A good homemade chicken noodle soup with rich homemade broth is a recipe that you need to have in your rotation. This is my best version of the classic comfort meal.
Chicken noodle soup epitomizes classic comfort
I think I’ve said this before in every chicken noodle soup recipe, but by now, it should be no secret that this is one of my favorite soups. I love a good homemade chicken broth paired with noodles, veggies, and fresh herbs added at the end.
This recipe was tested with readers on my Tasters program, and in the first round, I included potatoes. Both Tasters said they loved the recipe but would omit the potatoes next time. Naturally, I decided to share both recipes. This version excludes potatoes, but if you like extra comfort, try my Chicken Noodle Soup with Potatoes.
If you want to keep it super traditional, this version may be exactly what you want.
How to make my best chicken noodle soup recipe
This recipe starts with a rich homemade broth, to which I add condensed cream of chicken soup. Adding soup to soup may seem like cheating, but it works! I learned this from My Mom’s Chicken Corn Soup Recipe, and it’s the reason I always keep a cream of chicken soup in my cabinet now.
The recipe has two main components: the broth and the soup. You can skip the homemade broth and pair store-bought chicken broth with shredded rotisserie chicken to save time. I highly recommend trying the homemade broth! It is a great weekend project, and your house will smell amazing!
What you need
- Homemade broth: You need a whole chicken, celery, onion, garlic, and thyme.
- Soup aromatics: I use carrots, celery, onion, minced garlic, and dry thyme as the base for the soup.
- Noodles: I love fine egg noodles for chicken noodle soup, but your favorite egg noodles will work well here!
- Finishing touches: I use condensed cream of chicken soup to add body to the broth. I finish the soup with fresh herbs like dill or parsley, or you can use a mix. Lemon juice is a nice way to finish the soup as well!
How to make it
- Step 1: It starts with the homemade broth. Combine the chicken with the aromatics and water. I use 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken, but you can modify it depending on your salt tolerance. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for at least 1 hour 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- Step 2: Carefully remove the chicken from the pot. Rapidly simmer the broth for 30 minutes to reduce the broth further. Then, strain the broth and discard all the spent aromatics. Wipe out the pot.
- Step 3: Prepare the soup ingredients. While the broth continues to simmer, prepare all the vegetables for the soup. You need about 4 cups of veggies total. Depending on the size of your carrots or celery ribs, you may need to add or reduce the number of celery ribs or carrots you use.
- Step 4: Pull the meat from the carcass once the chicken is cool enough to handle. You can shred it with your hands or dice it with a knife.
- Step 5: Begin the soup. Sauté the celery, carrots, and onion first. Add the thyme and minced garlic, and then add the chicken. Add all but one cup of the hot broth and boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- Step 6: As the soup finishes simmering, combine the cream of chicken soup with the reserved hot broth. Whisk until completely smooth.
- Step 7: Finish the soup. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse them. Add them to the soup along with the tempered cream of chicken soup. Finish with fresh herbs or lemon juice if you like. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
You’re ready to serve it! Ladle it into a tureen or straight into bowls. Garnish with a few more fresh herbs, and enjoy!
Community-tested and community-approved. Here’s what Tasters are saying about this recipe.
“Absolutely loved this chicken soup!
Don’t let making your own broth scare you away from this recipe. It’s really so simple and so much better for you than the stuff you buy at the store! I thought the condensed soup was a great variation on this recipe, something I have never used before when making my own. It added a lot of flavor and helped to thicken the soup a little.
–Macie S., Independent Recipe Tester
To join my recipe-testing program, sign up here.
My Best Chicken Noodle Soup
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 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)
- 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
- 1 10.5- ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup fresh dill (loosely packed finely chopped; or use parsley or a mix)
- 12 ounces dry egg noodles (broad or thin, depending on preference)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the broth:
- Place the chicken in a large pot. 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 2 teaspoons dry thyme. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 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.
