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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It was excellent!
My husband told me with every bite he fell more in love with me!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Takes a little longer, but I like using a rotisserie chicken for the meat and making chicken broth with carcass.
Hi Chef Jenn,
Can OSEM chicken seasoning be added to this soup to make it more flavorful ? If so, how much?
I love the flavor it adds to your Matzo Ball Soup recipe.
thank you.
Sure, that’s fine – I’d start with a teaspoon and add more if needed. 🙂
Looking forward to making this! If I were to freeze the discarded bones would there be any goodness left in them to make it worth throwing them in with my veggie scraps when making broth at home? My daughter loves chicken bone broth but I’ve only used previously roasted (not previously boiled) bones. Thank you!
Hi Shannon, Yes, you can still get a nice broth from bones that have been boiled and frozen. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Thank you for your prompt reply! I (mostly) made this today while my daughter was at school, super simple to prepare. So after soccer all I had to do was reheat the soup base while the noodles boiled and toss it all together with the chicken and dill and dinner was steaming hot on the table in 10 minutes. So very delicious too! Bones are in the freezer next to our veggie scrap collection ready for making bone broth. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that is perfect for chilly fall/winter nights!
Could I use Orzo in place of the noodles and how many cups would work with this recipe?
Sure, orzo would work here. I’d use 5 ounces. Enjoy!
Cooked this chicken noodle soup this morning for friends and had a bowl myself for lunch. Delicious and very easy. The fresh dill adds just the right freshness. Thank you.
Can you reccommend some chicken broth? I know one of your recipes did and I forgot/ can’t find it.
Hi Laurie, I like Swanson. 🙂
Jen made this soup yesterday for dinner. Usually when I make a Chicken Soup the broth cooks for hours. I was in the mood for it and as always, before I make something, I looked at your website to see if you had a recipe.
This was SO DELICIOUS! Tasted so good!! I also made the Arugula Salad you suggested with it. Also YUM! Thank you again for another winner!! HUGS
Delicious! Highly recommend this classic style chicken noodle recipe. I used thighs with skin-on and bones and 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
This recipe is delicious and so simple. I didn’t even bother putting noodles in, so mines a chicken soup.