Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup: the OG comfort food that knows exactly what you need, even when you don’t. It’s like the culinary equivalent of a cozy blanket, but in soup form. Picture this: golden, tender chicken floating in a rich, savory broth, mingling with soft, slurpable noodles that just get you. Throw in some carrots, celery, and onions for a little crunch and color, and you’ve got a bowl of magic that’s been soothing souls for centuries.

Making chicken noodle soup is easier than it sounds, and it’s the perfect recipe to keep on hand for chilly days or when you’re craving a little comfort. Here’s how you can make it from scratch:

All the leading characters are here…..

Alright, let’s get real. This is a classic chicken noodle soup. No frills, no Instagram-worthy garnishes—just pure, comforting simplicity. The only “twist” is that I ran out of egg noodles, so I used ditalini pasta instead. Not exactly traditional, but hey, it’s what I had on hand (and sometimes, you gotta roll with it).

Other than that? It’s the basics: chicken, carrots, onion, celery, chicken broth, and some seasonings to bring it all together. You could get all fancy, add kale, or swap the chicken for tofu, but at that point… it’s not really chicken noodle soup anymore, is it? Let’s keep it OG.

So, grab a bowl and cozy up because this is the soup your grandma probably made, minus the ditalini plot twist.

Put it all together….

Alright, let’s get this soup party started. First things first: peel, clean, and chop your veggies. I know, I know, it’s a little prep work, but trust me, it’ll pay off. Grab your trusty 6-8 quart pot (you know, the one that’s big enough to hold all the cozy goodness) and heat up some EVOO on medium heat. In go your chopped onion, celery, and carrots—along with a half teaspoon of salt to kick things off. Stir it around every once in a while for about 3 minutes, letting those veggies soften up and get all aromatic.

Next, it’s seasoning time! Toss in all your spices except for the bouillon cubes and any remaining salt (those will come later). Let everything cook for another 3-5 minutes, just to let those flavors mingle and do their thing. You should be smelling some serious magic by now.

Now, pour in your chicken broth, followed by 2 cups of water, 1 chicken bouillon cube, and the rest of that salt. Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. This is where the magic really happens—let all those flavors come together and do their thing.

While your soup is bubbling away, let’s talk chicken. Grab two chicken breasts, toss them in a pot, and cover with water. Add the other bouillon cube, crank the heat up to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the chicken cook for about 15-18 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the internal temp hits 165°F. Then pull it out of the pot and set it aside to cool.

Here’s the fun part: shred that chicken! You can go full-on ‘ninja’ with two forks, or if you’re feeling extra lazy (and who isn’t?), break out the hand mixer and let it shred the chicken for you. It’s a game-changer.

When there’s about 15 minutes left on your soup timer, add your pasta. If you’re going classic egg noodles, just toss them right into the soup and cook until they’re tender (about 7 minutes). But full disclosure—when I made this batch, I used ditalini pasta, and that little guy loves to soak up all the broth like a sponge. So, I cooked it separately on the side and added it in at the end to avoid the dreaded “soup-sponge” effect.

Once the noodles are done, add your shredded chicken back to the soup, let everything cook together for another 5 minutes, and BAM. Soup’s ready to be devoured.

Congrats, you’ve just made the most comforting, soul-warming chicken noodle soup—and you didn’t even have to break a sweat. Just a little prep, a little simmering, and a whole lotta flavor. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup: the OG comfort food that knows exactly what you need, even when you don’t.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Keyword: chicken noodle soup, comfort, soup

Servings: 8 bowls

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chicken *Recipe includes how to boil chicken or you can use rotisserie chicken
• 3-4 medium carrots peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery cleaned and chopped
• 1 small yellow onion or white
• 8 ounces cooked pasta egg noodles are traditional but use what you have on hand, make sure it fits on a spoon!
• 8 cups chicken broth I use low sodium to control the amount of salt in the recipe
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 1/2 tbs dried parsley
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs EVOO
• 2 chicken bouillon cube

Instructions

• In a 6-8 quart dutch oven or pot heat your evoo on medium high
• Add chopped onion, celery, carrot and ½ teaspoon of salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Then add in all of your seasonings except the bouillon cubes & remaining salt. Continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes
• Add chicken broth, 2 cups of water, 1 chicken bouillon cube & remaining salt – return to boil, then turn down to a simmer for 45-1 hour
• While your soup is going, lets boil the chicken! Put two chicken breasts into a pot over medium-high heat, add the other chicken bouillon cube and bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.. boil the chicken for about 15-18 minutes. Internal temperature 165 °F
• Remove chicken from the pot and add to a bowl. Use forks or a hand mixer to shred your chicken
• When there's only 15 minutes of cook time left for the soup add the egg noodles directly to the soup and cook until tender (7 minutes)
• Add the shredded back to the soup and continue to cook melding all the flavors for another 5 minutes and ta da! Soup is ready!