Our Best Chicken Noodle Soup Will Warm You Up From Head to Toe (2024)

Soups
American Food
Chicken Recipes
Vegetable Recipes

Our best recipe for the ultimate comfort meal

Laurel Randolph

A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.

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Updated on 03/3/22

Tested by

Bahareh Niati

Tested byBahareh Niati

Bahareh Niati is a professional food photographer and recipe developer. Baking and sweet treats are her favorites, and she shares her creations and love for baking on her blog Baking is Therapy.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, more to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek, white and light green parts coarsely chopped
3 medium carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
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Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe - Kristine's Kitchen
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
6 ounces egg noodles
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of salt. Once the pot is hot, add the oil and tilt the pot, swirling slightly, so the bottom is evenly coated. Add the chicken thighs in a single layer, skin-side down.
Cook the chicken, undisturbed, until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Use tongs to remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the leeks and sauté until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery; sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the chicken broth, water, and bay leaf. Stir, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer.
Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken thighs along with any excess fat. Enjoy the chicken skins as a delicious salad topper or make chicken skin chips.
Once the broth is simmering, return the chicken to the pot with any juices from the plate, ensuring the thighs are fully submerged. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Use a spoon to skim off any excess fat that floats to the top, if necessary.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the egg noodles and stir. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a simmer and cook until the noodles according to the package directions to al dente.
Meanwhile, shred the chicken and discard the bones (or save them for chicken broth).
Once the noodles are cooked, remove from the heat, return the shredded chicken to the pot along with the parsley and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

Tip

While this soup still tastes great leftover, the noodles do get slightly soggy. If you're making it ahead to serve later, follow the recipe as written but don't add the noodles. Add the water and shredded chicken to the soup and store for up to three days. When ready to serve, bring to a simmer and add the noodles, proceeding with the recipe.

Recipe Variations

This recipe is even quicker using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Skip the browning step and sauté the vegetables in olive oil. Add the chicken once the broth comes to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
For a low-carb soup, omit the noodles and water and increase the chicken to 2 1/2 pounds.
Swap the leek for one medium yellow onion.
Add more veggies, like one diced parsnip or a small diced fennel bulb. Add a pop of green by stirring in one cup of green peas or 2 packed cups of fresh spinach at the end.
Swap the egg noodles for another pasta, like rotini or macaroni.
It's also easy to make a noodle soup using your leftover Thanksgiving turkey carcass.

How to Store and Freeze

Chicken noodle soup will keep for up to 5 days. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
To freeze, add the soup to a freezer-safe airtight container, leaving at least an inch of space at the top. Store for up to 3 months, defrosting in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.

How Can I Make Chicken Soup More Flavorful?

If you're looking to add a bit more flavor to your chicken noodle soup, there are a few ways to amp up this recipe:

Swap the water for more chicken broth. Use a flavorful broth or stock, since it is the backbone of the soup.
Add more herbs like extra parsley, fresh basil, dried rosemary, or dried oregano.
For a bit of spice, add red pepper flakes.
Double the lemon juice.

29 Hearty Chicken Soup Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
464	Calories
26g	Fat
18g	Carbs
44g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	464
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g	33%
Saturated Fat 7g	37%
Cholesterol 202mg	67%
Sodium 822mg	36%
Total Carbohydrate 18g	7%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 8mg	38%
Calcium 74mg	6%
Iron 4mg	21%
Potassium 855mg	18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Carrot
entree
american
fall

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Our Best Chicken Noodle Soup Will Warm You Up From Head to Toe (2024)

FAQs

Does chicken noodle soup help with a cold? ›

Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus. The herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken soup, such as pepper and garlic, also loosen mucus. The broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.

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Why does chicken broth help with a cold? ›

Chicken is especially rich in a compound called carnosine, and it's this that studies suggest helps reduce that stuffy, congested feeling in your nose and throat. It's thought that carnosine minimises inflammation in the upper respiratory tract by stopping the migration of white blood cells.

Show Me More ›

Why does chicken noodle soup heal you? ›

Although the ingredients in chicken noodle soup are there for flavor, they also provide important health benefits. The broth provides hydrating fluid and electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. That's especially helpful when you have a fever and run the risk of becoming dehydrated.

Is chicken noodle soup good for inflammation? ›

The famous chicken soup study from 2000 focused on its impact on inflammation. “The 2000 study basically found that chicken soup inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis, which is a fancy way of saying it helped temporarily decrease inflammation so those who were sick could temporarily breathe easier,” Pike said.

Read The Full Story ›

Is chicken noodle soup good for the gut? ›

As the gut is the key to our overall health and immunity, it makes sense that we must nourish it with nutrient-dense wholefoods. And when it comes to gut nourishment, there's nothing more healing than bone broth—the base of any great chicken soup.

Read On ›

Is it okay to eat chicken noodle soup when you have diarrhea? ›

These tips may help you when you have diarrhea:

“Dry” forms of grains, such as crackers, pretzels, and toast, may be easiest to handle. Try light meals of clear soups, such as chicken soup or bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water. Drink plenty of fluids to replace what you are losing with diarrhea.