Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

• The Ideal of Comfort Food. Sure there’s Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, but if we were playing Family Feud and the category was comfort food, I am certain that chicken noodle soup would be the number one answer. It’s the quintessential comforting meal!
• Just the Right Size for a Single Meal—But Scalable. This chicken noodle soup recipe serves 4, which makes it much less of a project than many other recipes, which serve 8 or more. That said! If you want to make a big batch, it’s easy to scale this up.
• All-Around Simple. We’re talking simple ingredients and technique. It’s also made on the stovetop, which means you don’t need a slow cooker or Instant Pot to make this recipe. (If you do have either of those appliances, check out my Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.)

How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup

The Ingredients

• Egg Noodles. Egg noodles are the classic choice for homemade chicken noodle soup, but you can use another type of pasta if you’d like. Rotini and alphabet pasta are both fun, or try ditalini or orecchiette. Whole wheat noodles also work here.
• Mirepoix. That would be a white onion, carrots, and celery stalks. These form the base of the flavor in your homemade chicken noodle soup.
• Thyme. I prefer the flavor of fresh thyme to dried; fresh rosemary sprigs are also nice, even if they’re not the traditional choice. Add a few bay leaves if you happen to have them, but it’s not a must.
• Garlic and Ginger. Enough to add some interest without overpowering the soup. I love the little bit of zing ginger adds to the equation. 
• Low-Sodium Chicken Broth or Stock. Homemade broth is spectacular, but that’s not always an option. A low-sodium broth that tastes good enough to sip on or chicken bone broth is a better bet than the inexpensive canned variety or chicken bouillon.
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breasts. Thighs will give your soup a richer flavor. You can use bone-in chicken thighs or breasts if you’d like; it just takes a bit more time.
• Lemon Juice. A squeeze of lemon juice adds some bright flavor; it’s also the secret to my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe.

What to Serve with Chicken Noodle Soup

• Salad. You can’t beat a soup-and-salad lunch! Serve your homemade chicken noodle soup with Green Goddess Salad or Arugula Salad.
• Sandwiches. Chickpea Salad Sandwich and Air Fryer Grilled Cheese would both be excellent with this soup.
• Bread. Sop up that broth with a slice of Crock Pot Bread or No Knead Focaccia.
• Crackers. Float some crumbled Ranch Crackers in your bowl—or go with classic oyster crackers for a bit of nostalgia.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Don’t Add All the Noodles If You Plan on Leftovers. Adding all the noodles at once makes them soggy, sad, and bloated when you refrigerate or freeze your leftovers. Only add all the noodles to the pot if you plan on eating all the soup in one sitting. If not, place a portion of noodles in bowls and ladle the soup over the top.
• Scrape Up Any Browned Bits. If there are browned bits at the bottom of the pot after cooking the veggies, use a wooden spoon to scrape them from the bottom and they’ll add some dimension to your homemade chicken noodle soup.
• Don’t Overcook the Chicken. Make sure you cook the chicken just until it reaches a safe temperature and not any longer. An extended cooking time will result in chewy, rubbery chicken.