Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
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Classic chicken noodle soup that will leave you feeling so good, so warm, so cozy. Perfect for sick days and cold nights!!!
Featured Comment
The only change I made was using orzo b/c I was out of noodles, but I liked it even better than traditional noodles personally. (I’m a chicken and rice fan but use noodles for the rest of the family).
It’s the dead of winter. 33 degrees F all week. Snow and ice piles everywhere. And it’s only January, meaning we basically have about 3-4 months of winter left.
And now that I am officially a Midwest resident, that basically translates to having this chicken noodle soup on the regular all. winter. long. It’s so warm, so cozy, and so soothing during these chilly nights.
Now this recipe uses bone-in, skinless chicken breasts which means it will take a little longer than usual for the chicken to cook through but it will yield the most flavorful stock and the most tender chicken bites (so it’s absolutely worth the extra time), doctored up with fresh dill and freshly squeezed lemon juice for a little bit of jazz. SO SO GOOD.
tips and tricks for success
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Use bone-in chicken. While boneless, skinless chicken can certainly be used, bone-in chicken will add a ton more flavor and richness to the soup while keeping the meat tender.
- Use egg noodles. Egg noodles are typically a top choice as they are flat and wide, becoming very tender and fluffy, easily absorbing the broth and soaking in all the flavors.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice will elevate your chicken noodle soup, adding a fresh, bright flavor and balancing out all the saltiness and richness of the soup.
what to serve with chicken noodle soup
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
You can use either chicken broth or chicken stock but always season, to taste, as store-bought broth is often saltier than store-bought stock. Broth is made from meat and vegetables while stock is often lower sodium and thicker than broth, and is made from bones and vegetables.
Egg noodles are a common choice for chicken noodle soup but elbow macaroni, orzo, ditalini or fettuccine (broken in bite-sized pieces) can be used as well.
The egg noodles are cooked directly in the soup, absorbing all the flavorful broth. But if you are planning for leftovers or freezing, the noodles should be cooked and stored separately.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the noodles (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked noodles when serving.
Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 ½ cups wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add chicken and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces, discarding bones.
- Stir in chicken and pasta and cook until tender, about 6-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in parsley, dill and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
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Great ! Recipes
So easy and so, so tasty! This will definitely be my go-to!
Great recipe
Great recipe ! I used your base recipe and added my flavor! Your recipe is fab! We all need some comfort food now. Thank you!
Delicious as written. Substituted leftover, shredded smoked chicken breasts which sped up the cooking time and a great addition to the flavor profile.
Amazing soup and so easy. I will never go back to canned.
Don’t substitute the egg noodles with regular pasta – I made that mistake the first time I made this. It’s still okay, but not nearly as good. The pasta soaks up too much broth and is just a little too thick.
Awesome recipe! Full of flavor. Added my spin and replaced the breast with thighs.. Very easy to make for any novice, and a must for all of the aficionados.
Delicious. I saw all of the great reviews and had to try. This soup did not disappoint. Such a great meal for a cold winter day!
This recipe is incredible. It’s classic, simple, and super flavorful. When my immune system is feeling low, I’ll make this soup and add heaps of garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Food = medicine <3
(I also find that thyme & rosemary add a nice earthiness to this dish)
We love soup, I make it all year round. I wanted to try something different, this recipe is very close to what I normally do. Except the lemon, so tossed that in. We are not fond of dill, so I threw in turmeric, ginger, thyme and a bit of rosemary. Delicious
Thank you!
Oh wow, I was not expecting to love this as much, but dang! It is tasty! My husband even said it was so good that he couldn’t stop eating it, and really praised the flavor. He also said “We should eat this more often”, a good indicator that this recipe is amazing!
Yummy I absolutely loved it and my husband did too I thickened the liquid tho
This is awesome! I’m determined to lose some weight, so I left out the noodles. I put all the herbs and spices in at the beginning, as well as the lemon juice, so that all the flavors could simmer together. The flavor is absolutely delightful!! Definitely a keeper.
I loved it
This soup had such a great flavor! We didn’t have bone in breasts, so I opted for boneless, and I shredded them instead of cutting them. It turned out great! The only issue I had was with the noodles sucking up all the broth. Next time, I’ll cook them on the side and add them to our bowls instead of leaving them in the soup. I just have one question. Would I be able to make this recipe in the crock pot? We’re always short on time for dinner, and that would be a life saver!!
Literally the best chicken noodle
soup I’ve ever had. And I love how big of a batch it makes! The lemon is a must.
Made this without lemon, it hit the spot on a cold winter day, especially with sick kids !!
Does anyone know if I should cook the noodles first and then add to the soup?
This is a great recipe! I make my noodles separately then add the desired amount per bowl. This allows the noodles to maintain a better texture and not get too soggy. I normally reheat the noodles slightly in the microwave before adding the soup.
I always make the noodle’s separately. The noodles won’t get soggy and the soup stays unstarchy. It also allows you to have the amount of noodles you prefer. I will only add around 6 to mine but some like a whole bowl full. I also add a bag of mixed frozen vegetables. My kids love it!
Love this soup! Made it several times, easy to make and so tasty. My family can’t get enough. I’ve also made it using turkey and it’s just as good. Thanks for posting your recipe.
Our family has been hit hard with sickness this week. I made a big batch of this soup, and everyone loves it (even a couple of the picky ones). It is so hearty and so delicious! It’s especially good with fresh rolls or French bread on the side. Yum!
WOW, this soup was SO good!! It reminded me of my favorite chicken soup from whole foods. Anytime I’ve tried to make chicken noodle soup at home it has turned out bland, but I followed this recipe as written and it was just perfect! I love all your recipes Chungah, you have really transformed my cooking…thank you!
We made this for dinner an everyone loved it.