Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

Chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles is the kind of meal that tastes like someone spent all day in the kitchen, except you won’t. The trap most home cooks fall into is overcooking the chicken or letting the broth turn bland and thin. This recipe fixes both by simmering the chicken low and slow in seasoned broth, then shredding it back into the pot with tender egg noodles and a handful of fresh parsley. You end up with a bowl that’s warm, filling, and ready to gather people around.

Why This Recipe Works

• Shredded chicken stays moist: Simmering whole breasts for a full hour in broth keeps them tender, not dry, the key is maintaining a gentle bubble the entire time.
• Deep, clean flavor: Sautéed aromatics, bay leaf, basil, and thyme build a broth base that tastes like it simmered for hours, not 90 minutes.
• Egg noodles cook in the broth: They absorb seasoning as they soften, so every bite tastes intentional, not like an afterthought.
• One pot, minimal cleanup: Everything happens in a single large pot, no separate pans, no straining, no fuss.

Ingredient Breakdown

This soup relies on a few good ingredients working together, not a long list of specialty items.

• Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless): Two medium breasts give you enough protein without overwhelming the broth. Boneless and skinless cook evenly and shred cleanly. Buy them fresh or frozen; thaw frozen breasts in the fridge overnight before cooking.
• Chicken broth: Eight cups is your base. Use store-bought, homemade is wonderful, but this recipe is built around standard broth, so don’t feel obligated. Check the sodium level; if your broth is very salty, start with 1 teaspoon of salt and taste before adding more.
• Egg noodles (uncooked): Six ounces (170 g) of dried egg noodles cook directly in the broth in about 7 minutes. They’re sturdier than pasta and won’t turn to mush.
• Yellow onion, carrots, and celery: This is your aromatic base. One medium onion, four carrots, and two ribs of celery give you enough vegetable flavor without making the soup chunky. Dice them all to roughly the same size so they soften evenly.
• Garlic, bay leaf, basil, and thyme: Three minced garlic cloves, one bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and ½ teaspoon dried thyme create the backbone of the broth. Don’t skip the bay leaf, it adds a subtle depth that people notice but can’t name.
• Olive oil and salt: Two tablespoons of olive oil sauté the vegetables without burning. Salt is divided: 1 teaspoon goes in early, then you taste and adjust at the end. Freshly cracked black pepper (¼ teaspoon) finishes the seasoning.
• Fresh parsley: One tablespoon minced and stirred in at the very end brightens the whole bowl. It’s not decoration, it’s flavor.

How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles Step by Step

This soup moves through three clear stages: building the broth base, simmering the chicken, and finishing with noodles.

Prep

1. Dice the onion into roughly ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
2. Peel and dice the carrots into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
3. Dice the celery into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
4. Mince the three garlic cloves.
5. Mince the fresh parsley and set it aside in a small bowl.

Sauté the Aromatics

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large soup pot and set the heat to medium.
2. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot.
3. Stir occasionally and cook for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the onion turns translucent at the edges.
4. Add the minced garlic, dried basil, dried thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
5. Stir well and cook for an additional 5 minutes so the spices release their flavor into the oil.

Simmer the Chicken

1. Place the two chicken breasts into the pot.
2. Pour the 8 cups of chicken broth over the chicken, making sure it’s fully submerged.
3. Increase the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil, this should take 3, 5 minutes.
4. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and maintain a gentle simmer for one full hour.
5. The broth should bubble slowly and steadily the entire time; if it stops bubbling, the chicken won’t shred easily. Adjust the heat as needed to keep that gentle motion going.

Shred and Season

1. After one hour, carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon and place them on a cutting board.
2. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into bite-sized shreds.
3. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed, starting with 1 teaspoon and adjusting to your preference.

Cook the Noodles

1. Increase the heat to high and bring the broth back to a rolling boil.
2. Add the 6 ounces (170 g) of uncooked egg noodles directly to the pot.
3. Stir occasionally and cook for about 7 minutes, until the noodles are tender but still hold their shape.
4. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine.
5. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.

Finish and Serve

Stir in the fresh parsley and ladle the soup into bowls. Serve hot.

Tips and Variations

• Make it ahead: Prepare the soup through the shredding step, then cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, add the noodles fresh, and finish with parsley just before serving.
• Add vegetables: Stir in frozen peas, corn, or diced green beans during the last 2 minutes of noodle cooking. They’ll warm through without turning mushy.
• Use thighs instead: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay even more tender than breasts. Use 3, 4 thighs and follow the same timing; they’ll shred just as easily.
• Swap the noodles: Small pasta shapes like ditalini or orzo work well here. Cook them the same way, about 7 minutes in the broth.

Serving and Storage

• Serve immediately: Ladle into bowls while the soup is hot and the noodles are at their best texture. A crusty roll or grilled cheese on the side turns this into a complete meal.
• Store leftovers: Cool the soup to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The noodles will absorb more broth as it sits, making the soup thicker, add a splash of broth or water when reheating if you prefer it looser.
• Freeze for later: Freeze the broth and chicken separately from the noodles. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat the broth, and cook fresh noodles just before serving for the best texture.

FAQs

Can I use rotisserie chicken instead?

Yes. Shred about 3 cups of rotisserie chicken and skip the simmering step. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot after cooking the noodles. The soup will be ready in about 30 minutes, though it won’t have quite the same depth of broth flavor.

What if my chicken is still tough after an hour?

This usually means the heat was too low and the broth wasn’t simmering properly. Make sure you see gentle bubbles breaking the surface the whole time. If it happens, simmer for another 15, 20 minutes and check again.

Can I make this without fresh parsley?

Yes, but don’t skip the herb entirely. Use ½ teaspoon of dried parsley or a pinch of fresh dill instead. Fresh herbs at the end brighten the whole bowl.

How much salt should I add at the end?

Start with 1 teaspoon and taste. Most store-bought broths are already fairly salty, so you may not need much. Add a little at a time, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

This chicken noodle soup delivers deep, slow-simmered flavor in about 90 minutes. Tender shredded chicken, hearty egg noodles, and a savory herb broth come together in one pot for a comforting bowl that tastes like it simmered all day.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 32 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Calories: 320

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 4 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 6 ounces 170 g uncooked egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced

Method

 

1. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. Mince the garlic and parsley; set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
4. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook 6 minutes until softened.
5. Stir in garlic, basil, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook 5 minutes.
6. Add chicken breasts and pour in chicken broth.
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour.
8. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
9. Taste broth and add more salt if needed.
10. Bring broth to a rolling boil and add egg noodles.
11. Cook noodles 7 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
12. Return shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine.
13. Stir in fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

• Make ahead: prepare through shredding, refrigerate up to 3 days, then add fresh noodles when reheating.
• Add frozen peas, corn, or green beans during the last 2 minutes of noodle cooking.
• Swap chicken breasts for 3-4 boneless, skinless thighs for extra tenderness.
• Use ditalini or orzo instead of egg noodles; cook about 7 minutes.
• Freeze broth and chicken separately from noodles for best texture.

Final Thoughts

This chicken noodle soup is the kind of meal that works on a Tuesday night or when someone needs comfort. It’s straightforward enough that you can make it without thinking too hard, but careful enough that it tastes like you cared. Gather your people around the table and let the warmth do the work.