Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Classic chicken noodle soup in a white soup crock on a black plate.

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5 from 3 votes

Classic chicken noodle soup from scratch - the perfect comforting, cure-all meal.

Prep Time6

Cook Time2

Total Time8

Course: Soup and Stew Recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings: cups

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Cheryl Bennett

Ingredients

For the Stock:

3 - 4 lbs. chicken carcasses necks & backs included, skin and excess fat removed
10 cups water
2 onions roughly chopped
4 carrots roughly chopped
4 stalks celery roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. black peppercorns
4 cloves garlic peeled & smashed
1 small bunch thyme (or substitute 2 tsp. dried thyme)

For the soup:

1 onion diced
3 carrots peeled and diced
3 stalks celery diced
3 lbs. chicken chicken thighs or chicken breasts, skin removed
8 cups chicken stock
4 oz. egg noodles
1 tbsp. canola oil
salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup flat leaf Italian parsley washed, dried, and finely chopped

Instructions

Make Stock:

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and gently simmer uncovered for 4 - 6 hours. Stock should not boil, it should be kept at a gentle simmer.
Longer is better - simmer the stock for up to 8 hours if you have the time, but 6 hours will give you a rich, deep stock.
Skim the top every 20 minutes for the first couple of hours, then you will only need to do it a few more times for the remainder of the cooking time. Skimming the stock will result in a cleaner flavor and clearer broth. Add hot water to pot as needed to keep chicken and vegetables submerged.
Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids. If not using immediately, cool down and refrigerate. After it has cooled completely, remove any solidified fat from top and discard, if desired. (You may or may not have much fat on top. Sometimes, I barely have any at all.)

Make Soup:

In a large (8 - 10 quart) stock pot, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute 2 -3 minutes. Add (uncooked) chicken to pot and sauté until lightly browned. Add carrots and celery and saute 2 -3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Add stock and simmer until chicken is cooked through, roughly 20 minutes for chicken thighs (which are more forgiving and have more flavor) or 12 - 15 minutes for chicken breast.
Remove the chicken from the pot, and shred the meat, either using two forks, or let it cool enough to handle then shred with clean hands.
*If you are using chicken on the bone, remove from soup and let it cool until you are able to handle it, then remove meat from bone and shred it.
Add noodles to the soup pot and cook until noodles are nearly done. Finally, add the shredded chicken back into the soup to warm through.
Finish with chopped herbs like parsley or thyme, if desired.

Notes

Here's a shortcut version:

Heat canola oil in stock pot and sauté onions until they just begin to turn golden brown. Add chicken pieces and saute until they are nicely browned.
Add 8 cups water and bay leaf. Let it simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, skimming the surface as needed. Remove chicken pieces and let them cool until you are able to handle them.
Add celery and carrots to broth. While they are simmering, take the meat off the bones and shred. Add the chicken meat back into the soup and add noodles. Cook another 6 - 8 minutes until noodles are done.

Here's an even FASTER, EASIER version: Buy stock at the store and a rotisserie chicken (or use leftover chicken from dinner). Add the chopped onions, celery and carrots to the pot. Simmer until the vegetables are soft. Add noodles and let the soup simmer until the noodles are cooked. Pull the meat from the chicken and add it to the soup at the very end, just to warm it through. Super speedy, which is what you need if you're feeling under the weather.

Nutrition