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This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is everything you need—comforting, flavorful, and ready in no time. Perfect for cozying up on a chilly day!
Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup? The golden broth filled with tender chicken, egg noodles, and veggies is the ultimate comfort food—a cure-all for whatever ails you. While traditional chicken noodle soup recipes require hours of simmering homemade broth, this version (adapted from America’s Test Kitchen) brings that same warmth to your table in no time. The secret is using a high-quality store-bought chicken broth that delivers rich flavor with minimal effort. Serve the soup with some saltine crackers, a slice of artisan bread, or buttermilk biscuits for a satisfying meal.
Video Tutorial
“This soup takes SO much less time than the traditional chicken broth that needs to cook all day long, and it is SO good!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Pieces: Skin-on, bone-in chicken adds richness to the broth, while the shredded meat makes the soup hearty and satisfying. I prefer chicken thighs because they’re more forgiving and stay juicy, but chicken breasts work well too—just be careful not to overcook them!
- Chicken Broth: The flavorful base of the soup—using broth instead of water creates a savory, complex flavor in less time. Use a good-quality brand, like Swanson or Better Than Bouillon.
- Onion, Carrots, and Celery: The classic trio that forms the aromatic backbone of the soup while adding color and substance.
- Fresh Thyme and Bay Leaf: Infuse the broth with earthy, fragrant notes that elevate the flavor.
- Egg Noodles: A comforting must-have in any chicken noodle soup!
- Fresh Dill: A classic pairing with chicken noodle, this herb brightens the soup with a pop of color and flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. You may need to add more salt later, but it’s best to season at the beginning and build the flavor as you go.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat until it’s nice and hot. Place the chicken in the pot, skin-side down, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for 4 minutes more.
Now, add the broth, onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (that’s all flavor!). Bring it to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low.
Let it simmer until the chicken is fully cooked—about 15 for breasts, or 20 minutes for thighs. Remember that chicken breasts will dry out if cooked too long!
Once the chicken is done, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces with two forks, tossing the skin and bones—they’ve done their job adding flavor to the broth.
Bring the soup back to a boil over medium-high heat, then add the noodles. Cook them, uncovered, until they’re al dente (check the package for timing, but remember the noodles will keep cooking a bit once the chicken’s added).
Add the shredded chicken and let it cook for a few minutes until it’s warmed through. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste—usually, I add a little more salt, but it depends on the broth. Stir in the dill and serve!
You can make this chicken noodle soup partly ahead of time—just up to the point of adding the noodles. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months, storing the broth and chicken separately. When you’re ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil, add the noodles, and finish it off!
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Chicken Noodle Soup
Packed with tender chicken, noodles, and veggies, this chicken noodle soup is the ultimate cozy meal for any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skin-on bone-in chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed of excess skin or fat
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 cups chicken broth (preferably not low-sodium), best quality
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 ounces (3 cups) wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the chicken in the pot, skin-side down, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook 4 minutes more.
- Add the broth, onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through (15 to 17 minutes for breasts and about 20 minutes for thighs).
- Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the soup and transfer to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces; discard the skin and bones.
- Return the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and add the noodles. Cook, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente (check the package instructions for timing, and keep in mind that the noodles will continue to cook for a few minutes while you warm the chicken). Add the shredded chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is warmed through, a few minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more salt, but it depends on the saltiness of the chicken broth you used). Stir in the dill and serve.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be made through step 3 (up until adding the noodles), and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Store the chicken in a separate container, and add to the soup before serving. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil on the stovetop. Add the noodles and proceed with the recipe. If you don’t plan to serve the soup all at once, you can boil the noodles separately and keep them separate from the broth, then simply add them as needed when serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 508
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Sodium: 874 mg
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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