This easy homemade chicken noodle soup recipe makes the best chicken noodle soup! It is delicious, made from scratch, and a family favorite! My recipe comes together in three easy steps with options for serving in 30 minutes.
Homemade chicken noodle soup makes a classic, comforting, and cozy meal.
I’m sharing my stovetop and Instant Pot instructions, allowing you to choose your favorite cooking method. It is also great as a make-ahead meal and is freezer-friendly.
Follow my tips to make the best chicken noodle soup that I turn to time and again.
Table of Contents
Making homemade chicken noodle soup is so easy that we sometimes can make it harder than it needs to be. With my recipe, I give you options to make it based on the ingredients and time you have available.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients for this easy homemade chicken noodle soup recipe.
- Butter: Adds a rich flavor to the vegetables as they cook.
- Olive oil: Used along with the butter to saute the vegetables.
- Carrots: Delicious and a great source of Vitamins A and C.
- Celery ribs: A good source of Vitamins A, C, and K.
- Thyme: Adds a depth of flavor to the soup.
- Stone House Seasoning: My favorite house blend of garlic, salt, and pepper. You can also substitute with simple salt and pepper if you prefer.
- Chicken stock or broth: I love to use my homemade chicken stock from organic chicken. It adds a deep, rich flavor that takes the flavor of this soup over the top! You can also substitute with a high-quality store-bought chicken stock or broth.
- Chicken: For the chicken, you can use a whole chicken, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or a mixture. You can also use cooked leftover or rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy soup.
- Pasta: You can use egg noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti, shapes, or your favorite pasta.
- Parsley: (optional) Adds freshness and color to the final soup.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup
Making this soup on the stovetop is exactly how my Grandmother made it and definitely easier than you may think. The kitchen smells amazing as the chicken simmers on the stove along with the fresh vegetables.
- Saute the vegetables. Cook the vegetables in the butter and olive oil for about 3 minutes.
- Add chicken stock and chicken. Add the chicken stock, water, and chicken to the vegetables. Cook the chicken. Remove, shred, and return it to the soup.
- Add noodles and seasoning. Add the noodles and seasonings. Cook until the noodles are done and serve.
What Chicken to Use for Soup
You may be wondering what is the best cut of chicken to use for your chicken noodle soup. My absolute favorite is to use whole organic chicken since it produces a thick, rich, and flavorful broth that is amazing in this soup. You can also use a whole chicken that has already been cut into pieces, a mixture of chicken legs and thighs, or even leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy option. Use chicken breasts and broth if you are looking for a mild-flavored soup.
Quick and Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
For a quick and easy homemade chicken noodle soup, use about 3 cups of cooked and shredded chicken. You may want to cook a whole chicken in advance or use leftover or rotisserie chicken.
What is the Best Pasta to Use in Chicken Noodle Soup
The pasta you use in your chicken noodle soup is a matter of preference. I love to use fettuccini noodles, my Grandmother loved to use egg noodles, and when my son was little, I would use thin spaghetti noodles that I would break into 1-inch pieces so they were easier for him. I would also sometimes use star-shaped noodles and even letters. I’ve included a list of favorites below so that you can also pick your favorite.
Egg Noodles – Egg noodles have more eggs than traditional pasta. Thick egg noodles are delicious in chicken noodle soup. I prefer to use the short, dried, twisted variety in this soup as it doesn’t seem to fall apart as easily as the fresh pasta in the refrigerated section when using the Instant Pot.
Fettuccini – Thick fettuccini noodles make a great pasta for this soup and are my go-to pasta of choice when making my recipe. They are wide enough to allow for a bite.
Spaghetti Noodles – Another great pasta to use is spaghetti. This is generally the pantry staple pasta and makes for a quick go-to addition to chicken noodle soup in a hurry. You can use your favorite thickness of spaghetti noodles – from thin to thicker – to find the one you love!
Shapes – Fun shapes are great to include in this soup for children and adults! We have loved using stars, the alphabet, and other fun shapes throughout the years!
Storage Tips
To make ahead. Prepare your soup as instructed and keep it warm in the slow cooker for up to 30 minutes before serving.
Additionally, you can cook as instructed without adding the noodles to the soup. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve the soup, bring it to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is cooked to your desired level of tenderness, and serve.
To store. Allow the soup to cool. Then, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze. Prepare your soup without adding pasta to it. Allow to cool and store in a freezer-friendly container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw, boil, and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is cooked to your preference, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the most flavorful chicken noodle soup, use chicken stock. It is rich in chicken flavor and produces a thicker soup base.
You can use chicken breast to make chicken noodle soup. For a deeper flavor, it is also recommended to include dark meat of the chicken, such as bone-in chicken thighs.
If you tried this Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Related Recipes
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot for Instant Pot Method
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 medium celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon Stone House Seasoning
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth, homemade or store-bought OR chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 whole (about 2-3 pounds) organic chicken, or chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or mixture or 3 cups cooked and shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken
- 1 (8-ounce) package pasta, egg noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon parsley, fresh, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Stovetop Chicken Noodle Soup
- Add butter and olive oil to a Dutch oven or 6-quart stockpot. Sauté the carrots and celery in the butter and olive oil until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock or broth and water. Add the chicken. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165º F when checked with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred and return to the pot. (If using cooked and shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken, add to the pot and stir to combine.)
- Add the noodles to the pot and cook according to package directions. Add seasonings and serve.
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (30 Minutes)
- Set your Instant Pot to the saute setting. Add your butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt. Stir in your carrots and celery and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add your chicken broth, water, chicken, thyme, and Stone House Seasoning. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set on the Manual setting for 12 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release and then carefully remove the lid of your Instant Pot. Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Place the chicken into a large bowl. Remove the skin and shred chicken into small, bite-sized pieces using two forks. Discard the skin and bones.
- Add your noodles to your soup and return the Instant Pot to the saute setting, bringing the soup to a boil to cook the noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
can you substitute turkey for chicken?
Dana, you can substitute turkey if you wish.
Nice filling soup, provided a light Saturday supper tonight on Jan 7th. along with a few chunks of Garlic bread. I added a couple of mushrooms remaining from New Years’ groceries shopping. Lots of tweaking possibilities here too.
Thanks, David. So glad you enjoyed the soup!
Robyn, I’m sorry but I’m an single Dad who has learned to cook and loves your blog. Stupid question…but am I using a raw whole chicken in this soup or a pre-cooked one? Thank you!
Jay, you will use raw chicken in this recipe. Cook it until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165ºF so the chicken is done when cooking on the stovetop. I hope you enjoy!