The Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
This classic homemade chicken noodle soup is a comforting and hearty dish perfect for warming up on chilly days. Rich chicken broth simmers gently with tender chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, and flavorful herbs, then is combined with egg noodles to create a satisfying and nourishing meal for the whole family.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced (plus more for garnish)
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
- 1-3 tsp salt, divided
Proteins and Liquids
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 cups chicken broth
Other
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 oz. egg noodles (uncooked)
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients: Collect all ingredients to ensure you have everything ready before beginning your soup preparation.
- Prep Vegetables and Herbs: Dice the onion and celery, peel and dice the carrots, mince the garlic and fresh parsley. Set the parsley aside for garnish later.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
- Add Aromatics and Seasonings: Stir in the minced garlic, dried basil, dried thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the mixture for an additional 5 minutes to develop the flavors.
- Add Chicken and Broth: Place the chicken breasts into the pot and pour in the chicken broth, covering the chicken fully.
- Simmer Soup: Cover the pot with a lid and bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for one hour. Keep the soup simmering throughout to ensure chicken becomes tender and shreds easily.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and taste the broth, seasoning with additional salt as needed.
- Cook Noodles: Add the egg noodles to the pot and increase the heat to high. Boil the noodles until tender, about 7 minutes.
- Final Seasoning and Garnish: Return the shredded chicken to the pot if not already done. Taste again and adjust salt if necessary. Finish the soup by stirring in fresh minced parsley.
- Serve: Ladle the hot chicken noodle soup into bowls and serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh parsley if desired for a bright finish.
Notes
- Maintain a gentle simmer during cooking to ensure chicken is tender and shreds easily.
- Adjust salt slowly as the chicken broth or bouillon used may already contain significant salt.
- Use fresh parsley at the end to keep the flavor bright and fresh.
- Egg noodles are added near the end to avoid becoming mushy; cook just until tender.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3-4 days and can be frozen for longer storage.