Chicken Noodle Soup

 This is my all-time favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. It is SO good and the only recipe you’ll ever need. Our family has been making this for years! It’s healthy and satisfying, and the flavor is out of this world.

This recipe makes me smile just thinking about it! This is my go-to soup whenever it’s chilly or someone in the family is sick.

It’s way better than the canned stuff and it’s FAST! The secret is flavorful chicken thighs! They make a ridiculously flavorful broth and mean we have homemade chicken noodle soup ready in under 40 minutes (and most of that is hands-off!)

Key Ingredients

• Chicken thighs: My secret for the best soup! Chicken thighs get super soft and delicious.
• Chicken stock: I highly recommend homemade chicken stock or chicken broth, but store-bought works! When shopping for stock, darker broth or bouillon usually means more flavor. I also love boxed bone broths (or you can make your own).
• Egg noodles: I love them, but you can always substitute your favorite pasta.
• Veggies: I keep it simple with onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
• Thyme, Bay leaves and parsley: All three are classic flavors for chicken soup.

How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup

I start by sweating my veggies in some butter. I’m not looking to brown them. I just want to give them a head start before adding the broth. Next, I add my broth and taste for seasoning. Now is a great time to see if your broth needs salt. Seasoning early on is always a great idea.

When I’m happy with my broth, it’s time to add the chicken thighs. We gently poach them in the broth, which adds flavor to the soup and keeps our chicken juicy and tender. After 20 minutes, the chicken will be cooked so we can remove it and shred it. I toss in my noodles and the shredded chicken along with some fresh parsley. This soup is so simple to make and tastes amazing!

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Variations

• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream or half-and-half, like in this creamy chicken noodle.
• Add Lemon: Add 3 to 4 lemon slices, similar to this lemony chicken soup.
• Mexican-Inspired Soup: Add 3 or 4 slices of lime, use rice instead of noodles, swap the parsley for fresh cilantro, and then add diced tomatoes and cubed avocado. You can even add diced corn tortillas as we do for this chicken tortilla soup.
• Add Umami: Add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, mushroom powder, or a few dashes of fish sauce for an ultra-satisfying, umami-packed soup.
• Add More Veggies: Swirl in fresh spinach or kale at the end of cooking for more of a vegetable-heavy soup.
• Substitute the Noodles: Try potatoes, winter squash, rice, quinoa, or grains. Add hearty veggies (like potatoes) to the pot along with the onions and carrots. When it comes to rice and grains, add them already cooked.
• Use Tortellini: I love using cheese-filled pasta when making this veggie tortellini soup.