How to make chicken noodle soup
This is a synopsis with all the ingredients.
- In a soup pot, melt the butter and oil, then sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for five to seven minutes, or slightly longer. A little light browning adds more flavor.
- Add the garlic and stir. Next, add the water, chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, and chicken broth. After bringing the soup to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot with a slightly ajar lid, and simmer for fifteen minutes.
- When the chicken is cooked and the noodles are al dente, uncover the pot, add the egg noodles, and simmer. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, or chop it up, then return it to the pot. Use salt to season the soup.
- If you’d like, you can replace the egg noodles with another type of pasta.
- If you don’t like a certain herb in the Italian blend or have only 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme on hand, you can substitute it for the dried Italian seasoning.
- Rather than combining chicken broth with water as I do, you can use just chicken broth. I prefer that there is only one 32-ounce/four-cup carton of broth to open.
- If you like, you can add a few tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to brighten the flavor—something I frequently do!
Why you’ll love it
When a friend is sick, nothing beats a steaming hot bowl of traditional chicken noodle soup, or you can make it for yourself when you’re feeling down. My favorite simple and comforting chicken soup is this one.
Although my Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is a popular recipe among readers, this recipe for chicken soup could be considered the classic. It’s simple in the best possible way, which means that with just a few cheap pantry staples, you can whip up an incredibly delicious homemade soup.
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Carrots, celery, and onions make a flavorful and nutritious foundation for a variety of soups and sauces. Although I like sweet Vidalia onions best, yellow or white onions will do
- I can’t help but add a little garlic for additional savory depth. Using my reliable garlic press, chopping garlic is easy and requires no peeling of the cloves.
- Chicken broth – it’s another savory layer of flavor
- Chicken breasts – boneless, skinless is what I picked. They cook right in the soup.
- If you read my blog regularly, you probably already know that I love this aromatic herb blend called Italian seasoning because it’s so good and comes in a handy jar.
- Noodles: I adore the thick and substantial egg noodles in this soup.
- Parsley – for a burst of freshness
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Variations
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup: To make this soup, add two to four tablespoons of heavy cream or half-and-half.
- Add Lemon: To make this soup akin to lemon chicken soup, add three to four lemon slices.
- Mexican-Inspired Soup: Chop up some diced tomatoes and cubed avocado, add a couple of lime slices, and replace the noodles with rice. As we do in this chicken tortilla soup, you can even add chopped corn tortillas.
- Add Umami: For an incredibly satisfying, umami-packed soup, try adding a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, some mushroom powder, or a few dashes of fish sauce.
- Add More Vegetables: To make the soup more vegetable-heavy, swirl in some fresh spinach or kale toward the end of cooking.
- Try potatoes, winter squash, rice, quinoa, or grains in place of the noodles. Add the onions and carrots to the pot, then add some hearty vegetables (like potatoes). Add cooked rice and other grains when using them.
- Use Tortellini: For this vegetarian tortellini soup, I love to use cheese-filled pasta.
