Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients
Naturally, the chicken is slow-cooked to a delicious perfection along with carrots, celery, onions, noodles, and fresh herbs.
CHICKEN & BROTH
A whole chicken yields tender soup meat and a delicious stock.
Homemade: To make a flavorful broth, simmer a whole chicken with some vegetables, seasonings, and water (I leave the skin on the onion for color). When the vegetables are too soft to add to the soup, strain the broth thoroughly through cheesecloth and throw them away (I usually eat the flavorful veggies as a snack). Eight bone-in chicken thighs should be used if you don’t have a whole chicken.
Store-Bought: You can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, or simmer boneless chicken thighs or breasts in low-sodium chicken broth for approximately 12 to 14 minutes, if you’re using store-bought broth (or if you already have homemade stock to use).
VEGETABLES Carrots and celery ribs are traditional additions, but onions add flavor. You can add any kind of vegetable, and frozen veggies also work well. You can add some diced potatoes, spinach, a few garlic cloves, or other favorite ingredients.
NOODLES Any type of pasta will do for chicken noodle soup, but my favorite is egg noodles. In this recipe, we also love homemade egg noodles that can be made well in advance and frozen.
Making homemade broth is very simple, and because this recipe calls for a whole chicken, it has an amazing flavor. Although it may not sound remarkable, boiled chicken is one of life’s basic pleasures.
While you go about your other tasks, you can simmer a chicken with some veggies in water to get delicious broth and tender meat that will make for great meals all week long!
Add dried or fresh herbs, such as rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley.
What Noodles Do You Use for Chicken Noodle Soup?
We are obsessed with Homemade Egg Noodles. I do suggest egg noodles if you don’t want to make the noodles from scratch (it only takes about 30 minutes!), as they come together so quickly and can be used right away in this delicious soup!
It’s best to prepare the egg noodles in advance of starting the soup if you’re making them from scratch. After the soup begins to simmer, I’ve started the egg noodles, but since you only have 20 minutes, you’ll need to schedule time to spend in the kitchen making this soup. This is the approach I take on a chilly Sunday afternoon when the kids can help me in the kitchen!
You might have noticed that I added raw chicken to the pot in both the recipe and the video. Since most recipes call for cooked chicken, I had never tried this before, but I was eager to give it a try. In the end, I gave in and put the chicken in the dry pot to partially cook it without completely browning the outside. You are essentially boiling the chicken pieces for 20 minutes, which is plenty of time for them to reach 165°F as boiling is usually over 212°F. Don’t worry, though; the chicken DOES cook through completely.
It’s optional, but I used a combination of chicken breasts and thighs. I have made this recipe entirely with chicken thighs because I love the extra flavor they add, but it does need to be strained before serving because there is a lot of fat around the top of the pot. You can still get amazing results whether you use all thigh meat, all breast meat, or a combination of the two.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3, and even though it requires some time, you can spend the majority of that time relaxing while the soup simmers!
- Use the recipe below to simmer an entire chicken with onions and carrots or celery.
- Strain broth and remove meat from the bones.
- Cook the broth and carrots and celery. Stir in chicken and cooked noodles.
Take off the heat and add pepper, fresh parsley, and, if desired, a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with a club sandwich or grilled cheese for a traditional soup and sandwich combo.
Plan for Leftovers
When serving, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl if you want to have leftovers. If left in the broth for the entire night, it will become mushy (or frozen in the broth).
We don’t often have leftover chicken noodle soup because it’s so good, but it can be easily frozen or refrigerated until you’re ready to eat it for meal prep. Because they don’t hold up well, keep in mind to cook and store the egg noodles separately.
- To Store: Before placing it in the refrigerator, make sure it has completely cooled. Make sure it’s in a tightly sealed container. If it lasts that long, it should last about a week. Store the noodles in a different sandwich bag or container.
- To Freeze: Noodle soup made with chicken can be frozen, but only after it has completely cooled down (no noodles included). Let it cool in the refrigerator for the entire night, and then transfer it into freezer bags labeled with the date or store it in a freezer-safe container. It should keep about 4 months.
- To Warm Up: Transfer the soup into a bowl and place it in the microwave or a stovetop stockpot. Easy enough!.
