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Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup with a golden, herb-scented broth and tender egg noodles simmered until juicy and flavorful. Shredded chicken is returned to the pot after simmering so every spoonful tastes comforting.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 lb bone-in chicken breasts or thighs
Carrots
  • 4 carrots, sliced into coins
Celery
  • 4 celery, sliced
Onion
  • 1 onion, diced
Garlic
  • 4 garlic, minced
Chicken broth
  • 8 cup chicken broth
Water
  • 2 cup water
Egg noodles
  • 8 oz egg noodles
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
Bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley
  • 1 fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the vegetables start to glisten.
  2. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Stir constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute (no browning).
Simmer the broth with chicken
  1. Add the chicken broth, water, dried thyme, dried parsley, bay leaves, and chicken to the pot. Increase heat to bring to a boil, with visible bubbles around the edges.
  2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the broth looks lightly seasoned and steamy.
Shred and finish with noodles
  1. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with two forks, then discard the bay leaves. The shredded chicken should fall into strands for easier mixing back into the soup.
  2. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and bring the soup back to a simmer. Look for small bubbles at the surface before adding noodles.
  3. Add the egg noodles and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender. Watch for noodles to soften fully while the broth remains gently bubbling.
  4. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste, then garnish with fresh parsley. Stir once to distribute the seasoning, and finish with parsley scattered on top.

Notes

For clearer broth, skim any foam that rises during the first boil. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze soup without noodles if possible for best texture (freeze up to 2 months). If you want a lighter option, use skinless chicken and reduce the olive oil to 1 tbsp.