Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

This is the Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe you can make from scratch at home. As a comforting meal of savory broth, tender chicken, and delicate vegetables, your family will be asking you to make this chicken noodle soup recipe time and time again.

Wide egg noodles—that sit nicely on a soup spoon—complete this simple recipe.

Make this hearty homemade chicken noodle soup for a family dinner, or feed a crowd during the holiday season by doubling (or tripling) the recipe.

When the colder months set in, I crave crock pot meals, hot soups, and hearty stews. This recipe came about after trying Costco Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup from the prepared foods section. I loved the flavor combination of their soup so much that I wanted to recreate it on my own. Prepared soups are fine in a pinch, but I prefer making scratch meals at home.

Cozy up to a heaping bowl of the best chicken noodle soup recipe that will quickly become a family favorite!

Ingredients

This traditional chicken noodle soup recipe combines savory herbs, thinly sliced carrots and celery, and tender chicken for a warm-you-to-the-core meal. It’s actually quite forgiving when it comes to seasoning ratios and how many carrots you choose to include.

I tried many iterations of this soup until I came up with this final version of the recipe.

You will notice the recipe calls for both chicken broth as well as chicken bouillon, and you really do need both to achieve the best flavor. A couple iterations I made included either chicken broth but no bouillon, or chicken bouillon but no broth, and neither iteration worked until I used both. In the end, don’t be tempted to only use broth or bouillon to make this soup.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Olive oil, 1 tablespoon - Use a good extra virgin olive oil for cooking the chicken. It will ensure the chicken does not stick to the pot while also not adding any flavor.
• Chicken breast, 1 ¼ to 1 ½  pounds, boneless, skinless - Either fresh or frozen chicken breast will work in this soup. Keep in mind frozen will take a little longer to cook if you’re stretched for time.
• Chicken broth, 32 ounces, no salt added - Since this recipe calls for a measured amount of salt, use no salt added chicken broth. You can always add more salt to taste when you test it partway through cooking as well as to taste once the soup is served.
• Chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon dissolved in 3 cups water - Combining chicken broth with chicken bouillon imparts such a savory goodness that you really do need both to achieve the right flavor. Do not be tempted to only use one or the other, just use both.
• Carrots, 6-7 small, sliced very thin - In order to effectively soften the carrots, slice them very thin; ¼ inch or so.
• Celery, 3 stalks, sliced very thin - Just like the carrots, the celery should be very soft once cooked. So slice it ¼ inch or so. If you prefer crunchy celery, make the slices thicker.
• Salt, 1 teaspoon table salt, plus more to taste - While the chicken bouillon will add some salt to the soup, an additional measured amount brings out all the other flavors and enhances the soup. You can always add more salt to taste once served.
• Garlic powder, ½ teaspoon - A little aromatic garlic powder goes a long way to impart umami flavor in this hearty chicken soup. It’s just the right amount of garlic without being overpowering. I highly recommend McFadden Farm garlic powder, which is a little more expensive but absolutely worth it.
• Oregano, ½ teaspoon, dried - Oregano is an understated star in this chicken soup. A bit pungent like garlic, but more bitter than thyme, it balances the flavors perfectly.
• Black pepper, ½ teaspoon - Coarse ground pepper adds a bit of bite this soup needs. If using fine ground, start with ¼ teaspoon as it’s more potent. Otherwise, use a ¼ teaspoon and more to taste once served.
• Onion powder, ¼ teaspoon - Staying away from fresh onions that would impart a much stronger flavor, use the softer sweetness that comes from onion powder. Again, a little goes a long way with this ingredient.
• Thyme, ¼ teaspoon, dried - As I’ve mentioned in other recipes that call for it, thyme is a bit of a chameleon. It can taste floral, sweet, or peppery on its own or all at once. In this soup, thyme lends a good amount of savory, comforting flavor.
• Parsley, 2-3 sprigs fresh - You can add a little parsley to the soup while it’s cooking or you can simply use it as garnish once it’s ready to eat. Either way, fresh parsley livens up this already delicious soup.
• Wide Egg noodles, 8 ounces - Heartier egg noodles hold up well in this soup. You could also use extra wide egg noodles or thick, broad homemade egg noodles. I use wide egg noodles because they fit nicely on a soup spoon.
• Flour, ¼ cup - Towards the end of the simmering process you will make a slurry with flour and butter, which will help to slightly thicken the soup.
• Butter, 1 tablespoon, salted - The butter will be used in the aforementioned slurry with the flour. Butter will also provide a nice creamy note among the other flavors.

Variations and Substitutions:

• Substitute cornstarch for flour if you don’t have flour on hand
• If you prefer more control over the sodium level, omit the 1 teaspoon salt, only adding to taste once served
• Use pre-baked rotisserie chicken for an even quicker meal

Cooking Supplies and Equipment

In this instance I believe the type of cookware does make a difference in how this chicken noodle soup recipe will turn out. That is why I recommend using an enameled cast iron dutch oven pot.

Years ago, we invested in a 7 ¼ quart Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch oven in a lovely matte white colorway. It truly is one of the best kitchen purchases I have ever made. I am not affiliated with the brand, though I would LOVE to be! High quality kitchen cookware will typically cost more up-front, but it will pay for itself many times over, because you should only have to buy that item once in your lifetime.

Le Creuset is so well made that families hand their cookware down through generations. Now in its 100th year, their cookware is still made in France (note their bakeware is no longer made in France).

Instructions

1. Cook chicken in olive oil and salt and pepper until fully cooked.

2. Slice the carrots and celery very thin. Set aside.

3. Once fully cooked, dice or shred the chicken in the pot.

4. Add carrots and celery to chicken and cook for about 10 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften. Stir frequently.

5. Deglaze the pot with the chicken broth. Dissolve the bouillon in 3 cups of boiling water and add it to the pot. Mix to combine.

6. Add salt, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, thyme, and black pepper. Stir well to fully combine. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.

7. Stir in the dry wide egg noodles and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

8. Make a slurry with butter, flour, and about a ¼ of soup broth from the pot.

7. Add the slurry to the pot and stir well to fully combine.

8. Serve and allow to cool for a few minutes before enjoying.

Serving Suggestions

You can make this simple chicken noodle soup recipe anytime of year, no matter the occasion. Serve it with a nice crusty sourdough bread for dunking, or with a side of homemade garlic bread.

How to Store Leftovers

There are a couple ways to go about storing leftover homemade chicken noodle soup. With noodles it’s best to consume the soup in one sitting, because the noodles will get soggy over time. 

Otherwise, if you plan to refrigerate or freeze leftovers, make only enough noodles to be consumed and add them directly to each bowl. Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers in a sealed container. It should last for a few days when refrigerated and up to 2-3 months when frozen. Always inspect leftovers for signs of spoilage before consuming.