Chicken Noodle Soup
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Loaded with tender chicken, fresh veggies, and savory flavor, this chicken noodle soup is pure comfort in every spoonful.
Is there anything more comforting 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, 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 is using a high-quality store-bought chicken broth that delivers rich flavor in no time.
If you’re making the soup ahead, wait to add the noodles and chicken until right before serving to keep them perfectly cooked. 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 chicken adds richness to the broth, while the shredded meat makes the soup hearty and satisfying.
- 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 prepping the veggies.
Next, season the chicken with the salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip 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.
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.
Add the shredded chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is warmed through, a few minutes. Stir in the dill and serve.
Make the soup up to the point of adding the noodles and either refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Store the broth and chicken separately. To serve, bring the soup to a boil, add the noodles, and finish the recipe.
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Chicken Noodle Soup
Loaded with tender chicken, fresh veggies, and savory flavor, this chicken noodle soup is pure comfort in every spoonful.
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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My whole family loves this delicious, hearty soup! It doesn’t last long in our house. Another A+ recipe!
My only suggestion is to switch the bagged egg noodles with Reames noodles in the freezer section. Much better with chicken noodle soup. I remove the chicken from the pot while the noodles are cooking, then return it after the noodles are done so it doesn’t overcook.
Thank you, Jenn, for helping me substitute dried thyme and dill amounts in place of the fresh herbs. The soup was full of flavor, and my husband kept saying, “Mmm! Keeper! Keeper! Keeper!” I can’t wait to make it again with the fresh thyme and dill. I served it over Banza GF noodles, broken into smaller lengths, and cooked,served separately from the soup. The leftovers are marvelous and even better the next day. Thank you for a comforting weekday soup worth looking forward to again and again!
Making this soup first time for dinner tonight. But…My local market is OUT of fresh thyme and fresh dill. How much dried thyme and dried dill should I use instead?
Hi Chrissy, I’d suggest 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried dill. Enjoy!
This was good. What I never see with chicken noodle soup though is anyone adding lemon to homemade chicken broth. I can’t imagine not using it. Curious if anyone else does this.
Hands down the best CNS. Even my picky boys enjoyed it! So much flavor!! Love your perfected recipes Jen!
Absolutely delicious Jenn! Another winner!! I’ve made this twice within the last week! lol!
Thank you for sharing this recipe :o)
Didn’t see anything about skimming the soup. Do you leave the chicken scuze in the broth?
There’s really no need to skim when using store-bought broth. Hope that clarifies!
I trim a lot of the fat off before browning the chicken and this reduces the floating fat when it’s done.
Hi! Just be sure NOT to use a Le Creuset Dutch oven on any direct heat source. The manufacturer specifically cautions against it.
I use my Le Crueset Dutch ovens for everything on the stovetop!
I don’t see this recommendation anywhere on their website.
I think you may be referring to the Le Creuset Bakeware/ceramic stoneware which cannot be used on the stove top or other direct heat source. The enameled cast iron is safe to use with any heat source except the microwave 😉
This soup takes SO much less time that the traditional chicken broth that needs to cook all day long, and is SO good!! I eat GF, so I added rice noodles at the end, and it was so delicious!
Not only comforting on a rainy, damp day in NY, but this soup is so flavorful and filling. My family absolutely loves it. Thanks as always for the great recipes.