The Best Chicken Noodle Soup (video)
Nothing beats this hearty and warming chicken noodle soup on a cold winter night! But really, you can enjoy this incredible soup recipe any time of the year! I make my chicken broth using a whole, bone-in chicken which adds incredible flavor and aroma to the soup! The broth is made with onion, celery, carrots and my favorite herb de provence blend (affiliate link) which has rosemary, thyme, basil and even lavender! Enjoy this warming soup with a bit of rustic baguette on the side!
Watch My Chicken Soup Video!
Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions and tips for making the best chicken noodle soup! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Preparing the Chicken
This warming soup recipe starts off with an excellent broth. I personally love the richness and depth that bone broth has and this soup is no exception! I usually purchase a small fryer chicken and break it down into pieces: 2 chicken breasts, 2 chicken thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings and the carcass. Check out this helpful video from America Test Kitchens to see how it’s done! Because chicken breast tends to be on the dry side, I prefer to save the chicken breast for a different recipe.
Preparing the Aromatic Broth
Prepare a simple base for the broth using aromatics such as celery, onion and carrots. If you prefer, you can also add a few minced garlic cloves. I like to sweat the aromatics with butter for even more flavor. Once they’re tender, I add in a bit of white wine. The white wine gives the soup recipe a bit of acidity and balances out the flavors. If you prefer to cook without wine, just squeeze in a bit of fresh lemon juice at the end of the recipe! Next, I add in water and pre-made chicken broth. I add the broth for a more intense chicken soup flavor. If you prefer, you can use just water instead!
Cooking the Chicken Noodle Soup
- For maximum flavor, I recommend simmering the bone-in chicken for at least 1 hour. If you’re short on time, 30 minutes is the least amount of time you’ll need. The longer the meat and bones cook, the more aromatic the chicken noodle soup will be!
- Once the broth is ready, use kitchen tongs to remove the chicken from the broth and into a large bowl. Carefully pull away the meat from the bones using kitchen tongs or forks. The meat will be VERY HOT so take extra care not to burn your fingers! I discard any skin, bones and ligaments, keeping just the meat.
- Return the meat to the broth, add the noodles and cook just until the noodles are done. Season the chicken soup with fresh parsley before serving!
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this delicious soup recipe? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy for next time!
- Creamy Chicken Stew – the best recipe for cozy and creamy chicken stew with bacon bits, white wine, and parmesan cheese! A flavor explosion!
- Smoky Bacon Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup – the most delicious chicken soup recipe! Extra creamy with bacon bits, parmesan cheese and gnocchi!
- Chicken Kale & Sweet Potato Soup – hearty fall soup with sweet potatoes and kale! Healthy and delicious!
- Chicken Quinoa & Kale Soup – my mom’s recipe for hearty and warming chicken soup!
- Italian Minestrone Soup – the best recipe for classic Italian Minestrone with hearty Italian sausage, zucchini, pasta, beans and more!
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The Best Chicken Noodle Soup (video)
Ingredients
- 1 small fryer chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 2 to 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 to 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup white wine, optional
- 1 to 2 tsp salt; season to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp herb de provence
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 6 cups water
- 2 to 3 cups dry egg noodles
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp lemon juice; optional in place of wine
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken first. Using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board, break down the chicken. First, run a knife around the drumstick, pull it away from the body and allow the joint to naturally guide you to the separation then cut off the drumstick. Do this for the other side, then move onto the thighs and wings, cutting first around the meat, then pulling the bone back and letting the joint pop out. To remove the breasts, run a knife along the top to find the breast bone, then gently work the knife as close to the bone as possible, removing the breast meat. Save the breast meat for another recipe. For more details, check out the video link in my recipe post!
- Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of cooking oil, along with the butter. Add in the aromatic – onion, carrots and celery. Sweat this mixture over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, just until the mixture is tender but not caramelized. Add in the white wine and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until it’s evaporated (leave out the wine if not using). Season the mixture with salt, pepper, herbs and paprika.
- Add in the chicken broth and water (just water may be used if desired) and then add in the chicken carcass, drumsticks, thighs and wings. Close the pot with a lid and allow the soup to come to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, just enough to keep the soup simmering. Simmer the chicken soup for 30 minutes to 1 hour; the longer, the better!
- Once the chicken has cooked, remove it carefully with tongs and place into a large bowl. Using tongs or fork, pull the meat off the bones and into a clean bowl. Discard the bones, skin and ligaments. Break down any larger chunks of meat into bite sized pieces. Return the cleaned meat into the chicken broth and add the dry noodles. Continue to cook the soup for an additional 7 to 9 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked. If not using white wine, add a few tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and garnish with parsley.
So yummy, easy enough you’ll make it instead of buying it
Yes, homemade is always better! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
My favorite chicken soup recipe!
I’m so glad you love this recipe! 🙂 It’s my favorite, too!
This is the best Chicken Soup Recipe I ever had. In the past my homemade chicken noodles soup always tasted bland but this was very tasty especially with Rye Bread on the side.
Hi Kevin! I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe! I love the idea of enjoying it with rye bread, too. Thanks for leaving a review!