Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 ½ cups wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the bay leaves and chicken stock, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- After adding the chicken and bringing it to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer it covered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken, allow to cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces, throwing away any bones.
- Cook the pasta and chicken for 6-7 minutes, or until they are tender.
- Take off the heat and mix in the lemon juice, dill, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup
I start by sweating my veggies in some butter. I’m not looking to brown them. Before adding the broth, I just want to give them a little head start. Next, I add my broth and taste for seasoning. This is a great time to check the saltiness of your broth. Seasoning early on is always a great idea.
Once my broth is to my liking, it’s time to add the chicken thighs. We poach them gently in the broth, which keeps our chicken juicy and tender and adds flavor to the soup. The chicken will be cooked after 20 minutes, at which point we can remove and shred it. I add my noodles, the chicken shreds, and some freshly chopped parsley. This soup is so simple to make and tastes amazing!.
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.
