5 from 16 votes

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. Full Disclosure Policy.

This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe is pure comfort food. It is simple but full of flavor! Using basic ingredients, you can have this delicious soup on the table fast!

If you want something even cozier than soup, make this chicken and dumplings next.

chicken noodle soup in a white bowl

Would you like to save this recipe?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

I work from home, but so many of my friends and family are also now stuck in the house! Although none of us are sick yet, schools are closed and major community events are canceled or postponed. This means I need easy food that doesn’t have a ton of ingredients and is quick to make!

If you need comfort food and have only pantry staples, this soup is going to make you very happy! If you have carrots, onions, celery, broth, and any kind of pasta – we’re in business!

Making soup from scratch really isn’t difficult and sure beats the canned varieties. This is a really basic recipe that you can make quickly have on the table in about 20-30 minutes.

This is a soup I make whenever we’re not feeling well, or just need a soup-day. When anyone in my household gets a cold and feels miserable, this soup is always on the menu! It’s exactly what we all feel like.

My kids love this soup – I mean, what is not to love? Chicken, veggies and noodles are all good things. I feel good knowing that I can make delicious food to comfort my family, that they will actually eat and enjoy. I feel like there are bonus points when my kids eat what I make without complaint.

Check out my Turkey Rice Soup, which is great for using up leftover chicken, too!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze chicken noodle soup?

Yes, if you PLAN to freeze the soup, store the noodles separately. When you reheat, you can add the noodles then and they’ll cook in the broth.
To freeze – cool the soup completely, and place in airtight containers with lids. Leave a little room for it to expand when it freezes.
To reheat – thaw and warm gently in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Is chicken noodle soup good for you?

Yes! Especially if you use homemade chicken stock or broth made from simmering chicken bones and vegetables.

What kind of chicken to use?

I make chicken noodle soup with chicken breast, but you can use a rotisserie chicken, leftover roasted chicken. Whatever you have. I have included how to cook chicken JUST for soup, below.

What kind of noodles?

Egg noodles are GREAT, as is orzo, ditalini, shells – any small pasta will be amazing in this. If you’re into tiny pasta in cozy broth, you’ll love pastina for an easy comfort bowl.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It uses basic ingredients like chicken breasts, carrots, onions, celery, chicken stock, and seasoning.
  • The recipe is super easy to follow (and I’ve included pictures of the steps below).
  • You can use homemade chicken broth (or stock – recipe below)
  • Chicken noodle soup is healthy – and will fill your tummy without irritating it as well as hydrate you while you recover!

For more soup, how about my 15 bean soup (made in the crockpot), Corn Chowder, or this YUMMY Chicken Tortilla Soup?!

I have included step-by-step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.

chicken noodle soup in a white bowl

Kylee’s Notes

Add a couple of bay leaves while simmering for a yummy savory flavor. Remove before serving!

A fresh squeeze of lemon juice will really brighten this soup.

If you don’t have carrots, onions or celery, you can use whatever you have. Vegetable noodle soup is totally a thing.

Keep the basic amounts the same (vegetables and liquids), and play around with seasoning types. Italian seasoning is a good one that most people have, and it does very well in this soup.

Freezing instructions

To freeze – cool the soup completely, and place in airtight containers with lids. Leave a little room for it to expand when it freezes.
To reheat – thaw and warm gently in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Key Recipe Ingredients

Remember: this is just an overview and the why of the ingredients I choose here. The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below

ingredients in chicken noodle soup
How to make Chicken Stock
This recipe for Chicken Stock is so easy, and requires very little hands-on attention from you, and results in some delicious, very cost-friendly chicken stock.
Check it out!
chicken stock in mason jars with carrots, celery, rosemary

How to cook chicken for soup

It’s super easy. I typically use leftover rotisserie chicken, but whenever I have a hankering to make this, here’s what I do:

Poaching
Add chicken breasts, a little salt and pepper and enough water or chicken broth to cover the chicken to a saucepan. Heat to a simmer, and cook until chicken reaches 165F. Cool completely, before dicing.

Instant Pot

Season the chicken breasts, and add to the instant pot, using the trivet. Add 1 cup of water or chicken broth to the pot.

Cover, seal and set to high pressure for 10 minutes. Do a quick release. Cool completely before dicing.

How to make chicken noodle soup from scratch

Jump

Melt some butter in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat and cook the onion, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the veggies soften then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (or until carrots are cooked and pasta is tender)

how to make chicken noodle soup from scratch

Try these easy soup recipes:

chicken noodle soup in a white bowl

Get free recipes in your inbox!
Find me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram.
If you make this recipe, please comment and let me know how it turned out and leave a star rating! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A bowl of chicken noodle soup with diced chicken, tube pasta, carrots, celery, and herbs in broth, placed on a wooden surface next to a striped cloth and spoon.
5 from 16 votes

Chicken Noodle Soup

Servings 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
 This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe is pure comfort food. It is simple but full of flavor! Using basic ingredients, you can have this delicious soup on the table fast!

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 celery stalks diced
  • 4 large carrots peeled and diced
  • 64 ounces chicken stock
  • 2-3 large chicken breasts cooked and diced
  • 1 1/2 cup small pasta we used ditalini
  • 2-3 tablespoons poultry seasoning

Instructions

  • In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 3 cloves garlic (minced), 1 onion (diced), and 4 celery stalks (diced). Cook until the celery and onions are translucent.
  • Add the remaining ingredients (64 ounces chicken stock, 4 large carrots (peeled and diced), 2-3 large chicken breasts, 1 1/2 cup small pasta, and 2-3 tablespoons poultry seasoning).
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Notes

NOTE: If you are making this ahead of time, or planning to freeze it – cook the pasta separately, and add to each bowl when serving. Otherwise the pasta absorbs all the broth!

Would you like to save this recipe?

We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 871mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 7097IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Did you make this recipe?

Make sure to follow @kyleecooks on Instgram for more and tag me #kyleecooks so I can see!

UpdateThis was originally posted in 2012, and has been updated with new photos to improve reader experience.

Kylee Cooks in the kitchen

About Kylee Ayotte

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee

5 from 16 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

15 Comments

  1. EA The Spicy RD says:

    I love how easy this recipe was! I made it with gluten free noodles. So comforting & delicious!

  2. Amy Liu Dong says:

    Chicken noodle soup is one of our favorite comfort food to eat in our home and this will not last for an hour once you made it. DELICIOUS!

  3. Oh, I just made Chicken Soup and the recipe is very similar! So delicious, I had to have an extra bowl!

  4. Homemade chicken noodle soup is what we all want to eat right now. Your’s looks comforting and delicious!

  5. Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says:

    Who doesn’t need a soup day these scary days?! Your comforting homemade chicken noodle soup sounds and looks like a pretty good answer. Thank you!

More You'll Love