Name: Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 stalks celery, diced small; 2 medium carrots, diced medium; 1 medium yellow onion, diced small; Salt and pepper; 4 cups chicken broth; 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 6 ounces vermicelli or angel-hair pasta, broken into 1 ½-inch pieces; 0.25 cup chopped fresh dill

Prep Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

6

Homemade chicken noodle soup is pure comfort in a bowl. This quick version is made with chicken breast and a flavorful broth, and is a great recipe to have in your back pocket. It has all the bold flavors of a slow-cooked chicken soup, but comes together in just over 30 minutes—and it couldn’t be simpler or more delicious.

We build layers of flavor by sautéing aromatic vegetables like carrots, onion, and celery until they soften and begin to release their natural flavors. Chicken broth and water are added, followed by boneless skinless chicken breasts. The chicken takes about 10 minutes to cook. Then, while you shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, thin noodles cook in the broth. When the soup is ready to serve, each bowl is topped with some fresh dill for an earthy finish.

We guarantee you’ll never reach for a can of store-bought chicken noodle soup again. Take our advice and make a double batch and keep some in the freezer. It’s perfect for when you’re under the weather or need to get dinner on the table in a hurry.

The Best Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup

We love a thin noodle, such as vermicelli or angel hair, since they cook quickly and are easy for people of all ages to eat. Wide egg noodles are good at absorbing lots of flavor and also cook quickly. But don't let having the "wrong" noodle in your pantry stop you from making this soup. If you have something a bit thicker on hand, like spaghetti or linguine, use it, but know that those noodles will need to be cooked separately before being stirred into the soup.

5 Tasty Ways to Customize the Soup

Garnish the soup with other fresh, delicate herbs like flat-leaf parsley, basil, or thyme.
Amp up the flavor by adding dried herbs, like thyme or rosemary, to the vegetables while they are sautéing. Use about half the amount you would of fresh herbs (for instance, 1 tablespoon of dried herbs for 2 tablespoons of fresh), since dried herbs are more powerful than fresh.
Add extra fiber and color by stirring in a few handfuls of leafy greens at the end. Try baby spinach, arugula, or tender kale.
Leek greens are a delicious springtime substitute for the onions. Wash them well, because leeks hold a lot of dirt and grit between their layers.
Swap the long noodles for other quick-cooking pasta shapes, like orzo or ditalini. Or use leftover cooked rice or other cooked grains. Stir them in after the chicken.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks celery, diced small
2 medium carrots, diced medium
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 ounces vermicelli or angel-hair pasta, broken into 1 ½-inch pieces
¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Directions

Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup — Jason Donnelly

Sauté celery, carrots, and onions:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add celery, carrots, and onion and cook until celery and carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Jason Donnelly
Add broth and water:

Add broth and 4 cups water and bring to a boil.

Jason Donnelly
Cook chicken:

Add chicken, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Jason Donnelly
Shred chicken:

With tongs, remove chicken and chop or shred into bite-size pieces.

Jason Donnelly
Cook pasta:

Add pasta to pot and cook until tender, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Jason Donnelly
Serve:

To serve, stir in chicken and dill.

Jason Donnelly

How to Store Chicken Noodle Soup

If you happen to have any soup left over, let it cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Alternatively, freeze the soup for up to six months.

How to Reheat Soup

Pour leftover soup into a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the broth, chicken, and noodles are warmed through. This should take 10 to 15 minutes.

To reheat frozen soup, we recommend thawing the container of soup in the refrigerator overnight and reheating as above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to cook noodles separately for chicken soup?

This depends on the type of noodle you're using. Thin noodles, like the ones we call for in this recipe, cook quickly enough that they can boil in the broth for a few minutes. Thicker dried noodles like most wheat-based noodles, should be cooked separately before adding to the soup. They take longer to cook, so they will absorb too much broth if added directly to the soup. We also recommend snapping longer noodles into smaller, more manageable pieces that will fit neatly in a spoonful of soup.

Why does homemade chicken noodle soup taste bland?

Your soup might taste bland if it is under-seasoned. Make sure to taste the soup as you go, and add salt and pepper as needed to bring out the flavors of the chicken and vegetables.

How do I add flavor to homemade chicken soup?

Look no further than the spice cabinet. Ground spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano are a surefire way to add instant flavor to chicken noodle soup.

Starting with a rich homemade chicken broth will also help boost the overall flavor of your soup.