Our easy homemade chicken noodle soup recipe has tender chicken, fresh veggies, and the most delicious broth that tastes like it’s been cooking for hours.
This homemade chicken noodle soup makes me smile just thinking about it! Our family has been making this for years! Not to mention it’s my go-to soup whenever it’s chilly or someone is sick.
It tastes way better than store-bought and it’s fast! The secret is chicken thighs! They guarantee a ridiculously flavorful broth that’s ready in under 40 minutes, with most of the time being hands-off. For a creamier soup, I highly recommend this incredible creamy chicken noodle soup. For another classic chicken recipe, see this chicken pot pie.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: My secret for the best soup! Chicken thighs get super soft and delicious. You can make this soup with a whole chicken, but usually I don’t have time for that, so chicken thighs are my answer. They have a little fat, add lots of flavor, and stay tender.
- Chicken Stock: I highly recommend homemade chicken stock or chicken broth, but store-bought works! When shopping for stock, darker broth or bouillon usually means more flavor. I also love boxed bone broths (or you can make bone broth).
- Egg Noodles: I love them, but you can always substitute your favorite pasta. I’ve even swapped the noodles for tortellini like in our veggie tortellini soup!
- Veggies: I keep this soup simple with onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Feel free to add more, but these four will get you to that classic chicken soup flavor. When I have them in the fridge, I often stir in a few handfuls of fresh spinach or kale leaves.
- Thyme, Bay Leaves, and Parsley: These add a little backbone to the broth. I love fresh thyme and parsley, and then use dried bay leaves. For more of a herby soup, stir in chopped mint, basil, cilantro, or a combination just before serving.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup
Tip 1: Start your vegetables in butter. For the best flavor, I always sauté my vegetables in butter before adding any broth. You’re not really looking to brown them, just soften them a bit and cook off that raw onion and garlic flavor. If you have rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) on hand, use it instead of butter for even more flavor.
Tip 2: Taste your broth early. Once you add the broth to your softened vegetables, taste it. Store-bought broths can be light on flavor, so seasoning early helps you build a more flavorful broth. Add a little salt now, then continue adjusting as the soup cooks. This simple step separates an okay soup from one that tastes truly great.
Tip 3: Gently poach the chicken thighs. Here’s why I love using chicken thighs for this soup. They fit nicely in the pot, cook through in about 20 minutes, and release lots of flavor into the broth as they simmer. They are easy to shred, too, which is why I also use them to make our favorite shredded chicken.
Tip 4: Add the noodles last. To keep your noodles from turning mushy, add them about 10 minutes before serving. I like cooking them directly in the soup so they soak up all that delicious chicken flavor. They also release just a little starch into the broth, giving the soup a lovely, silky texture.
Tip 5: Don’t be shy with seasoning. Before serving, taste your chicken soup one last time. If it doesn’t make you smile, it probably needs a touch more salt, or a little something extra. A few dashes of fish sauce (my secret weapon) work wonders in this soup. Or brighten things up with a squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of hot sauce.
Recipe Variations
Use rotisserie chicken: For an even faster chicken soup, skip poaching and stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken toward the end of cooking. It’s a great shortcut for busy nights and still adds plenty of flavor.
Add extra vegetables: Make this soup even more nutritious and hearty by adding extra veggies. Mushrooms, spinach, kale, peas, and corn all work beautifully. Cook heartier vegetables like mushrooms with the onions and garlic, then add the quicker-cooking ones toward the end so they stay bright and tender.
Make it creamy: Stir in a splash of cream or half-and-half at the end, just like we do in our creamy chicken noodle soup. It gives the broth a silky texture and makes it more luxurious.
Substitute the noodles: Try swapping them for another pasta shape, or even broken spaghetti. For a lighter, low-carb option, use spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash strands. Or make it more filling with cooked rice, quinoa, or barley instead of noodles.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
The Best Chicken Noodle Soup
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
You will love this homemade chicken noodle soup, which skips cooking a whole chicken and calls on boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead. The soup tastes incredible, satisfying, and classic, and the significantly reduced cooking time makes it perfect for a weeknight. If you love creamy soups, take a look at this creamy chicken noodle soup, which uses the same base recipe as this one.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, 4 to 5 thighs (450g)
5 ounces egg noodles or pasta of choice (140g)
2 tablespoons butter, chicken fat, or olive oil (28g)
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped, optional
1 heaped tablespoon minced garlic, 4 cloves
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups chicken stock or broth, low sodium, or use homemade stock (1.89L)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Directions
1Cook the vegetables: Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onions turn translucent and the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 to 6 minutes.
2Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme, and cook for another minute until the garlic smells fragrant.
3Add the broth: Pour in the chicken stock and bring the soup to a gentle simmer (you should see small bubbles breaking on the surface). Taste the broth and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Depending on your stock, you may need to add a teaspoon or more of salt to build a rich, flavorful broth.
4Poach the chicken thighs: Nestle the chicken thighs into the pot so they’re fully submerged in the broth. Bring the soup back to a low simmer, then partially cover the pot, leaving a small gap for steam to escape.
5Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. If the broth reduces too much, add a splash of stock or water and lower the heat to medium-low.
6Add the noodles: Stir the noodles into the simmering soup and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of noodles you’re using (check the cook time on the package).
7Shred the chicken: While the noodles cook, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces using two forks (or dice it into cubes if you prefer).
8Finish the soup: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and taste again for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in fresh parsley, then ladle your chicken soup into bowls and enjoy!
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Refrigerate chicken noodle soup in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. As the soup sits, the noodles soak up the broth. When you reheat, add a splash of extra broth or water.
- Make ahead: Follow the recipe above, but do not add the noodles. Refrigerate or freeze the soup. When ready to reheat, bring the soup to a low simmer and add the dried noodles. Cook until they are done, and enjoy.
- Seasoning: If you feel the soup is missing some zing, add a bit more salt. You can also add a pop of flavor with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a dash of fish sauce (we use this trick for store-bought stocks and broths often) or Worcestershire sauce.
- Using rotisserie chicken: Add two to three cups of shredded or diced cooked chicken to the soup when you add the dried noodles and reduce the simmer time by 10 minutes. (I also love using leftover roasted chicken!)
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Best chicken noodle soup. It had an amazing flavor!
This was DELICIOUS! I mixed equal parts bone broth and chicken broth for a little more nutrient boost and also cooked the chicken a little in a skillet before submerging. 10/10!
Love the personal tweak. That sounds delicious! 🙂
I just made this AGAIN!!!! And again, the family Raved!!! Even my mom!!! This is truly a keeper!
Amazing, Jessica! Thank you for sharing!
My husband and I are in for the weekend because of a cold front in Texas. To stay warm and cozy, I decided to make the chicken noodle soup. My husband and I enjoy it. We finished half of the pot, it was amazingly delicious. I added potatoes, cilantro, and a little hint of lime. Looking forward to try your other recipes in the near future. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I made this tonight. Easy, and so flavorful. Really good. I will definitely make this again.
My husband & I LOVE this chicken noodle soup recipe. I made it when he had a cold last week; I figured the quasi-medicinal properties and the comfort-food-nature would help expedite him to health. AND IT DID. Wow, this is perfect on a cold winter day, paired with crusty bread. Note: I used orange, yellow, and purple carrots…the broth and the chicken turned purple. A unique experience, but it tasted fabulous regardless. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
This is wonderful, Karen! Thanks so much for coming back and letting us know.
I’m going to have to update a previous review. So I mentioned that the soup needed more broth which was mentioned in the recipe, which was easy to correct. But I thought it necessary to throw out the fact that my wife hasn’t stopped asking me to make this soup since I first made it!! In fact I think we may as well just make enough to meal prep with. Seriously she’s asked me every single day since…. I might need to check your other recipes so she can bother me about one of your others.
That’s amazing, Dylan. So happy it has become a favorite!
This is the best Chicken noodle soup I’ve ever made!!!
I just made this tonight and loved it!! However I would definitely go with an extra cup or two of broth next time. Was less brothy than I would’ve liked. However, that being said, both my wife, my 4 year old and I enjoyed it. Definitely a make again recipe. I also loved that the chicken required little work.
Glad you enjoyed it Dylan! Adding a little extra broth to make it go a bit further is a great idea!
I actually meant to give it 5 stars, but it wouldn’t let me fix it. Since making it, I must’ve made it a dozen times already to the point where I got a 12 qt stock pot just so we had enough to store and/or freeze for later. Gonna need to get another freezer because we plan on saving a bunch of these recipes for those days when we don’t want to cook. Do you have a book we could get for home?
Oh no, well, thank you for redoing it 🙂 We do not have a book (yet). We would love to share one with our readers soon, though!
This recipe was absolutely amazing. Both of my kids are incredibly picky with food and don’t normally eat chicken that isn’t in chicken nugget form – both of them gobbled up every bit of this soup and asked for seconds! This recipe is in my favorites for life.
This was Delicious!!! I really wanted to eat more but my belly was too full from my first bowl!!! I made a double batch, I can’t wait for leftovers!!!
If only I had 8 cups of broth and not just 4 cups and could have made full recipe…it was so good! Delicious, so easy. Family loved it and they all had colds. I used ramen noodles, worked well. On the “make again” list.
I made this today for my husband and son who both have a cold. I had two chicken breasts that I needed to use in my fridge, so I used those instead of the thighs. It was so quick to make and it made the whole house smell yummy. They both said that the soup was delicious, and both said I had to make another batch when this one is done because they could feel it working to make them feel better. I regularly refer to your site for recipes, and everything always turns out great. Thanks so much for sharing this healthy and healing soup.
This was super!! I used half chicken stock, half chicken broth. It turned out SO good!!
I am making it right now and just realized I used bone in and skin on. What is the difference and how to fix?
No fix necessary, in fact, your soup will benefit from the extra flavor. When shredded the cooked chicken, I’d discard the skin and bones, then just added the tender chicken back.
This soup is simple and delicious. The only thing I did differently, which I do to all of my poultry based soups, is I cube a small sweet potato and add with the veggies. It gives it a little touch of sweetness. I also added a cup of white wine rather than more salt.
This soup is amazing. I did a few things different , I used chicken thighs, and cubed them before cooking, and I used Ramen noodles. The family loved it. They’re already asking when I will make it again.
Glad you all enjoyed it, Brian. Thanks for coming back!
I have made this Chicken Noodle soup several times and love the simple step by step recipes as well as hitting to see you explain the process on your video. I find that the combination of both really help in making this a success EVERY TIME! Thank you so much for all your time and caring for all of us. Means the world! Happy Halloween! Sally
This is so very kind of you, Sally! We are thrilled you enjoy the soup so much and thank you for all of your support!
Our family’s favorite cozy meal! We’ve been making it since my son was 2, he’s 8 now and still loves it. So happy I found Adam and Joanne’s site!
Absolutely delicious and so easy 🙂 The chicken thighs stay so tender and I loved cooking them right in the broth. This recipe is perfection!! Thank you!
This soup sounds terrific! Could you possibly give me nutritional info on potassium content? I have CKD and have to closely watch my potassium intake. Thanks, Sarah Brattain
Hi Sarah, We are so happy that you enjoy the soup so much! We are only comfortable providing the nutrition estimates shown on the recipe and recommend that you consult a trusted calculator for other nutrients like potassium.
I made a big triple batch for church fellowship and it was a hit! I had several people comment that it was the best chicken noodle soup they have ever had. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Wow, Sarah! That’s amazing. Thank you so much for coming back and letting us know.
Making this now. Me and my wife can’t wait to try it. 😊
I made this twice and it came out really delicious, I even surprised myself. Also added half a lemon worth of juice in the end. But from start to finish it took me 2.5 hours each time, maybe I’m a noob – so here’s a noob question: why are we adding separate chicken broth, doesn’t the act of cooking the chicken already make broth/stock?
Hi Lilly, So glad you enjoyed it, and that lemon juice at the end sounds perfect! You’re right that cooking chicken does make some broth. We only use thighs here, which add some flavor but not as much as stock made with bones. That’s why we add extra broth. It builds a deeper, richer flavor base for the soup. And you’re not a noob at all — great question!
Your chicken noodle soup with thighs sounds great. Can’t wait to try. All his lunches has to be made from scratch as is a CHF patient for 8 years now. No processed foods..
FYI–great recipe–I’m retired and a 24/7 caretaker for my wife. I like good, easy recipes. This one does it–buttt, I’m not a “follow to the T” type of cook. There’s just the two of us so I cut (eyeballed) the recipe in half (but 6 cups of broth) . I had a frozen 1/2 chicken breast that I thawed, diced up (I don’t like stringy meat) and fried separately. I also used “remaining” spaghetti (didn’t measure), broke it up and threw it in the broth. And I added Italian seasoning as well. It turned out GREAT and didn’t take long to make. Plus I have enough left over for another meal. Just remember you can always add seasoning–“you can’t take it back!”
This soup is the closest to my own homemade that I have seen so far online. The only suggestions I would make are to also add fresh chopped rosemary and sage. My only other one is to use Tone’s chicken soup base or Better Than Bouillion roasted chicken flavor. These will also amp up the umami of store bought broth or stock. You can also use a rotisserie chicken as well, allowing you to vary the flavor a little, plus it is already cooked. (Forgive me, I am a chicken soup nut.)
Hi William, Thanks for sharing! I’m a fan of Better Than Bouillion, too and think it adds a nice, rich flavor to soups. Love all of your tips. Happy cooking!
Delicious. Complete novice at making soup but this recipe didn’t disappoint! I didn’t have celery so left that out but other than that I stuck to the recipe. 14year old and 5year old both loved it so it’s a win for this mum 🙂
Oh that’s wonderful, Natalie! Thank you for coming back and I am so happy the kids enjoyed it!
Absolutely love this soup! I add about a 2 inch nub of ginger finely chopped and a table spoon or two of chilli paste just as the veggies are cooking to make it a real winter warmer and fight any colds in the house.
Oh yum, I love your additions of ginger and chili paste!