This Quick and Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle soup takes much less time to make than traditional chicken noodle soup. It still has great flavor and is just as comforting! This recipe is dairy and soy free.
Traditional chicken noodle soup consists of a broth made by simmering bone-in chicken in water with vegetables. This is exactly how I make my Homemade Turkey Soup.
While delicious, this method can be time consuming. Canned chicken noodle soup is subpar in my opinion, so I wanted to develop a recipe for a quick and easy soup that could be made on a weeknight.
I started out by using rotisserie chicken for this soup but, over time, found that I prefer it to be all white meat. I now make chicken breast in the slow cooker so they are soft and easily shredded. You could even use leftover chicken, or chicken you've previously cooked, shredded and placed in the freezer.
If you're looking for a Chicken Noodle Soup with a homemade flavor that you can make quickly, this soup is for you.
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Prepare the Chicken
Since this is a quick soup, you can use a rotisserie chicken if you like.
I prefer to cook chicken breasts using the slow cooker function of my Instant Pot. You could use the pressure cooker function if you're short on time. I prefer the texture of slow cooked chicken breasts for soups.
I place chicken breasts in the pot, cover them with either water or reduced sodium chicken broth, then slow cook on high for about 2 hours for thawed chicken or about 4 hours for frozen chicken.
You want to cook until the chicken is cooked through, registering at least 165°F internally and shreds easily with two forks.
Saute the Vegetables
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot, then add chopped sweet yellow onion, carrots and celery with a sprinkle of salt.
Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have started to soften. The celery and onions will be softer than the carrots.
Some people like to add some garlic to the veggies. I do not like garlic to overpower my Chicken Noodle Soup, so I do not add it. If you'd like to use it, add crushed garlic now and saute for about 30 seconds before proceeding with the recipe.
Add the reduced sodium chicken broth to the veggies. At this point, you can also add some chicken bouillon, like Better Than Bouillon, to the liquid to bump up the flavor.
You can also add fresh or dried herbs depending on your preference. Thyme and poultry seasoning are good here, or perhaps a bay leaf that you will remove later.
Bring the soup to a simmer and continue cooking until the carrots are cooked to your preference. I like my carrots in soup to be fork tender.
Cook the Noodles
Bring the soup just to a boil and add the egg noodles directly to the soup. Cook according to the package directions until al dente or softer if you prefer.
I use 8 ounces of noodles, but you can use more or less depending on what you like.
Finish the Soup
Add the shredded chicken to the soup.
You may wish to add extra broth or water if you prefer, as the noodles will have soaked up the liquid as they soften. Sometimes we prefer a thicker soup and do not add extra liquid.
Add chopped fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
As the last step, adjust the salt. The noodles will have taken up some of the salt during cooking it's important to check it at the end.
Serve the soup immediately. The longer the soup sits, the softer the noodles will be.
Variations
You can leave the chicken out of this soup and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth for a vegetarian option.
Instead of chicken, try shredded leftover turkey.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is great served with No Knead Bread, Honey Butter Yeast Rolls, Soft Garlic Knots, Quick No Yeast Beer Bread, Cornbread Muffins, or even Pumpkin Cornbread.
Dairy Free Option
This recipe is naturally dairy free if you use egg noodles that do not contain dairy. Most brands of egg noodles do not contain dairy, but please check your packaging.
This recipe is naturally soy free so it is MSPI friendly.
Gluten Free Option
Use gluten free egg noodles to make this recipe entirely gluten free.
📖 Recipe
Quick and Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts (see note)
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sweet yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 cup carrots (chopped)
- 1 cup celery (chopped)
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon chicken bouillon (optional)
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Add chicken breasts to the insert of slow cooker or Instant Pot. Cover with water and add salt.3 chicken breasts, 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt
- Cook using "slow cook" function on high for about 2 hours for thawed chicken breasts or about 4 hours for frozen chicken breasts. Frozen chicken will take about 6-8 hours on low. Continue cooking chicken until internal temperature registers at least 165°F and chicken shreds easily.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the insert to a plate with a slotted spoon. Shred with two forks. Keep warm.
Saute the Vegetables
- In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the onion, carrots and celery with a sprinkle of salt.1 cup sweet yellow onion, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery
- Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have started to soften. The celery and onions will be softer than the carrots.
- Add the chicken broth and bouillon to enhance the flavor, if desired.8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth, 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon chicken bouillon
- Add fresh or dried herbs like thyme, poultry seasoning or a bay leaf.¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Bring the soup to a simmer and continue cooking until the carrots are cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
Cook the Noodles
- Bring the soup just to a boil and add the egg noodles directly to the soup.8 ounces egg noodles
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions, about 8-12 minutes, until al dente or softer if you prefer.
Finish the Soup
- Add the shredded chicken to the soup and cook on low to heat chicken.
- If needed, add extra broth or water, as the noodles will have soaked up liquid during cooking.
- Add chopped fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust the salt.1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- Serve the soup immediately. The longer the soup sits, the softer the noodles will be.
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