Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
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This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is everything you need—comforting, flavorful, and ready in no time. Perfect for cozying up on a chilly day.
Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup? The golden broth filled with tender chicken, egg noodles, and veggies is the ultimate comfort food—a cure-all for whatever ails you. While traditional chicken noodle soup recipes require hours of simmering homemade broth, this version (adapted from America’s Test Kitchen) brings that same warmth to your table in no time.
The secret is using a high-quality store-bought chicken broth that delivers rich flavor with minimal effort. Serve the soup with some saltine crackers, a slice of artisan bread, or buttermilk biscuits for a satisfying meal.
“This soup takes SO much less time than the traditional chicken broth that needs to cook all day long, and it is SO good!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Pieces: Bone-in, skin-on chicken adds richness to the broth, and the shredded meat makes the soup hearty and satisfying. I prefer thighs because they stay juicy and are more forgiving, but breasts work too—just don’t overcook them.
- Chicken Broth: The flavorful base of the soup. Using broth instead of water gives you a savory, complex taste in less time. Good brands include Swanson or Better Than Bouillon.
- Onion, Carrots & Celery: The classic trio that builds aroma, color, and substance.
- Fresh Thyme & Bay Leaf: Infuse the broth with earthy, fragrant notes that elevate the flavor.
- Egg Noodles: A must-have in chicken noodle soup—they soak up the broth and make the soup extra comforting.
- Fresh Dill: A classic with chicken noodle that brightens the soup with fresh flavor and a pop of color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Season the chicken. Begin by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. You may need to add more salt later, but it’s best to season at the beginning and build the flavor as you go.
Step 2: Brown the chicken. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat until it’s hot and shimmering. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until nicely browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes, until golden on the other side.
Step 3: Build the broth. Add the broth, onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom (that’s where all the flavor is!). Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer until the chicken is fully cooked.
Step 4: Shred the chicken. When the chicken is cooked through, remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Use tongs to lift the chicken from the pot and set it on a cutting board. Shred it into bite-sized pieces with two forks, discarding the skin and bones—they’ve already done their job flavoring the broth.
Step 5: Add the noodles. Bring the soup back to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then stir in the noodles. Cook, uncovered, until they’re just al dente—check the package for timing, but keep in mind they’ll continue to soften a bit once the chicken goes back in.
Step 6: Finish the soup. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and let it simmer for a few minutes until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste—I usually add a bit more salt, but it depends on your broth. Stir in the dill, ladle into bowls, and serve.
You can make this chicken noodle soup partly ahead of time—just up to the point of adding the noodles. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months, storing the broth and chicken separately.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skin-on bone-in chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed of excess skin or fat
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 cups chicken broth, preferably not low-sodium, best quality such as Swanson
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-in (13-mm) pieces
- 2 celery ribs cut into ¼-in (6-mm) pieces
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 oz (3 cups) wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the chicken in the pot, skin-side down, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook 4 minutes more.
- Add the broth, onion, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through (15 to 17 minutes for breasts and about 20 minutes for thighs).
- Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the soup and transfer to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces; discard the skin and bones.
- Return the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and add the noodles. Cook, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente (check the package instructions for timing, and keep in mind that the noodles will continue to cook for a few minutes while you warm the chicken). Add the shredded chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is warmed through, a few minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more salt, but it depends on the saltiness of the chicken broth you used). Stir in the dill and serve.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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OMG this is beyond perfect. I’ve always been a matzo ball soup fan, but this is so much easier and even more delicious. It’s been on our weekly rotation for about two months now! Thank you!
This was SO good. I had to make several substitutions and it came out wonderfully. I bought boneless, skinless chicken thighs in error, but still browned them and then sautéed the veggies briefly in the fond with a little chicken stock because I hadn’t prepared all the vegetables before I started browning the chicken. I used dried thyme and subbed the dill for fresh parsley at the end because I prefer it, and it was excellent. Then I used rotini because it’s what I had. It’s a very forgiving recipe and will be my go-to now.
This is my favorite chicken noodle soup I’ve ever made. Rich and satisfying, and I love the little hint of dill. I used my favorite organic chicken stock – Kirkland’s brand from Costco – and added a small amount of Better Than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base. A member of the household is currently going through an exclusion diet, so no gluten. I couldn’t locate gluten-free egg noodles, so decided to use Delallo gluten-free orzo. The pasta held up really well. Browning the bone/skin-on chicken breasts and shredding them did take a little extra time and effort, but the flavor impact was well worth it.
This is a pretty delicious soup! We have a family member going through a rather strict exclusion diet right now, and I had to use Delallo gluten-free orzo in lieu of the egg noodles (which I love). It was fabulous! I see some commenters wanted to use skinless/boneless chicken. Big mistake. I follow several prominent chefs, and they all advocate for cooking meat on the bone (whenever possible) for the richest flavor. A little extra work makes for a lot of extra flavor. The fresh dill was a delightful and aromatic addition to the final dish.
This is now my family’s favorite chicken noodle soup. My husband, who thinks soup doesn’t count as dinner, gave this a 10/10! The only changes I made was using dried thyme and dill as my store didn’t have fresh. It’s a keeper, thank you!
I made this chicken noodle soup yesterday. I followed the recipe exactly as per instructions with no additions or substitutions and it is fantastic. This recipe is a keeper!
My husband and I ended up sick after Thanksgiving, unfortunately, and needed something warm and healing. This soup was amazing and exactly what the doctor ordered!!! I placed an online grocery order to get all the ingredients and made the soup. It’s easy, made the house smell amazing, and tastes so delicious and nourishing. We had it with a loaf of homemade bread some kind friends dropped off for us. Hoping we’ll soon be on the other side of this! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Glad this hit the spot and hope you’re feeling better soon!
I have been craving a classic homemade chicken noodle soup and this was perfect for a chilly night in December- cozy, nourishing comfort food. I enjoyed the fresh dill.
Made this today for dinner and am really disappointed. I’m a huge fan of Jenn’s but this was extremely bland. The only change I made was to add a pinch of dried dill but did use fresh thyme.
My grand daughter Rylee and I make this soup whenever she comes to visit. She ate 10 bowls of it last time. She is a tiny 7 year old. We added some smoked paprika and our favorite new spice Gochugaru from the Asian market- it is best from there. Rylee likes green spices better than red so hers had basil, herbes de provence, oregano, and thyme. She also adds 2 extra carrots. We like it with good rolls and a plain salad. Thank you Jen for another keeper.
Hi Jenn,
How big of a Dutch oven is needed for this recipe? Would a 7quart pot be big enough? Thank you!
Hi Sabine, a 7-quart Dutch oven will give you plenty of room. Hope you enjoy the soup!