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.
Video
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This recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup is the Best! I made a gallon at a time and take it in to serve at a soup kitchen. They love it. I use several chicken backs and thigh meat along with vegetable broth and chicken broth. The dill and lemon juice just adds a sparkling zing to the soup. 5 STAR +!
5 stars for the best chicken soup, EVER!
The best soup. I used Jasmine rice in place of noodles. It was a big hit.
The dill in here is a really nice touch I went off script a little and included turmeric + paprika. Chicken is a little dry but I used boneless/skinless so that’s on me, next time I’ll probably use bone in thighs instead.
Making this again today! I’ve made this recipe 2 times already and each time it is more delicious. I use boneless skinless chicken breast and I season it with S&P and garlic powder. My boyfriend says this is his favorite chicken noodle soup. It is such a wonderful recipe!
I love this recipe. My husband said it was the best homemade chicken noodle soup he ever had
I have made this soup this way many times and it comes out good. Only difference is, I make the egg noodles al dente in a separate pot and then add them to the bowl I’m eating out of, and then ladle the soup mixture on top. In the past, the noodles soaked up too much broth and was way thick when I cooked them in the actual soup itself. Also, when reheating leftovers, you can make sure your noodles won’t soak up too much broth. I keep the egg noodles in a Ziplock bag in the fridge and add to my bowl I will re-heat in, in the microwave. It keeps the egg noodles a perfect texture without being too mushy. Plus, you can add as much noodles or as little as you want. I learned to do this with chicken and rice soup as well. I used to add the rice to the soup while cooking, but the rice soaked up all the broth and it was like a weird chicken soup risotto. LOL So now, I add the rice separate and it comes out perfect.
Now that hit the spot! I accidentally added about an extra tsp of garlic, didn’t have the parsley or dill, and I cooked my chicken in the crockpot seasoned with S&P on high for 4 hours, diced and added in the end and let it all sit together for about 10 minutes with the heat off. Paired with a grilled cheese. I’m already planning on making more batches for my freezer for flu season! My tummy thanks you!
I know it’s summer time but this what I wanted. I made this recipe and it is better than any other. I only had chicken breasts with out the bone but was still amazing. Thank you. This one legit.
AND WHOEVER GAVE THIS RECIPE LESS THAN 5 STARS DOES’NT KNOW HOW TO COOK OR CANT FOLLOW SIMPLE COOKING DIRECTIONS. I WILL be MAKING THIS RECIPE AGAIN.
Yummmmm!!!!! Smells amazing too!
Very heart-warming homemade chicken soup. Meeded an easy recipe and found this one. It wasa perfect, but asy recipe. Will save the recipe for future use.
SO GOOD! Just made this today and it was a huge hit in our family, everyone loved it! The dill and lemon addition really makes it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, definitely will be making again.
Wow! I have made other chicken noodle soup recipes in the past, but this is THE BEST!! I don’t know why, but it must be the dill and lemon (and the love for cooking)!!
Thank you so very much x
This was an excellent recipe. My go-to recipe for when we’re feeling under the weather. I have almost learned to cook it from memory. Thank you for this extremely easy to make and tasty dish!
My go to chicken soup my toddler loves it and would eat it everyday if she could!
Absolutely fantastic. This recipe is a near copy of an old recepie. The difference is that you add the extra dill and a little lemon juice. What a difference that makes. Certainly is a permanent change to one family recipe. Thank you!
was wondering if you could add some frozen peas and a couple of potatoes with the soup ?
A-MA-ZING!!!! The lemon and dill change everything! I will never go back. Now I just need to clean out the garden and plant some herbs or remember to buy fresh dill. 🙂
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).
This chicken soup is delicious! I can eat homemade soup anytime of year, and I was craving chicken noodle soup. Whenever I make a new recipe, I always follow it exactly and alter it afterwards to meet my own taste preferences. I feel no need to change a thing. I loved it as is.
I didn’t want to add the dill or lemon juice at the end but decided to commit to the recipe. Wow, was I surprised. The fresh dill and lemon juice really heighten the flavor and lightened up the soup. I will definitely make this again.
I am glad to have found this recipe. It’s raining quite a lot lately and this noodle soup has made the gloomy days better and more fun. Definitely gonna recommend this to my friends and family.