About the Chicken Stock:
For this recipe, homemade chicken stock is the best option if you’re wondering whether to use store-bought or homemade. The key is to use a rotisserie chicken so that you can use the meat from the bird and use the leftover carcass and bones to make chicken broth. You won’t believe how simple it is, and the depth of flavor it adds really elevates the soup to a whole new level.
1. Using only breast meat.
Making this traditional soup with chicken breast is perfectly acceptable. Any (or all) parts of the chicken can be used, but since chicken breasts are bland, adding them to the soup on their own won’t give it any additional flavor or richness.
→ Use this advice: If you’re not using a whole chicken, use bone-in chicken thighs or a mix of thigh and breast meat. More flavor and richness are added to the soup by the tender, juicy meat of the chicken thighs than by the breast meat alone.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup:
Use a rotisserie chicken to make homemade chicken stock in advance, or select a high-quality brand from the store.
Sauté veggies. Put butter, chopped carrots, and celery in a big stock pot and heat it to medium-high. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add chicken stock or broth. Add pepper, salt (make sure to taste the broth before adding extra salt), and a small pinch of crushed red pepper, sage, and rosemary to the broth. If necessary, I might also add a tiny spoonful of “better than bullion” chicken or chicken bouillon powder, depending on how it tastes.
Add noodles and boil. When boiling, add the noodles (dried store-bought pasta or the raw homemade egg noodles) and cook until just al dente. When using store-bought noodles, take care not to overcook them; they will continue to cook off of the heat, so take the soup pot off of the heat as soon as the noodles are just barely tender.
Add chicken. Add chicken meat from the rotisserie chicken. Taste the broth again and add more seasonings, if needed.
Serve. If you enjoy this recipe, you should try my new Chicken and Dumpling Soup! I love to serve this nutritious soup with homemade rolls or this simple No Knead Bread!
