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, sage 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 sage
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 batch homemade egg noodles , or 5 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, sage, 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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I just made this and it is insanely delicious! I didn’t have enough BTB chicken, so I subbed BTB vegetable & BTB sautéed onion. I also added freshly chopped parsley and freshly squeezed lemon juice as garnishments. I’ve been making homemade chicken noodle soup since I was a teen, but I wanted to try your recipe because a friend said it was great. She was right! I will definitely be following this recipe again.
This is probably one of the best chicken noodle soups I’ve ever made, and I’ve made quite a few. I did make a few adjustments: I added an extra clove of garlic, I doubled both the rosemary and the sage, I added a can of good quality corn, and I added 1/2 cup of half-and-half mixed with 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch at the end to make it a little creamier. My husband thought it was delicious and so did I.
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!
This recipe is absolutely one of my favorites. I’ve made multiple times and every time I am surprised how delicious it is. Absolutely brilliant!
More of a question than a comment, but if you’re going the rotisserie chicken route, how many are needed for the recipe? The recipe says like 3 cups of chicken. I’m just guessing but it seems like a rotisserie chicken probably has 2-3 cups of meat… so I’m right on the fence as to whether 1 or 2 is needed. That said I wouldn’t mind if the soup was on the hearty side (ie lots of chicken and lots of noodles). Thoughts?
I just bought and used a rotisserie chicken from Costco last night in a different recipe that needed 2 cups… so I found this one looking for something to use the rest with. I still have about 3 cups left so my best guesstimate was I had 5 cups. Like most recipes, you don’t have to be precise on the meat, but I’m confident you will have plenty with one bird… I’m definitely making this one tonight with the leftover chicken I have!
Delicious
Thankd for your intelligent recipe.
My Ch.Ndl.Soup same but I also use skin from rotisserie chkn in stock. Also oven roast poblano, garlic and red bell pepper, onion and carrot, then chop and add all to strained stock, before chkn and noodles. Occasionally add small broccoli pieces if on hand.
I used oven roasted chicken breast seasoned with Montreal steak seasoning and smoked paprika. I added in some baby portobello mushroom slices that I sauteed in the side in butter. I also omitted the bouillon and crushed red pepper. This was so good, possibly the best soup I have ever had. I will make this many more times!
This recipe worked out so well and tasted amazing! I gotta recommend trying it, so glad this was a first and it didn’t turn out bad lol.