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This Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe just like Grandma used to make, is an easy budget dish that everyone loves! Stir up a pot of chicken stock with tender egg noodles, chunks of chicken, and slivers of fresh vegetables. Good soup is good food!
Chilly weather and cold nights? A case of the sniffles? A horrible, no-good, very bad day?
For centuries Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup has been the answer to these challenges. Not only is it packed with nutrients from vegetables and chicken stock, homemade chicken noodle soup ranks high on the list of ultimate comfort food.
If your chicken noodle soup recipe is limited to opening a can from the grocery store, then you’re in for a treat! This is the best soup! Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe comes together in about a half hour. You can feed the whole family in less time than it takes to find your car keys.
?Why Make This
It’s easy! This family favorite recipe made with simple ingredients really couldn’t be easier than it is. It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. This classic Chicken Soup recipe is actually pretty simple, including basic grocery staples such as chicken stock or broth, tender chicken meat, egg noodles, spices, and vegetables, typically onions, carrots, peas, celery, and/or zucchini.
It tastes better than the can. You know this if you’ve ever had Grandma’s Homemade Chicken Soup. Scratch soups taste so much better than canned or mix soups.
You can change it to suit your tastes. Don’t like a lot of noodles? No prob. Prefer more noodles than broth. No problem. Want to load up on veggies without any work. Yep, you guessed it, no problem. This Chicken Noodle Soup recipe allows you to tweak the amounts to suit your tastes.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best homemade chicken noodle soup:
olive oil – You just need a bit of vegetable oil or butter to saute the veggies. This helps with both flavor and texture.
veggies – I like to use grated onion, carrots, and zucchini in this soup. They add fiber and flavor but since they’re grated, they’re less obvious to picky eaters.
chicken broth or stock – You can use commercial low-sodium chicken broth or make your ownchicken stock. If you get a rotisserie chicken, making your own soup broth is definitely the way to go.
wide egg noodles – I use dried egg noodles, but if you can make homemade noodles, go for it.
herbs – I love to include dried marjoram and parsley flakes in my homemade chicken noodle soup. They are easy pantry staples to keep on hand. But, if you’ve got fresh herbs, that’s good, too. Add 3 times as much is you’re using fresh parsley and marjoram.
spices – All you need is a little salt and black pepper to season the soup. If you’d like to use a custom spice blend, such as Cajun Spice, you can definitely do that to jazz things up.
cooked chicken – I like to use cooked and cubed, boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can use a whole chicken or bone-in chicken thighs. Just cook the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces before preparing this homemade soup.
Instructions
It’s so easy to make Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup recipe:
In large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in the onions, carrots, and zucchini and cook a few minutes more. Stir in 6 cups of the broth or stock.
Bring to a boil and stir in the egg noodles. Simmer 10 minutes or until al dente.
Stir in the marjoram, parsley, and the salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken meat. Add more stock for the consistency you prefer and simmer over low heat until hot. Serve immediately.
What to do with Leftovers
The noodles will bloat if left too long in the broth. So, if you have a lot of leftover soup, remove the noodles with a slotted spoon and store separately from the broth.
Be sure to promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven. If you store your leftovers in clear containers, they’re more likely to get eaten.
Freeze Extra for Later
Noodles will bloat if left in the broth, so the best way to make this as a freezer meal is to make a kit.
To make a kit: Sauté the veggies and place in a ziptop bag or freezer-safe container. Cook and chop the chicken and package for freezing. Store these in the freezer alongside a container of chicken stock. With these 3 items and noodles from the pantry, another meal will come together quickly.
FAQ
What spices are good in chicken noodle soup?
Think about your standard roast chicken or the ingredients that go in poultry season. Thyme, sage, marjoram, and tarragon are all great options, but there’s no reason that you can’t tweak your chicken noodle soup recipe to favor your preferred flavor profile. Chinese five-spice powder, cumin and oregano, curry powder — these can easily take your soup experience to a different part of the globe with two shakes of a spice bottle.
Do you cook chicken before adding it to soup?
I personally don’t like the texture of boiled chicken, so I prefer to add cooked chicken to my soups. I add it in the last few minutes of cooking to allow it to reheat without being overcooked.
Can you add uncooked noodles to soup?
Yes! Keep in mind, however, noodles that cook a long time will get mushy and eventually disintegrate, adversely affecting the texture of your soup.
You can either add the noodles in the last minutes of cooking, or add pre-cooked noodles right before serving. The hot stock will warm the noodles.
The noodles in leftover soup will continue to absorb liquid, so you may need to add more stock before serving. Leftover soup is best consumed in the next day.
I could eat soup everyday, but my kids? Not so much. During fall and winter I try to make soup a once-a-week thing. Soup is an amazingly frugal and easy meal to make on your own. And eventually kids get used to it. Here are some of my besttips to helping everyone at your table enjoy soup night.Soup Haters at Home?
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Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
This Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe, just like Grandma used to make, is an easy and economical dish. Stir up a pot of chicken broth with tender egg noodles, chunks of tender chicken, and slivers of fresh vegetables.
5 from 2 votes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 210kcal
Author: Jessica Fisher
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion grated
- 2 carrots grated (use 3 if they're small)
- 1 zucchini grated
- 6 to 8 cup chicken stock
- 8 oz wide egg noodles
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 cup chicken (cooked and cubed)
Instructions
In large soup pot, heat the oil until shimmering. Sauté the onion, carrots, and zucchini for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 zucchini, salt, black pepper
Stir 6 cups of the broth or stock. Bring to a boil and stir in the egg noodles. Simmer 10 minutes or until al dente.
6 to 8 cup chicken stock, 8 oz wide egg noodles
Add in the marjoram, parsley, and the salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chicken meat. Add more stock for the consistency you prefer. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Simmer until hot. Serve immediately.
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes, 2 cup chicken (cooked and cubed)
Notes
Note: the noodles in leftover soup will continue to absorb liquid, so you may need to add more chicken stock when serving leftovers. For best noodle texture, enjoy this soup within 2 days of preparation.
Freeze Extra for Later: Noodles will bloat if left in the broth, so the best way to make this as a freezer meal is to make a kit.
To make a kit: Make an extra batch of the cream of soup and store in a 2-cup freezer-safe container. Cook and chop extra chicken and package for freezing. Store these in the freezer alongside a bag of frozen vegetables. With these 3 items and noodles and broth from the pantry, another meal will come together quickly.
Make a Plan for Leftovers: The noodles will bloat if left too long in the broth. So, if you have a lot of leftover soup, remove the noodles with a slotted spoon and store separately from the broth and veggies. Be sure to promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven. If you store your leftovers in clear containers, they’re more likely to get eaten.
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 923mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2625IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
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This post was originally published on October 1, 2009. It has been updated for content and clarity.
