Experience the ultimate comfort in a bowl. This classic chicken noodle soup is light, warm, and incredibly soothing. Packed with tender chicken, wholesome vegetables, and hearty egg noodles in a rich, savory broth, it is the perfect meal for a cozy night in or whenever you need a wholesome pick-me-up.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil (or butter)
- 1 medium Yellow onion (chopped)
- 3 medium Carrots (peeled and sliced into rounds)
- 2 stalks Celery (chopped)
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 8 cups Chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
- 1/2 tsp Dried thyme (or oregano)
- 2.5 cups Cooked chicken (shredded or diced – rotisserie chicken works great)
- 2 cups Wide egg noodles (dry)
- 2 tbsp Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
- 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery (the mirepoix). Sauté for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and the onions become translucent.
- Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme, cooking for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt and black pepper, and bring the soup to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are completely tender.
- Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and the dry egg noodles. Simmer uncovered for about 5-8 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked to your desired tenderness.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the freshly chopped parsley, taste the broth to adjust the salt and pepper if necessary, and serve hot!
Nutrition
Calories: 211kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 19gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 1630mgPotassium: 396mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5310IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg
The Ultimate Comfort Food
When it comes to pure, restorative comfort, nothing beats a steaming, warm bowl of classic homemade chicken noodle. It is light on the stomach yet deeply satisfying, making it an absolute must-have that easily claims a top spot among the top 10 best soup recipes ever. It is the culinary equivalent of a warm hug on a cold day.
Why This is One of the Top 10 Best Soup Recipes Ever
This timeless classic isn’t just popular because of nostalgia; it is fundamentally a perfect recipe. Here is why this comforting bowl outshines the rest:
- Incredibly Customizable: The beauty of this soup is its flexibility. You can easily swap the egg noodles for rice, add extra greens like spinach, or throw in whatever leftover vegetables you have in the fridge.
- Light Yet Satisfying: The clear, savory broth provides deep flavor without feeling heavy or greasy, making it the perfect meal for when you want something warm and gentle.
- Quick Assembly: By using pre-cooked or leftover rotisserie chicken, you bypass hours of boiling, creating a deeply flavorful, homemade soup from scratch in under 45 minutes.
Tips for the Perfect Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cook Noodles Separately for Leftovers: If you plan to have leftovers, cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water and add them to individual bowls. Noodles left sitting in the broth will soak up all the liquid and become mushy in the fridge overnight.
- The Flavor Base: Do not rush sautéing your onions, carrots, and celery. Taking the time to soften them slowly builds the foundational flavor of the entire pot.
- Fresh Herbs Matter: A handful of freshly chopped parsley added right at the very end brightens the rich chicken broth and gives the soup a beautiful, vibrant finish.
The mirepoix felt a bit overrated, like, do we reellly need it? But i guess it tastes ok.
Mirepoix is like the foundation of the soup! Even if you think it’s overrated, it does add flavor. You might wanna give it another chance. 😉
I added some chili powder for a kick and it was fire! 🔥
This soup was so easy to make and tastes amazing! Perfect for a cozy evening.
I totally agree! This soup is the best for cold nights. My family loved it! 🥣❤️
Too salty, I think. Might cut down on the salt next time.
So good! Even my picky kids ate it all! Will definitely be making again. Yum!
Honestly, I don’t get why people love this so much. The noodles got too mushy for me.
The noodles turned mushy after cooking. Important to watch them closely, I guess. 😕
Wow, so quick to make! But I don’t have parsley. Can I skip it??
Yep, you can skip it! The soup will still taste good without the parsley. It’s mainly for garnish anyway.
I dunno, man. Parsley adds flavor, you know? Maybe try it with some other herb or just get parsley next time?
I followed the recipe, but can I sub chicken broth for veg broth? Is that okay? Maybe more flavors?
Made this last night and it’s seriously cozy. I used rotisserie chicken and it tasted way better than I expected. The noodles were perfect after the 7 minutes.
Parsley at the end is key. Also, don’t forget to taste for salt—mine needed more pepper than the recipe said.
I’m not sure about adding dry noodles straight in—mine usually soaks up all the broth and gets thick fast. I end up adding more water/broth. But the parsley tip is solid.
Yes!! I always add parsley at the end—otherwise it turns kinda dull. And tasting at the end saved my soup last time too.
Classic comfort but 8 cups of broth? Feels like too much! 6 would be enough. Just saying.
I think 8 cups is perfect! Makes it hearty and you can always adjust later. Love this recipe!
Wasn’t expecting much, but this was bomb! I added some chili flakes for a kick. Yum.
Soup is okay. Didn’t impress my kids tho. They want pizza next time. 😂
This is the kind of soup that tastes like home. My whole kitchen smelled amazing. I followed it exactly and the carrots were actually tender, which usually doesn’t happen for me.
Totally agree—this really does taste like home. I followed it to the letter and the whole kitchen smelled amazing too. My carrots were actually tender for once 😂
Nice! I always worry egg noodles get mushy, but 5-8 minutes under a simmer sounds perfect. Did you cover the noodles at all or just keep it uncovered like the directions?
Just gonna say, soup is best when it simmers all day. This is a rush job.
Really? You call this comforting? It didn’t even fill me up! Not for me.
This soup is so good! Perfect for a cold day. My family loved it! 🥰
5 out of 5 would eat again. I didn’t have celery so I swapped with a bit of bell pepper and it still tasted good. Don’t roast me 😂
Love the bell pepper swap! I’ve done that with stuff on hand and it still comes out cozy. 😂
I dunno, thought it was too salty for my taste. Maybe I added too much salt? Not sure.
Sometimes salt can be tricky! Maybe try adding less next time, or use low-sodium broth. Glad you gave it a shot, though!
I added some corn and peas. Made it more colorful. Yum!
This soup is amazing! It tasted just like my grandma’s. Thanks for sharing!
Pretty solid comfort food. I might add a little more garlic next time (3 cloves felt just a tad conservative). Also wish I had fresh thyme but dried worked fine.
This was okay. I expected more flavor, maybe too much broth or not enough seasonings?
Broth is the most important part. U gotta have flavor! Maybe less broth overall?
I felt the same! I added some extra spices like paprika and it really made a difference. Maybe try that next time?
I didn’t have egg noodles, so I used spaghetti. It was still good but not the same.
Spaghetti sounds like a interesting twist! I bet it added a unique flavor in a way.
Nah, I don’t think spaghetti works. You gotta use the right noodles for chicken soup! 1 star.
I’m skeptical about cooking dry egg noodles directly in the broth—mine got a little soft and pasty. Flavor was great though, so I’ll try cooking noodles separately next time.
So easy to make! My kids loved it! Will definitely make again.
Not bad, but my noodles soaked up all the broth fast. I think I simmered too long or my pot was too hot. Next time I’ll keep an eye on it and maybe use slightly less dry noodles.