Chicken Noodle Soup
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This comforting chicken noodle soup, packed with veggies and savory flavor, is the perfect remedy for whatever ails you.
Is there anything more heartwarming than a bowl of chicken noodle soup? That golden broth, brimming with noodles and tender veggies, is the kind of comfort we all crave. This recipe, adapted from One-Hour Comfort: Quick, Cozy, Modern Dishes for All Your Cravings by America’s Test Kitchen, delivers that warmth straight to your table without any fuss. The secret to its quick preparation? A good-quality store-bought chicken broth that offers a rich flavor without hours of simmering. It’s just perfect for those nights when comfort can’t wait.
A quick tip: If you’re making the soup ahead of time, hold off on adding the noodles and chicken until before serving. This ensures they stay perfectly cooked and not overdone. And if you’re serving in batches, consider boiling the noodles separately and adding them to each bowl as needed. Round out this comforting meal with some saltine crackers, a slice of artisan bread, or buttermilk biscuits.
“My husband, who thinks soup doesn’t count as dinner, gave this a 10/10…It’s a keeper, thank you!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Pieces: Skin-on, bone-in pieces are used for their ability to enrich the broth with depth and richness. The shredded meat provides protein and substance, making the soup hearty and filling.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid base of the soup. Using broth instead of water enables us to create a more complex and savory flavor in a short amount of time.
- Onion, Carrots, and Celery: This trio is fundamental in building the soup’s aromatic foundation. They also contribute color and substance to the soup.
- Fresh Thyme and Bay Leaf: Infuse the soup with fragrant, earthy notes.
- Egg Noodles: A classic and comforting element in chicken noodle soup.
- Dill: A classic pairing with chicken noodle soup, fresh dill introduces a fresh flavor and a pop of color, perfectly complementing the savory chicken and broth.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by prepping the veggies.
Next, 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
My go-to’s are Swanson for broth and Better Than Bouillon, a concentrated flavor paste.
I’d advise against it. Using raw chicken ensures the best flavor and prevents the meat from becoming overcooked.
The soup can be made through step 3 (up until adding the noodles), and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Keep the chicken in a separate container in the fridge, 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. You can also freeze the soup for up to 3 months.
If you’re not serving the soup immediately or plan on having leftovers, hold off on adding the noodles. This ensures they stay perfectly cooked and not overdone when you reheat the soup later. As mentioned above, consider boiling the noodles separately and adding them to each serving as needed.
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Chicken Noodle Soup
This comforting chicken noodle soup, packed with veggies and savory flavor, is the perfect remedy for whatever ails you.
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. Keep the chicken in a separate container in the fridge, 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. You can also freeze the soup for up to 3 months.
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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OMG this is beyond perfect. I’ve always been a matzo ball soup fan, but this is so much easier and even more delicious. It’s been on our weekly rotation for about two months now! Thank you!
This was SO good. I had to make several substitutions and it came out wonderfully. I bought boneless, skinless chicken thighs in error, but still browned them and then sautéed the veggies briefly in the fond with a little chicken stock because I hadn’t prepared all the vegetables before I started browning the chicken. I used dried thyme and subbed the dill for fresh parsley at the end because I prefer it, and it was excellent. Then I used rotini because it’s what I had. It’s a very forgiving recipe and will be my go-to now.
This is my favorite chicken noodle soup I’ve ever made. Rich and satisfying, and I love the little hint of dill. I used my favorite organic chicken stock – Kirkland’s brand from Costco – and added a small amount of Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base. A member of the household is currently going through an exclusion diet, so no gluten. I couldn’t locate gluten-free egg noodles, so decided to use Delallo gluten-free orzo. The pasta held up really well. Browning the bone/skin-on chicken breasts and shredding them did take a little extra time and effort, but the flavor impact was well worth it.
This is a pretty delicious soup! We have a family member going through a rather strict exclusion diet right now, and I had to use Delallo gluten-free orzo in lieu of the egg noodles (which I love). It was fabulous! I see some commenters wanted to use skinless/boneless chicken. Big mistake. I follow several prominent chefs, and they all advocate for cooking meat on the bone (whenever possible) for the richest flavor. A little extra work makes for a lot of extra flavor. The fresh dill was a delightful and aromatic addition to the final dish.
This is now my family’s favorite chicken noodle soup. My husband, who thinks soup doesn’t count as dinner, gave this a 10/10! The only changes I made was using dried thyme and dill as my store didn’t have fresh. It’s a keeper, thank you!
I made this chicken noodle soup yesterday. I followed the recipe exactly as per instructions with no additions or substitutions and it is fantastic. This recipe is a keeper!
My husband and I ended up sick after Thanksgiving, unfortunately, and needed something warm and healing. This soup was amazing and exactly what the doctor ordered!!! I placed an online grocery order to get all the ingredients and made the soup. It’s easy, made the house smell amazing, and tastes so delicious and nourishing. We had it with a loaf of homemade bread some kind friends dropped off for us. Hoping we’ll soon be on the other side of this! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Glad this hit the spot and hope you’re feeling better soon!
I have been craving a classic homemade chicken noodle soup and this was perfect for a chilly night in December- cozy, nourishing comfort food. I enjoyed the fresh dill.
Made this today for dinner and am really disappointed. I’m a huge fan of Jenn’s but this was extremely bland. The only change I made was to add a pinch of dried dill but did use fresh thyme.
My grand daughter Rylee and I make this soup whenever she comes to visit. She ate 10 bowls of it last time. She is a tiny 7 year old. We added some smoked paprika and our favorite new spice Gochugaru from the Asian market- it is best from there. Rylee likes green spices better than red so hers had basil, herbes de provence, oregano, and thyme. She also adds 2 extra carrots. We like it with good rolls and a plain salad. Thank you Jen for another keeper.
Hi Jenn,
How big of a Dutch oven is needed for this recipe? Would a 7quart pot be big enough? Thank you!
Hi Sabine, a 7-quart Dutch oven will give you plenty of room. Hope you enjoy the soup!