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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The best chicken noodle soup!
I absolutely love this recipe. It’s easy to follow. I’ve been using this same recipe for over a year now. It is perfect especially when your sick or someone you know is sick! I froze mine because there was so much and I heat it some up sometimes. It’s great!
This recipe is fantastic!! With a few tweaks to make a larger amount, and a shortcut of using rotisserie chicken vs raw bone-in, this soup was sooooo delicious. Eaten with some rustic French bread, feels like I ordered out when really it was home-cooked!! Thank you!!
My son is sick so I found this recipe and the whole family enjoyed it! I left out the lemon, dill and parsley for the kids but I thoroughly enjoyed adding those ingredients in at the end for a nice, clean flavor kick! Thanks for sharing. I will be making this again.
Delicious
Really delicious! After reading everyone’s comments I added in one teaspoon of tumeric and used riced pilaf/orzo. I’ll be bookmarking and making again in the future!
Really great chicken soup!
How many bone-in chicken breasts make 2 1/2 pounds?
It was 4 for me.
This was so tasty! I served it over rice and it brought back so many childhood memories! Thank you!
This looks SO delicious! I know it’s not ideal, but it I were to use shredded chicken that I have precooked, how much do you think I would need roughly and also- how long would I need to simmer the soup since the chicken doesn’t have to cook? I’m a little unsure, thank you!
I used 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken. And I simmered for the recommended time, because you are also simmering the vegetables and the bay leaves in the broth.
Did you leave noodles out?
I’m PICKY when it comes to chicken noodle soup and this is now my go-to recipe. I even cheat and use better than bullion, and it’s still delicious. Only change is I cook the noodles separately, so they don’t absorb the soup. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
I made this recipe yesterday almost exactly as stated. Before googling and finding your cns recipe, I had sent my husband to the store to buy a rotisserie chicken to use in a cns recipe. Everything else is per your recipe. My husband loved it and told me so. Coming from him, that is a great compliment as he dishes out the compliments very sparingly. I love the addition of lemon juice in the soup.
Can’t wait to make this.
Just wondering how much added salt would be recommended to just bring out all the flavors?
I do not want to over-salt.
Thanks
Oops, I forgot to give my rating. I was so excited to give my comment.
I love these recipes.
Fam, I made this soup on yesterday and it was so very good.
Don’t take my word for it. I challenge you to try it.
I have been making this recipe for at least a few years. Since I found this recipe I have not tried another. My family loves it! I’m making it right now but this time I’m using chicken thighs and shredding them..just to try something a little different. This recipe is absolutely #damndelicious as is
My co worker made this recipe and I am in love. Definitely making as I write this review. I’m putting this recipe with my favorites and will be making during our Minnesota winter ❤️
This soup is amazing! It’s great as is but could also be converted into a chicken and dumplings situation, you could add any in-season veggies, etc. I’ll continue to make!
What if you don’t have fresh dill
Can I make this in the slow cooker?
I’ve made this recipe so many times and it never fails! Just delicious! I love adding some habanero pepper in mine for a kick as well!