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 Craving a comforting, homemade bowl of chicken noodle soup? This easy homestyle recipe combines tender chicken, savory broth, and the perfect noodles for a heartwarming meal. Whether you’re looking for tips on making the best chicken noodle soup, need freezer-friendly storage advice, or wondering what to serve with it, you’ll find everything you need right here!!!
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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.
Essential Tips for Making the Best Chicken Noodle Soup
- 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.
Best Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Noodle Soup
Essential Tools for Making Chicken Noodle Soup
Frequently Asked Questions about Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup:
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.
Yes, you can make chicken noodle soup ahead of time! It actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together. If you plan to make it in advance, store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Just remember to cook the noodles separately if you’re making it in advance, as they can become too soft when reheated in the soup.
How to Make 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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Can I use Better Than Bouillon for the stock?
I have done that a few times and it works perfectly.
Oh my!! THIS is it! Made this today for myself and the Mrs. Wow! The dill and lemon really make this dish taste completely different from all other homemade chicken noodle soups. I use skinless chicken breast quite often, bone in isn’t needed in my opinion. Also, I always use a tablespoon or two of chicken base Better than Bouillon.
I add swiss chard to this and it’s yummy.
I’ve made this recipe many times. I’ve even recommended it to my sister and now she’s hooked. It’s really that good!!! The soup will just warm your soul! Don’t skip the dill! It’s a must
Very good
I’ve come to think of chicken noodle soup as a little bit boring & bland. It’s the stuff you eat when you’re sick because it won’t upset your stomach more, right? This recipe is so much more than that. It’s about as close to perfection as food can get. The chicken is tender, the broth flavorful, and the herbs and lemon took it to the next level.
We love this recipe! A couple of changes we made were to use boneless/skinless thigh meat, more noodles (dumpling egg noodles) to make more balanced with the meat, and all dried herbs.
Love this recipe! The lemon and dill set this apart! It’s damn delicious!
My family says this is the best chicken soup they have ever tasted!.It has become one of our favourite recipes especially in colder months
I have made this several times and am wondering what the calorie content is when it is made with noodles or with rice?
This soup has been so delicious every time! My baby absolutely loves it and the leftovers always finish. I exclude dill, as it’s an acquired taste for my husband, but the lemon is his absolute favorite part of this meal. Definitely recommend this recipe to anyone looking to make a wholesome bowl of soup. The bone in the chicken adds more flavor.
It is so delicious I like the lemon taste
☺️
I made this for a sick neighbor and of course I hope she feels better but I am SO happy I made it b/c my very picky son had TWO helpings, and I might have had 3. The dill and lemon was so refreshing and great. Can’t wait to make again, thank you!!!
I made a huge batch of this soup and have been eating it everyday for a week! Its just so d*** good!!! So much flavor but also brings the nostalgic home feels. I highly recommend this recipe.
This soup is absolutely fabulous! I did have a couple changes to the recipe based on what I had in my pantry/fridge: I used boneless/skinless chicken breast meat that I trimmed and cut into about 1 1/2″ pieces; added Jane’s Crazy Salt for additional spices; added additional chicken bouillon along with the Swanson chicken broth; and used the juice of one whole lemon at the end of cooking.
I did not have fresh dill or parsley, but did add both of the dried spices when the soup was simmering to allow time to incorporate the flavors. Absolutely the best chicken soup I have ever had (and I have tried umpteen recipes over the years). I will make this again as written with the chicken with bones, fresh dill and parsley! This recipe is a keeper, thank you for sharing it!
Good simple recipe. Helped to sauté the vegs 1st. I had already cooked half a chicken with vegs to produce a stock then strained. Used multi color mini potatoes instead of pasta.
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I hadn’t eaten chicken noodle soup in probably 20 years before making this because I simply didn’t care for it. I can now say I really like chicken noodle soup! Thank you for the recipe!
Made this soup a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious. I agree that the fresh dill is a MUST! I’m making it again this weekend but was curious if it’s okay to freeze it or keep it in the fridge if I make it 1-2 days ahead of when I will be serving it?
The store was out of fresh dill, so I put a few springs of rosemary, thyme, and parsley to cook with the soup. It was delicious! Best chicken noodle soup I’ve made. The bone in makes all the difference. I can never find skinless with bone in but the skin doesn’t bother me. I’ve even made it with drumsticks and that makes the cook time less.