?
Yes, homemade chicken noodle soup is healthy, and much healthier than store-bought soups which are usually loaded with sodium and other artificial flavors and preservatives. Chicken broth or stock (especially when homemade) are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and soothing for the body. Even if you use store bought chicken broth and noodles, it’s still healthier in every way!
Make ahead and freezing instructions:
To make ahead: This soup is best made ahead of time when you are using homemade egg noodles, since they don’t get soggy and overcooked like regular store bought noodles. If you wanted to use regular noodles, I recommend making the broth (steps 1-2) first, and then boiling it with the noodles, and adding the chicken, the day of serving.
To store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, depending on the freshness of the chicken used.
To freeze: Allow the soup to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or over medium heat on the stove. If using store bought noodles I would suggest undercooking the noodles before freezing the soup, to avoid them getting soggy upon reheating.
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Recipe
Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 2 ribs celery , diced
- 3-4 large carrots diced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 10 cups chicken stock , or broth*
- 1 teaspoon salt , to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary ,or more, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 batch homemade egg noodles , or 4 cups dry egg noodles, farfalle or other bite-size pasta
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken *
- 1 teaspoon better than bouillon chicken flavor , (or more, as needed), or chicken bouillon granules
Instructions
- Add butter, diced celery and carrots to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add chicken stock and season the broth with rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper, and salt (definitely TASTE the broth before adding more salt), and pepper. Taste and add a spoonful of “better than bullion” chicken or chicken bouillon cubes or granules as needed.
- Bring broth to a boil. Add noodles (either uncooked homemade egg noodles, or dry store-bought pasta) and cook just until noodles are al dente.
- If using store-bought noodles, be cautious not to overcook them! Remove pot from heat as soon as they are just barely tender. The noodles will continue to cook once you remove the pot from the heat, and you don’t want them mushy.
- Add chicken meat from the rotisserie chicken. Taste the broth again and add more seasonings, if needed.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, depending on the freshness of the chicken you used.
Notes
Macros Recipe Adaptation
24 oz. rotisserie chicken, low-sodium chicken broth, 5 cups dry egg noodles.Per Serving Amount
406 gramsMacros
313kcal, Fat: 5g, Carbs: 24g, Protein: 34g (serves 8) | MFP: Chicken Noodle Soup (TBFS Macros)Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated September 2021.
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This was sooo good! Definitely a keeper for cold winter nights. Even won over my picky eaters. I have been on the hunt for a good chicken noodle soup for a while and this one is the winner 🌟
This was fantastic! I’m really into cooking, but I don’t make classic, simple dishes that often. I had never made homemade egg noodles and it had been forever since I made CNS. Used the homemade stock recipe, homemade noodle recipe, this, and added a bunch of fresh parsley and some lemon. My husband said this is one of the best things I’ve ever made. Can’t wait to make it when it’s cold out!
I have made this soup and homemade broth over and over, with homemade egg noodles. My husband loves it and so do I. I also make the broth with/for other soups! Love you blog, or recipe site or whatever you call it. 😊 5 star blog, 5 star recipes!
Best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever made! And I followed the recipe to a tee.
Made this chicken noodle soup, as well as the homemade chicken stock and egg noodles, and it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely keep these recipes on hand. Thank you so much for sharing those recipes and I will be back on this site to look for more 🙂
My go-to chicken noodle soup recipe! I’ve made this several times, playing around with the seasonings each time. It’s a big hit with me, my boyfriend, and my roommates. Can’t wait to try with homemade broth (following your recipe to make it right now)!
Wow. I don’t even like chicken noodle soup, nor does my daughter. But we’re both scarfing this down. I used gluten free stelline pasta by Jovial (small star shaped pasta) since my daughter is celiac. I used 1.5 cups pre-shredded rotisserie chicken (dark meat), 2 cartons of organic chicken broth, 1 tsp “Zoup chicken base with bone broth” (similar to better than Bullion), 2 carrots, 2 cloves of garlic, and a shallot. I forgot the celery from the store unfortunately. I did the seasonings as is measurement wise, despite halving the pasta/chicken, but I did chop the seasonings as finely as possible before adding them in as I didn’t want chunks of rosemary or thyme in my soup. If I had younger kiddos sensitive to spice, I might half the crushed red pepper and definitely cut it up finely. But it’s awesome as is! Depth of flavor=100!
This turned out amazing. My daughter is pretty picky and she’s loving it, too!
I’ll be making it again
Hey! So I have to use an enameled pot or could I use my cast iron Dutch oven?
You can use your cast iron dutch oven, or any large pot.
Hi there! I made this soup last night and it was really good. I will be making it again. I did make the noodles from your recipe (my first time trying homemade noodles). Do you have any tips for me? They were kind of tough, not just chewy, but tough.
Hi Yvonne, we are so glad you loved this soup! We recommend trying to roll the noodle dough less than 1/4” thick, or paper thin for the best texture.
My new go-to chicken noodle soup recipe! Took the meat off the rotisserie chicken and used the bones to make the homemade broth on Sunday then it was super quick to put together Tuesday night for dinner! My 4 year old had fun helping me make the noodles and the soup was a huge hit with the entire family! Thanks for the fabulous recipes, always!
I have never been a chicken noodle soup fan. BUT, wow! I boiled my chicken breasts in a quart of broth for 20 minutes while preparing vegetables. I then moved chicken and broth to separate bowls and prepared soup. I shredded the chicken before reincorporating and I used double the rosemary and salt. Making it GF, I prepared store bought dry noodles and served them separately, as they don’t hold together the same as traditional.
I made this soup exactly like the recipe called for along with the homemade egg noodles. It was delicious. What would be your recommendation to turn this recipe into a creamy chicken noodle soup? Make a flour roux? Add cream cheese? Any ideas?
We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! We haven’t tested it to be a creamy soup, but if you’re wanting it thicker you could try a roux and/or add more veggies. You could stir in a cup of cream at the end if you want it creamier. Enjoy!
👍🏻
I love this soup. How many ounces are there in a serving?
I made this soup but used elbow macaroni instead of noodles. I used 3 cups of the pasta but it absorbed all the broth. I would only use half the amt of pasta in recipe