This classic homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is the ultimate in comfort food with chicken, vegetables, broth, and noodles, and is ready in under an hour. A true one-pot meal, plus use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save even more time!

Overhead photo of chicken noodle soup in pot.

I have been tweaking my chicken noodle soup recipe for quite a few years now and I’ve finally arrived at chicken noodle soup nirvana. Last year, preschool germs hit us hard and often, which means it seemed like at least one person in our house was suffering from a cold at least every other week. I made pot after pot of this soup, much to the delight of my husband and kids; they devoured it each and every time!

If you are coming in from outside, warding off the sniffles, or keeping yourself wrapped in blankets, nothing seems to hit the spot quite like a piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup. The great news is that this amazing bowl of soup couldn’t be easier to make and you can have it ready in less than an hour.

Ingredients for chicken noodle soup prepped on the counter.

How to make chicken noodle soup

Making chicken noodle soup from scratch is incredibly easy and only requires a very short list of ingredients:

  • Veggies: Onion, Celery & Carrot – This is a classic trio of vegetables that works as a base for many soup recipes, and for good reason! Known as mirepoix, this combination is sautéed to lock in rich and robust flavor from the ground up.
  • Chicken Stock – If you keep homemade chicken stock in the freezer, you can absolutely use that in this recipe. If you’ve wondered the difference between stock and broth, traditionally broth is made from the meat parts of the chicken, while stock is made from the bones. Stock has a richer flavor thanks to the gelatin that’s released when the bones are simmered for a long amount of time.
  • Chicken Breast Meat – What’s chicken noodle soup without the chicken?! You can cook and shred your own chicken, or you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to make this an incredibly easy and quick weeknight meal. You can also add in dark meat if you’d like!
  • Egg Noodles – These thin, broad noodles are synonymous with chicken noodle soup, but you can substitute any sort of noodle that you’d like. These are cooked right in the pot of soup!
  • Seasonings – Parsley for a burst of fresh flavor and, of course, salt and pepper for flavor and balance. The salt in this recipe is super important so that you don’t end up with bland soup!

And that’s it! Who knew such a satisfying meal could be ready so quickly and easily?

Step by step photos for making chicken noodle soup.

Homemade broth and whole chicken

While I love using a great quality store-bought stock or broth and a rotisserie chicken for a super quick meal, you can absolutely go the route of making your own! Whether you have a whole chicken to cut up and use or just a carcass that you’ve been saving for a pot of stock, either would work!

  • If you have a whole (or even parts) of a chicken, you can throw them in the pot with vegetables and aromatics (celery, carrots, celery, parsley, and bay leaves – just what we’re using in the soup!) are classic broth components. Once it’s finished, you can shred the chicken and use it in the soup.
  • If you have a carcass, you can prepare and make stock in the exact same way.
  • In both cases, the longer you can simmer it, the better and more flavorful it will be! Four to six hours is ideal.
Adding parsley and bay leaf to chicken noodle soup.

Recipe Notes

A few quick tips and suggestions for making the best bowl of chicken noodle soup possible!

  • When you chop the onion, celery and carrot, try to make the pieces as uniform as possible so that they cook evenly and you don’t end up with some firm and some mushy. That’s the worst!
  • If you have homemade chicken stock, by all means use it! If not, a really good, organic chicken stock with a small list of ingredients will do wonderfully here.
  • You can cook the chicken meat yourself, or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead. Feel free to substitute some or all with dark meat, if you prefer it (I do!).
  • I think egg noodles are best here, but you can use any other type of noodle you prefer.
  • Serve with your favorite dinner rolls or crusty ciabatta bread.

Storing, freezing, and reheating

  • Storage: The soup can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing: Chicken noodle soup can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Reheating: Whether reheating refrigerated or frozen soup, the noodles can soak up extra broth with sitting, so you may need to add a little bit more broth or water when you reheat the soup. You can warm it in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.
A bowl of chicken noodle soup with a spoon.

And there you have it… your next bowl of delicious homemade chicken noodle soup is only a few ingredients and 45 minutes away. It could not be any easier, so grab your favorite blanket, the coziest clothes, and snuggle up with a bowl of this soup.

If You Like This Chicken Noodle Soup, Try These Recipes:

I would absolutely love it if you made this chicken noodle soup sometime soon! If you do, please stop back and leave a rating and let me know how you liked it! ENJOY! 😍

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

This classic homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is made from scratch with chicken, vegetables, broth and noodles, and is ready in under an hour. Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save even more time!
4.60 (25 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
  • 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 16 cups (3840 ml) chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 to 2½ cups cooked chicken , chopped or shredded
  • 12 ounces egg noodles
  • ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

Instructions 

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and allow the soup to slow boil until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the egg noodles and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and chicken and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and then adjust the seasonings, adding more salt or pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • If you have homemade chicken stock, by all means use it! If not, a really good, organic chicken stock with a small list of ingredients will do wonderfully here.
  • You can cook the chicken meat yourself (I use 1 to 2 pounds of chicken breasts or thighs if I go this route), or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead. Feel free to substitute some or all with dark meat, if you prefer it.
  • I think egg noodles are best here, but you can use any other type of noodle you prefer.
  • Chicken noodle soup can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
  • Serve with your favorite dinner rolls or crusty ciabatta bread.
  • Recipe adapted from The Best Soups and Stews by America’s Test Kitchen
Calories: 181kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 352mg, Potassium: 322mg, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1445IU, Vitamin C: 4.5mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

Photography by Lauren Grant.