Nothing says comfort quite like classic chicken noodle soup. It evokes all the memories of a cozy evening at home, enjoying a piping hot bowl of the good stuff. We're going to take a trip down memory lane and share our homemade version of chicken noodle soup. Plus, we'll offer some inventive and gourmet twists on the base recipe. We are "souper" excited to share this with you!
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Our basic recipe takes less than an hour and builds incredible flavor in a short amount of time. It would be perfect for a weeknight dinner and a great way to use up excess vegetables from your crisper. Pro tip: this soup is even better leftover. Plus, it's also freezer friendly, so double the batch for an assist during extra hectic weeks.
What You'll Need
- large stock pot
- ladle
- cutting board
- Chef's knife
- wooden spoon
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- bunch of carrots
- bunch of celery
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black ground pepper
- 2 large cans (32 oz.) and 1 small can (14 oz.) of chicken broth
- handful of fresh parsley
Instructions
Now that you have everything you need for our classic chicken noodle soup, let's get started on the actual steps to accomplish this dish.
Step #1: Prep Step
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. While that's warming, dice onion, chop carrots, and slice celery until there's one cup of each. Rough chop the parsley and set aside.
Step #2: Sauté Away
Add the cups of prepped celery, onion, and carrot to the warm pot, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sauté gently for about 8-10 minutes.
Step #3: Combination Station
In same pot, add chicken bouillon cube, thyme, broth, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil by setting stovetop to high heat.
Step #4: Key Ingredients
Once your base is boiling, add the heavy hitters of your dish, chicken, and noodles. Change heat to low setting and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step #5: Great Garnish
Ladle completed chicken noodle soup into bowl for serving. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread or crispy crackers for dipping.
From Scratch Variations
Now that you know the basic version of chicken noodle soup, it's time to step up your culinary game with our elevated twists. We'll start with some of the above ingredients in homemade form for a more gourmet approach.
Homemade Poultry Seasoning
This recipe will make more than enough for chicken noodle soup plus some leftover for other culinary adventures.
What You'll Need
- mortar and pestle
- measuring cups
- mixing bowls
- spice container and lid for storage
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons sage
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
Instructions
Add spices to mortar and pestle and grind until finely ground. Mix together thoroughly, then store in spice container in pantry for up to three months.
Homemade Pasta
Homemade pasta is an incredible way to amp up chicken noodle soup. Our full step-by-step guide to homemade pasta will give you a thorough path to pasta success. Your friends and family will be blown away with this refined element of such a basic dish.
Homemade Chicken Stock
A good, flavorful base of from scratch stock can make all the difference with chicken noodle soup. Elevate yours with our simple recipe below.
What You'll Need
- Dutch oven
- Chef's knife
- measuring cups
- cutting board
- wooden spoon
- fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water (room temp or colder)
- 2 pounds chicken legs and wings (skin on)
- 2 large carrots
- bunch of celery
- 2 medium onions
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 10 whole peppercorns
Instructions
Step #1: Prep Step
Chop carrots, onions, and celery and set aside.
Step #2: Go Dutch
In Dutch oven, combine all ingredients, then slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about four hours. Skim foam from top of stock as needed.
Step #3: No Strain No Gain
Remove from heat. Then, carefully strain stock into container for storage. Discard chicken, vegetables, and spices. Refrigerate overnight, then skim the congealed fat from the surface before using in cooking.
Other Variations
Now that we've shared some from scratch ways to update chicken noodle soup, it's time to delve into some other options to adjust our base recipe.
- We love the ease of crockpot cooking, so highly recommend a simpler process for busy weeknights. Enter homemade crockpot chicken noodle soup. It provides all of the flavor with much less effort.
- We also love to play around with using different stock bases. For a more robust flavor profile, consider adding homemade beef stock instead of chicken. You could also substitute homemade chicken broth instead of stock; broth and stock are very similar but broth cuts the cooking time in half for faster flavor building. Additionally, we like changing it up with homemade vegetable stock as an option.
- Another easy way to switch up classic chicken noodle soup is with the pasta choice. Our recipe above calls for egg noodles, but occasionally we like using orzo instead. This rice-like pasta is comfort food heaven and would go perfectly in soup. Some home cooks like other pasta types like penne, fettuccine, or fusilli. The possibilities are truly endless, so mix and match until you find your favorite. For a low-carb friendly option, we like riced cauliflower. It's a great way to sneak more veggie power into an already nutritious meal.