A rich, comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup with potatoes is the perfect way to kick off soup season.
This chicken noodle soup with potatoes is a labor of love, but the result is completely worth it.
It’s no secret that I love soup, specifically chicken soup of all varieties. I don’t think I’ve ever met a chicken soup I didn’t enjoy. Lately, I’ve been working on perfecting my chicken noodle soup recipe. To me, chicken noodle soup epitomizes comfort. It’s cozy, and it feels like it was made with love. Maybe it’s because chicken noodle soup is often made for us–or we make it for others–when we or they are under the weather. It always has the connotation of love and care for me, and that’s why I enjoy making it so much. It just has so many good feelings wrapped up in it!
I’ve made so many versions of chicken soup on this website, including chicken corn soup, chicken soup with couscous, and even a saffron chicken noodle soup.
This version, however, feels so classic to me. It has a very simple base of homemade broth, veggies, chopped chicken, and it’s finished with fresh herbs. Based on my mom’s recipe, I do add a can of condensed cream of chicken soup. Even though I’m making homemade broth, I’ve found that the cream of chicken soup really gives the broth nice body. Is that cheating? Possibly, but we’ve come to really enjoy our chicken soup this way.
This recipe went through my Tasters program and both testers really enjoyed the recipe, but mentioned that they might opt to omit the potatoes next time. If you’re feeling the same way, fear not…I have another chicken noodle soup recipe forthcoming with no potatoes! If you’re looking for the comfort that only fluffy potatoes can give you then you’ll love this variation of chicken noodle soup.
How to make this chicken noodle soup with potatoes
This recipe is a little labor-intensive since you’ll be making homemade chicken broth. Don’t let that intimidate you! It will take a few hours, but most of the time is inactive. Plus, your house will smell absolutely amazing!
The Broth
The most important part of the soup is the broth.
What you need
- A whole chicken: I recommend a 5 to 6 pound chicken. You can reserve the giblets for another use. If the chicken comes with the neck, add it to the broth as well.
- Aromatics: I add a quartered onion, a whole head of garlic, a few sprigs of thyme, and roughly chopped celery. You can add other aromatics to suit your tastes like two bay leaves, a few carrots, or the green leaves of leeks.
- Water and salt: You’ll need between 12 to 14 cups of water. Use as much as you need to cover the chicken in your pot. While it is ideal for the bird to be immersed, it’s okay if the top of the chicken is exposed. I use 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken. One recipe tester noted that the end result was a touch on the salty side, so if you’re sensitive to salt I recommend using ¾ teaspoon salt per pound of chicken.
How to make it
- Step 1: You’ll add all the broth ingredients in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Step 2: Careully remove the chicken from the pot using tongs. From there, continue simmering the broth uncovered for about 30 to 40 minutes. I recommend a rapid simmer to help reduce the broth to about 10 cups of liquid total. Don’t fuss over this too much; it’s okay if you have a little more or a little less than 10 cups! This intensifies and condenses the broth a bit which gives you an extra flavorful base for your soup.
- Step 3: Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the spent aromatics. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stovetop.
- Step 4: When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones. You can either shred the meat with your fingers or dice it, depending on your preference. You can reserve the skin and bones to make homemade stock if you like!
The Soup
Now that all the broth is out of the way, you can begin making your chicken noodle soup.
What you need
- Veggies and aromatics: I use about 4 cups of diced onion, carrots, and celery. You can mix and match the ratios depending on what you like. I recommend aiming for about 4 cups total, but if you like more carrots, reduce the celery a bit. I also add lots of garlic and dry thyme to mine!
- Potatoes: As the title suggests, I add potatoes to this. I love how they break down and thicken the broth a bit! It also gives the soup a stick-to-your-ribs feel!
- Broth and chicken: You’ll use the broth and chicken from above.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup: This is something I’ve taken away from my Mom’s Chicken Corn Soup recipe, and I never looked back. It really adds a nice body to the broth, and I just love it. I love Campbell’s, but I’ve made this with store-brand condensed cream of chicken soup too!
- Fresh herbs: I like to finish the soup with a handful of fresh herbs, typically dill, parsley, or a mix of the two. You can skip this if you don’t have them, but I find the fresh herbs liven up the soup a little. You can also add the juice from a whole lemon to help accomplish the same goal.
- Noodles: I use Manischewitz Fine Egg Noodles because it reminds me of eating Campbell’s chicken noodle soup whenever I’d stay home sick from school! You can use broad or medium egg noodles if you prefer!
How to make it
- Step 1: Start by sautéing the vegetables, and then add the potatoes. Add the thyme and sauté until just fragrant.
- Step 2: Pour in all but 1 cup of the broth. Add the chopped chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- Step 3: While the soup simmers, boil the noodles and drain them. Then, temper the condensed cream of chicken soup by whisking it with the reserved 1 cup of warm broth. Once the vegetables in the soup are fork tender, add the cooked noodles and condensed cream of chicken soup.
- Step 4: Finish the soup with a handful of fresh herbs or lemon juice.
You’re ready to serve it up! I love to add the soup to a tureen and serve it at the table with freshly ground black pepper on top. You can also serve with a sprinkle of more fresh dill or parsley on each bowl if you like.
Can I make chicken noodle soup with a rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely! You can buy a rotisserie chicken from the store for this recipe. You can even buy the cooked shredded chicken so you don’t have to fuss with picking a bird if you don’t want to.
To make this recipe with a rotisserie chicken, here’s what you need:
- 4 cups cooked chicken: This is typically what one store-bought rotisserie chicken will yield. It’s okay if you have a little bit more or a tiny bit less, but aim for more rather than less.
- 10 cups store-bought broth: I recommend using a good quality broth base like Better Than Bouillon. Your favorite store-bought broth will work here.
To make this with a rotisserie chicken, here’s what you’ll do:
- Step 1: Pick the chicken from the bones. Shred the meat with your fingers or dice it with a knife. Reserve the carcass for stock or discard it.
- Step 2: Skip the entire broth-making part of the recipe.
- Step 3: Begin the recipe at the “Start the Soup” part. You’ll begin simply by sautéing the vegetables and then adding the store-bought broth and shredded or diced rotisserie meat. Continue on with the recipe as written.
Community-tested and community-approved. Here’s what Tasters are saying about this recipe.
“This is truly great chicken noodle soup!!!
It was a labor of love, but I think it was worth the effort. Even without the herbs (I used dill and chives) and condensed chicken soup, the broth was so good! I almost doubted adding anything else but doing so was also worth it.”
–Madison C., Independent Recipe Tester
“I’ll be using this recipe as a guide from now on.
My testers ranged from 90 (“very good”) to 8 and 4 (yummy!). It makes a ton so I’ll be adding corn to the rest.”
–Joan H., Independent Recipe Tester
To join my recipe-testing program, sign up here.
Chicken Noodle Soup with Potatoes
Ingredients
Chicken broth:
- 5-6 pound whole chicken (giblets reserved for another use)
- 1 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and quartered)
- 2 ribs celery (cut into thirds)
- 6-8 sprigs thyme
- 1 head garlic (top cut off; cloves left in the paper)
- 12-14 cups of water
Chicken noodle soup:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (about 4 ounces, peeled and diced; see Note 1)
- 4 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
- 4 carrots (trimmed, peeled, and cut into half-moons)
- 8 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 pound golden potatoes (peeled and medium-diced)
- 2 teaspoons dry thyme
- 10 cups homemade broth from above; see Note 2
- 4-5 cups shredded or diced chicken from the homemade broth above
- 10.5-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup fresh dill (or fresh parsley, loosely packed and finely chopped)
- 8 ounces dry egg noodles (broad or thin, depending on preference)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the broth:
- Place the chicken in a large stockpot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken. Add the onion, celery, thyme, and garlic. Cover with water, ensuring the chicken is submerged if your pot allows it. You will need 12–14 cups of water to cover the chicken. It’s ok if the very top of the bird is exposed.
- Turn the heat on the pot to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for at least 1 hour 30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
- Using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken to a large bowl and cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn the heat on the pot to medium-high. Allow the broth to simmer rapidly, uncovered, for 30 minutes, reducing it to 10 cups total. It will deepen in color and flavor. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the broth from reducing too much.
Strain the broth:
- Carefully strain the broth through a sieve into a large bowl. Discard the spent herbs and vegetables. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.
Pick the chicken:
- Pick the meat from the chicken, saving the carcass and skin for stock if you like. Shred the meat with your fingers or dice it into cubes if preferred. Set aside.
Make the soup:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the potatoes to the pot and season with a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons dry thyme. Add black pepper to taste.
- Pour in all but 1 cup of the homemade broth and add the cooked chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30–40 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Be mindful not to add too much salt during this step, as you’ll finish the soup with the condensed cream of chicken soup.
Temper the condensed cream of chicken soup:
- Whisk the cream of condensed chicken soup with the 1 cup reserved broth until smooth. Set aside.
Finish the soup:
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
- Add the cooked noodles and condensed soup mixture to the soup. Add the finely chopped herbs. Turn off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
To serve:
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
You will need 4 cups total of onion, celery, and carrots. You can adjust the proportions to your liking. Depending on the size of your carrots or ribs of celery, you may need one or two more than the recipe recommends. Note 2:
The liquid should be reduced to about 10 cups of broth. You may have a little more or a little less, depending on the intensity of your simmer. The soup is very forgiving! If it reduces significantly, add a bit of water to reach 10 cups of broth. If you have a little extra broth, adding it to the soup is okay. Try not to add too much more than 10 cups of broth.
Made your chicken noodle soup last night and it was a huge hit . I even managed to get my insanely picky 3 year old to eat not one , but two bowls and ask for it for breakfast .😄This is a saver. Thank you .
Yay! Best feedback ever!!