Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe. This recipe has everything you need for a comforting meal, a sick day or a meal prep. Here is how you can make an easy soup at home. Let’s find out more.
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe, (Step-by-Step Guide at Home)
If you love to cook comfort food, then chicken noodle soup Recipe is a favorite. It is more than just a warm and nutritious healing food. If you want a quick meal to share with your family or you are suffering from a cold, then soup is a very useful and everyone’s favorite. Below is the complete step-by-step recipe, so let’s start making it.
Table of Contents
Gather the ingredients:
Ingredients for the soup:
- Olive oil 1 tablespoon or unsalted butter
- Bay leaves 2
- Chicken broth 8 cups low sodium (store bought or homemade)
- Celery stalks 2 chopped
- Garlic cloves 3 finely chopped
- Yellow onion 1 small chopped
- Carrots 3 (peeled and sliced into rounds)
- Dried celery 1 teaspoon or crown celery 1 tablespoon
- Dried parsley 1 teaspoon
- Pepper and salt to taste
- Egg noodles 2 cups (or noodles of your choice)
- Chicken 3 cups shredded, cooked (boiled or rotisserie)
Optional (if you are making this for the first time at home, do not use this as you may not like it)
Lemon juice 1 teaspoon for brightness
Fresh dill for garnish Or add chives
Homemade stock or reduced sodium chicken broth 8 cups
Bay leaf 1
Dried celery 1 teaspoon
Pepper and salt to taste
Ingredients for the Chicken:
1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, thighs or skinless chicken breasts (use bone-in for a different flavor and remove the bones later.)
Ingredients for the Noodles:
Egg noodles 2–3 cups (you can always use wide-bodied eggs, this is great. You can substitute rotini or ditalini if needed.)
Add-ins optional:
Chopped parsley for garnish
A squeeze of lemon juice for brightness (not too much)
A little crushed red pepper for heat Use
You can also add the back of the red pepper for a little heat
What equipment do you need
Knife and cutting board
Dutch oven or large soup pot
Ladle or wooden spoon
Spoon and measuring cups
Saucepan if cooking noodles separately (optional)
How long to cook:
Prepare all ingredients for 20 minutes.
Cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Note, this time may increase or decrease if you have more or less food to cook, so make sure to check that it’s done.
Recipe Step-by-Step
Step 1: Prepare all your ingredients.
( Pro tip: Whenever you cook, before you start, wash and chop all the vegetables and then you can use them quickly without delay, this can save you time. )
Wash the vegetables
Chop the onion,
Peel the carrot and chop it into round pieces,
Finely chop the garlic and
Chop the celery stalk.
Note for using chicken For cooked chicken (such as rotisserie), chop or mince about 2 to 3 cups and set aside. If you cook raw chicken, see step 3a below.
If using cooked chicken (such as rotisserie), chop or chop about 2-3 cups and set aside. If cooking raw chicken, see step 3A below.
Step 2: Sauté the Vegetables:
In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter over medium heat.
Add chopped onions, carrots, and celery, which is used to flavor many soups, known as mirepoix.
Saute over medium heat for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent.
Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for 1 more minute, being careful not to burn.
3A: (Optional) How to Cook the Chicken:
Whenever you cook chicken, cook it from scratch.
How to Cook Raw Chicken: (If you are not using pre-cooked chicken)
Set the vegetable pot aside. We will learn how to make raw chicken.
Add skinless chicken breasts or thighs, boneless – 1-1½ pounds.
Broth – 8 cups (make sure the chicken is completely submerged)
Add black pepper, thyme, bay leaf and a pinch of salt.
Let the chicken cook completely and cook uncovered at 165°F for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
When the chicken is tender, remove it and use two forks to shred it in a separate bowl.
If you are using cooked chicken, skip this step.
3B: Seasoning and Chicken Broth Method
After roasting vegetables: Add 8 cups of chicken broth.
Then add black pepper, celery, bay leaf, parsley and a pinch of salt and stir well. Raise the heat slightly to bring the soup to a boil.
When the soup starts boiling, lower the heat and leave it uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes to let the flavors mingle. This will give out a nice aroma and make the soup your favorite.
Method of making broth:
Use 8 cups of chicken broth to make broth. If you have bought it from the store, use low sodium so that the salt level is controlled.
Now add,
1 teaspoon dried celery or you can take fresh celery sprigs
some black pepper flakes and a pinch of salt, mix well and boil lightly.
Step 4: Using Chicken:
Add chopped and cooked chicken to the pot and mix well, then let it boil slowly for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors mingle well and the chicken gets heated through.
Method of cutting the chicken:
When your chicken is cooked, take it out of the pot using tongs and place it on a cutting board or plate. Leave it for 5 minutes so that it cools down a bit. After this, use two forks to shred the meat. Remove any bones or skin if used.
Step 5: Now cooking the noodles
There are two options given for cooking the noodles, you can use any of them.
Option A: Cook the noodles in the soup
Add two cups of noodles to the uncooked egg. Boil the noodles for 10 to 12 minutes until they are soft.
Note: When you want to store leftover noodles, consider cooking them again because the noodles absorb the broth while sitting, which can cause them to stick together.
Option B: Cook the noodles in a separate bowl first to avoid storing them.
First, take a saucepan and boil salted water in it and cook two cups of noodles according to the package instructions.
After cooking, drain the noodles under cold water and rinse them lightly so that they don’t stick together.
Use the same bowl when serving so that the leftover noodles don’t get soggy.
Step 6: Adjust and taste:
You can add salt and pepper to make the soup even better. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to add brightness. Be sure not to overdo it.
To make the soup thicker, you can add a splash of chicken bouillon or better than bouillon to thicken the broth, which will make a difference in the taste of the suet.
Step 7: How to Serve and Garnish:
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add,
Crushed black pepper
Crew parsley or dill or chives
A drizzle of hot sauce or olive oil (optional)
Now you can serve this soup with crusty bread, grilled cheese or saltine crackers. This is a great accompaniment to this dish that will become a favorite and you are done.
Tips and Variations
For a spicy flavor, you can use a pinch of crushed jalapenos or red pepper.
For a low carb version, replace the noodles with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
For a creamy version, you can add ½ cup of heavy cream or half-and-half to the water.
For extra veggies, use spinach, corn and peas to cook in the last 5 minutes.
To enhance the flavour:
You can use parmesan rind while boiling, use homemade chicken stock if you have it available.
Whenever you roast vegetables, add a little white wine to it, it enhances the flavour even more)
How to use Storage and Freezing
How to store:
Let the soup cool completely before storing. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Note: If you add noodles to the soup, it will absorb the broth, so when you want to use it again, heat it up and add some broth.
Freezing:
The best way is to refrigerate the soup without the noodles.
To preserve the chilled soup, place it in a container or bag in the freezer that has room to expand.
Freeze for up to 1-2 months.
How to reheat:
To reheat frozen soup, heat it on the stovetop on medium heat. And add fresh noodles to serve
Noodle Variations:
Healthier flavors for noodles and use of whole wheat eggs.
For gluten-free, try rice noodles.
You can also try ditalini and orzo pasta.
Key points: Will you like this chicken noodle soup and why?
Simple Ingredients: Use fridge staples or all pantry finds
Comfort Food and Classic: Heartwarming, filling and nutritious
Adaptable: Make it with veggies or spices or herbs
Family and Guest Friendly: This is a great and delicious recipe for kids, adults and fussy eaters
Nutrition Facts (approximately per serving)
- 300 calories
- 20 grams carbs
- 2 grams fiber
- 10 grams fat
- 25 grams protein
- 800 milligrams sodium (this depends on the broth)
Different protein options:
Protein options:
Use leftover rotisserie chicken.
You can add chopped and cooked turkey for taste.
What to add to vegetables:
Use spinach, corn, green beans, peas or bananas.
To avoid overcooking, add frozen vegetables at the end.
Answers to your frequently asked questions
Q. Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes you can, it saves time and tastes better, but once the broth is boiling, chop it up and add it.
Q. Can this be made in a slow cooker?
You can, except for the noodles, you can put everything in a slow cooker and cook for 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high, then add the noodles in the last 30 minutes. If you are making more or less, the time will vary, so pay attention to that.
Q. What do you think is the best noodles?
You all may like different noodles, but I think everyone likes the classic egg noodles, but everyone also likes ditalini, rotini, or orzo.
Q. How do I thicken the soup?
You can take 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and add 2 tablespoons of water or else you can use mashed potatoes or blended vegetables which are perfect for thickening soups. Avoid adding too much of the thickener.
Final Thoughts
Homemade chicken noodle soup is a comforting experience. It is nutritious and easy to make. It has a strong aroma and gives you a soothing feeling while making it.
This soup is a perfect savior for you whenever you need it.
If you are serving a meal then you can use the soup.
So let’s get ready to make this dish with us. Grab the utensils, gather the vegetables and make classic homemade chicken noodle soup. After making and eating this, you will never want to eat outside soup again.