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Classic chicken noodle soup that will leave you feeling so good, so warm, so cozy. Perfect for sick days and cold nights!!!
Its the dead of winter. 33 degrees F all week. Snow and ice piles everywhere. And its only January, meaning we basically have about 3-4 months of winter left.
And now that I am officially a Midwest resident, that basically translates to having this chicken noodle soup on the regular all. winter. long. Its so warm, so cozy, and so soothing during these chilly nights.
Now this recipe uses bone-in, skinless chicken breasts which means it will take a little longer than usual for the chicken to cook through.
But dont worry, it yields the most flavorful stock and the most tender chicken bites , doctored up with fresh dill and freshly squeezed lemon juice for a little bit of jazz. SO SO GOOD.
About The Chicken Stock:
If your questioning whether you should use homemade chicken stock, or store-bought for this recipe, homemade is definitely the way to go! The secret is to use a rotisserie chicken so that you can use the meat in the soup and make chicken broth with the leftover carcass and bones. You wont believe how easy it is and it really takes the soup over top in terms of depth of flavor.
Whats In Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Healthy and easy, chicken soup is a delicious and wholesome way to get good food into the bellies of your loved ones! Of course, wed all love to have homemade chicken stock and freshly cooked chicken on hand, but sometimes boxed stock and a store-bought rotisserie chicken is the best we can do, and you know what? Thats okay! No one will be the wiser and your sanity will be spared. Here are all the ingredients youll need to make chicken noodle soup:
- Butter or oil
- Bay leaves
- Chicken stock
- Rotisserie chicken from the store
- Egg noodle
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Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is wonderfully quick and easy, made from scratch with pantry staples. Its classic comfort food in a bowl and like a warm hug from your grandma. Perfect on a chilly night, when you dont feel good, or just want something delicious!
Is there anything that defines comfort food more than chicken noodle soup? Other than chocolate chip cookies and pot roast, I say not really. This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is my go-to when a family member is sick, I need something quick and easy for dinner, or I just want to curl up with a warm bowl of love.
What Is Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is exactly how it sounds! Its a light and refreshing soup and is one of the most popular soup flavors. The base of the soup is usually chicken broth or chicken stock. Noodles and pieces of chicken are then added. And usually, theres a range of vegetables in the soup too, including carrots and onions.
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History Of Chicken Noodle Soup
Versions of chicken soup have been enjoyed around the world for centuries and have a long history of use as a remedy for colds and other illnesses.
Most chicken soup recipes consist of chicken broth, chicken meat, vegetables, and some form of starch noodles, dumplings, root vegetables, or grains. And though noodles in chicken soup existed long before the 1900s, the term chicken noodle soup is thought to have originated from a radio advertisement by Campbells Soup Company in the 1930s.
The following is our inspired version with options for keeping it classic, infusing with healing spices, or bulking it up with beans.
How To Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Start by sauteing 1 large sliced carrot, 1 rib sliced celery, and 1 chopped shallot or 1/2 small onion in 1 Tablespoon each butter and olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic then saute for 1 more minute. If Im making this soup for someone whos under the weather Ill usually double up on the fat to make it extra decadent and comforting. Its the right thing to do.
Next add 64oz chicken broth then turn the heat up and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, chop 1 large chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, then add to the boiling chicken broth along with 8oz gluten-free or regular pasta. Ive used pretty much every pasta under the sun in this soup over the years, but for this batch I broke gluten-free spaghetti into small pieces.
Turn the heat down to medium then simmer until the pasta is cooked through. The chicken should be perfectly cooked by that point too. Ladle the steamy soup into bowls then devour. Like I said, simple and soul-satisfying!
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What Can I Add To Soup For More Flavor
Our recipe sticks to classic ingredients and flavors, but that doesnt mean there arent things you can add to make it your own:
For a creamy chicken noodle soup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk.
Add three to four lemon slices for a lemon chicken soup similar to this Lemony Chicken and Vegetable Soup.
Add three or four slices of lime, swap the parsley for fresh cilantro, and then add diced tomatoes and cubed avocado for Mexican-style chicken soup. You can even add diced corn tortillas as we do for this tortilla chicken soup.
Add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and a few dashes of fish sauce for an ultra-satisfying, umami-packed soup.
Swirl in fresh spinach or kale at the end of cooking for more of a vegetable-heavy soup.
Swap the noodles for potatoes, winter squash, rice, quinoa or grains. Add hearty veggies to the pot along with the onions and carrots. When it comes to rice and grains, add them already cooked.
Swap the noodles for tortellini I love using cheese-filled pasta when making this veggie tortellini soup.
Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort food. My son was recovering form a cold this weekend so I made him this soup. He gobbled it up and asked for refills. After 2 bowls, he told me that his Mama is the best cooker. I about melted. I hope your family gives you the same reviews!
I learned to make real homemade chicken noodle soup from Angelina, my husbands cousin. She actually seasons and roasts her bird first and then slow cooks the broth longer. I wanted this to be ready for my boy when he got home from school so I figured out a way to make it quicker and it turned out amazing. If youre looking for a really speedy version, try our EASY Chicken Noodle Soup.
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How To Make The Original Chicken Noodle Soup:
1. Separate chicken into pieces leaving the skin on and trim chicken pieces of excess fat. Next use a heavy knife to whack/cut/chop the chicken along the center of the bones to expose bone marrow and release the iron-rich good stuff into the broth.
2. In a large soup pot , combine chicken pieces with a halved onion, 2 bay leaves, 2 pierced garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried thyme. Add 5 quarts water and bring to a boil. Using a large spoon, remove and discard any foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. It should be barely bubbling. The chicken meat will be tender and broth will be infused with chicken flavor.
3. Remove chicken pieces and once they are cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones . Discard bones. Cover meat with foil or a lid to keep it from drying out.
4. Strain the broth into a large heat-proof bowl over a sieve lined with a large paper towel. Angelina shared this tip and its brilliant it catches all of the excess fat in the soup. Mine didnt have much fat since it was a young rooster.
5. Rinse the now empty pot, and place back over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté 3 finely chopped celery sticks, 2 thinly sliced carrots and 1 finely diced onion. I love my celery and onion finely chopped but if you like it coarsely chopped/diced by all means! Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
Are You Supposed To Dilute Canned Soup
Dilute the soup with water or low-sodium broth. Most canned soups are condensed and require the addition of water when you prepare them. If you add more water than is recommended, youll decrease the amount of sodium per serving. If adding water dilutes too much of the flavor, add a low-sodium broth instead.
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Tips For The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken that you have on hand. Of course you can roast or pan sauté chicken if youre so inclined.
Make sure to salt your soup to taste. I use low-sodium chicken broth and no-salt-added tomatoes and add a bit of salt to my soup so I can control the overall salt level.
The saltiness of low-sodium broth, rotisserie chickens, canned tomatoes, black beans, and personal preferences for salt all vary so salt to taste.
Should You Cook Noodles Separately For Soup
It depends.
If youre trying to be speedy, then cooking the noodles right in the soup, as Ive done in the recipe below, is the quickest option.
However, if you have leftovers from the meal, the noodles will continue to soak up liquid while the soup is in the fridge. Youll end up with something more like noodle stew.
So if youre making enough to have leftovers, cook and store the noodles separately from the soup. Then just add them in when youre reheating the soup.
Read more tips for making homemade soups in a really short time here. And to see all my quick soup recipes go here.
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What Else Goes In Chicken Noodle Soup
This recipe is extremely forgiving in that you can add or take out whatever you like, dont like.
Vegetables: our recipe suggests green beans, corn kernels and spinach. You could also add zucchini, cabbage, pumpkin, sweet potato or potatoes and peas ! You can make it your own.
Noodles: I love using vermicelli egg noodles in our soup, but you can use thin spaghetti, angel hair, a fat noodle or any other type of pasta you like.
As with all cooking, remember to carefully taste test, then season with a little extra salt and pepper if needed.
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Variations
- Feel free to add a teaspoon of dried oregano or Italian seasoning to the soup before simmering. If doing so, you may wish to omit the fresh dill.
- To make this recipe using a rotisserie chicken, stir 2 cups of the shredded cooked chicken into the soup when you add the egg noodles.
- While I usually make this soup with chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs are another good option. The cook time will be about the same. You can check that the chicken has cooked through to 165° F using an instant read thermometer. If you prefer to use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs, you will need to simmer it a bit longer for it to cook through.
- To make this soup vegetarian, substitute canned chickpeas or white beans for the chicken and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
- Chopped potatoes are a delicious addition to the soup. You can even use them in place of the egg noodles. I recommend using Yukon gold potatoes.
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Should You Boil Canned Soup
Most canned soup doesnt call for you to add anything into it, not even water! Simply open the can, pour the soup into a pot, and cook over your stove according to the instructions provided on the label. Canned soup is an easy and convenient solution when you do not have time in your day to cook a homemade meal.
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Turn Your Stock Into Soup
Once the chicken has cooled enough to shred, remove the meat from the bones discard the skin and bones. Chop more celery, carrots, and onions and add them to the stockpot with the strained stock. Now’s the time to add any extra ingredients like garlic, ginger, rice, lemon juice, green chiles, etc. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook until the vegetables are tender, but still have a slight bite. Add the shredded chicken to the pot and noodles, if using. Once the noodles are cooked, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
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Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
After Halloween, I usually never want to eat again. At least thats what I tell myself and then at 4 pm Im like hmm, I could go for a Twix. What is wrong with me?
Of course this pattern isnt new. Ever since I was a little girl I would eat my candy as I went trick or tricking until I had a stomachache and my mom would fix me chicken noodle soup at the end of the night.
Can I tell you that homemade chicken noodle soup has always been super intimidating to me?
My mother-in-law has always killed it this department, whipping it up like it was taking the dishes out of the dishwasherjust something you do.
But for some reason I could never get it right. The broth/chicken ratio. The noodles. I tend to do this with cooking. For instance, cooking rice was super intimidating to me 10 years ago. Something so simple yet I always under or overcooked it.
Turkeys are still overwhelming to me. Doesnt help that my oven is tiny and I cant really fit anything in it, even the smallest turkey. That will be my next thing to conquer.
Today, its this soup. I dont know why I complicated it so much. Its veggies, broth, and some seasonings not rocket science.
I always felt like an ingredient was missing but now Im completely satisfied with this chicken recipe.
How To Make Fast Rooster Noodle Soup
As of late I dont typically make a giant batch of slow-simmered rooster noodle soup like my Baba did. As a substitute, when one in every of us is sick or in want of consolation, I are likely to make up a faster model.
For this soup to be executed so rapidly, you even have to chop the rooster into small items earlier than including it to the broth. The small items of rooster cook dinner quicker. Additionally, search for quick-cooking noodles. I went with some skinny egg noodles that specified a 3-4 minute cooking time on the package deal. Thats what you want!
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How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch Step By Step Photos
Begin by dicing one onion and mincing three cloves of garlic. Place them in a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent.
While the onion and garlic are cooking, clean and slice 1/2 lb. carrots and 1/2 bunch celery . Add them to the pot. Continue to sauté the onions, carrots, and celery together. Youll only use half of a one-pound bag of carrots and half of a bunch of celery, but the rest doesnt need to go to waste. You can clean and slice the rest and freeze them to make another batch of soup later. I do it every time. It takes just a few more minutes and is super convenient later!
Remove the skin from two split chicken breasts . Split chicken breasts come with bones and rib meat, both of which add a LOT of flavor to the broth. They will also sometimes be labeled bone-in chicken breast with rib meat.
Add the chicken breasts to the pot along with 1 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 Tbsp dried or fresh parsley, 1 bay leaf, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Add eight cups of water, cover, and bring up to a boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for one hour. Make sure that you dont turn the heat down so low that it stops simmering. It needs to simmer the whole time.
After an hour, it will look something like this. Pull the chicken out of the pot
Use two forks to pull the chicken from the bone and shred it into bite-sized pieces.
Variation Ideas For This Soup Recipe:
- Make it creamy Add in a cup of heavy cream or whole milk into the soup for the last 5-10 minutes of the cook time to make a creamy chicken noodle soup.
- Add more veggies This soup is a great way to get in some of those healthy veggies. You can add in your favorite type. Stirring in fresh spinach or kale toward the end of the cook time is an easy way to add in my nutritional vegetables to this recipe.
- Add a little bit of lemon If you love lemon, add a small amount of lemon juice right before serving to give this soup a delicious and sweet lemon flavor.
- Use Potatoes or Rice If you dont love noodles or maybe your family cannot have gluten, this soup is delicious with diced up potatoes or cooked rice stirred into it instead of the noodles.
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