Comfort food central! With my little tricks for extra flavour in the soup, you can make an easy Chicken Noodle Soup midweek that tastes like you made it with a full blown homemade chicken broth / stock from scratch using a whole chicken. Filling, nourishing and can’t-stop-eating it delicious!
I received an email from a reader asking me to share my chicken noodle soup. It might be in the middle of summer here in Sydney but the weather is swinging from heat waves to winter-like from day to day, so it was certainly no hardship to move from the barbecued Miso Marinated Side of Salmon I shared last Friday to this soup!
OK, maybe “winter-like” is a slight exaggeration. But when it’s 40C/104F one day then 24C/75F the next, it sure feels like it! 😉
I actually have 3 chicken vegetable noodle soups in my repertoire. My “ultimate” version is made using a whole chicken to make a full blown homemade chicken stock base for the soup. SO good. Takes 2 hours. 🙂 (Update: here it is, including a recipe video!)
My quickie version is the one I make the least which is made using pre-cooked shredded chicken and big flavour boosts for the soup broth.
Then there’s this one which I make using bone in chicken pieces, simmered until the meat is tender enough to shred to make a killer broth. Flavour wise, it is a small compromise from my “ultimate” version given it takes less than half the time. I have a few secret tips up my sleeve for this!
So here are the things I do that I think makes this easy Chicken Noodle Soup extra tasty even though it’s a relatively speedy midweek version:
1. Brown bone in-skin on chicken thigh fillets to create extra flavour base for the soup stock. You will be amazed what a difference this makes compared to just plonking pre-cooked chicken into chicken broth/stock. I discard the skin and excess fat BUT the most important thing is the extra flavour this adds when you mix the golden brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot into the soup. Also, cooking the chicken in the broth adds loads of extra flavour too!
2. Sauté dried herbs with the onion. This is an awesome tip for extra flavour! While it sautés, you can smell the fragrance that it releases that is so much better than throwing in herbs into the broth!
Feel free to load it up with more veggies if you want! I’ve kept it quite traditional with celery and carrots, but sometimes I throw in other diced veggies too! – Nagi x
Soup Dippers
Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread • Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread • Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls
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Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1.4 lb / 700g bone in , skin on chicken thigh fillets (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 small onion , diced (brown, white or yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed
- 2 cups celery , chopped (Note 2)
- 2 cups carrots , chopped (Note 2)
- 3 cups chicken broth/stock
- 3 cups water
- 6 oz / 200g thick egg pasta (or other pasta of choice) (Note 3)
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat.
- Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until brown - 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium low. Discard all but about 1 tbsp fat from the pot. If you don't have any fat, add 1 tbsp olive oil (or 2 tbsp if there is not much chicken fat), then add the onion, garlic, thyme and oregano.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then add the celery and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add a splash of the chicken broth and mix in, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Return the chicken and juices into the pot, add the chicken broth and water.
- Turn the heat up to medium to bring to a simmer. Place the lid on and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked enough to shred.
- Remove the chicken into a large bowl or plate.
- Add the pasta into the pot. (Note 3)
- While the pasta is cooking, remove the skin from the chicken and scared it. Then shred the flesh into chunks using 2 forks.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve, garnished with parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
I made this soup for the first time today and on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it 15. Nagi, you did it again.
Enjoying the Melbourne “summer” with a boyfriend who has COVID and is crook … decided he needed some old fashioned chicken soup but I am time poor and this was perfect. I put in more garlic. Doubled the chicken quantity and added the whole carton of broth (4 cup) and an extra cup of water. Was delish. Chonky celery and carrots are the way.
Absolutely delicious. With the first blast of winter cold and tired mid-term kids, this dinner warmed the bellies. We used drumsticks and browned them before putting back in the soup to cook.
Hi do you think adding turmeric and ginger would give it a nice flavour hit? Thanks!
Hi Nagi
I am fairly new to your recipes but I’m loving all I have tried so far – including this one!
You have simplified and tastified my life!!
I am keen to find your quick version of your chicken noodle soup, however I can only find this one or the long cook one.
Can you please point me in the right direction to you quickie version you mention in this recipe?
Ps. Have preordered your cook book…. Can’t wait for it to be delivered!
so easy and delicious! Beats Jamie Oliver’s recipe by a mile. Thanks
Very tasty soup and super easy to prepare.
OMG!!! This is super easy and super delicious!!! It helps me a lot as my fridge is broken and I cannot chill raw or cooked food. We had this for lunch and dinner with no leftover! We made it twice in this week! Both times my husband and daughter went…. hmmm this is nice!!! Jackpot!!! Thank you Nagi. Will be making your bolognese sauce today as that too, we’ll probably have no leftovers 😝
I am happy that you liked it Aisah! N x
Do you have the recipe for the super easy version? I have most of a leftover cooked chicken that I want to use to make soup but that doesn’t fit this recipe…
Lost count of how many times we’ve made this soup, it’s been so perfect especially with this cold winter we’ve been having! I feel like this is such an underrated recipe! Really delicious, easy and super economical – instead of noodles, I’ve been using short pasta like macaroni or shells. For leftovers, we don’t bother removing the pasta so although it does become a little soft, it turns it into more of a “stew” than a soup – still tasty though! Thanks Nagi for sharing such a great recipe 🙂
This is a great comfort food. Great taste but something you want on a cold day after busy work day.
Yes exactly J-Mom!! N x
Would this freeze well without the noodles? Should I also freeze the chicken separately, or freeze the soup including chicken all together, and then add the noodles after defrosting?
Hi Emily, you can freeze this but I like to keep the noodles separate – the chicken is fine to freeze in the soup. N x
Hi Nagi
Made this today its magic i added a chillie pepper as well ten out of ten keep the recipes coming
Cheers Bob
On step 11 what does “scared it (to the chicken)” mean?
I think that is a typo, and it should read ‘discard it’
I don’t know where you’ve been all my life but this is the ONLY website this family needs to find anything and everything which is always delicious. This soup was no exception, I often make chicken noodle soup, never have I made it this great before. You really are a lifesaver, feeding 3 growing boys and a full grown husband can be exhausting, not with your recipes. Bonus, I usually get a laugh out of your pre-recipe writing xx THANK YOU!!
Wahoo!!!
This recipe was easy and decious! I really enjoyed it. Nice comfort food! Found it needed a bit more broth, so I added more water and chicken stock.
I’m so glad you loved it Bethany ❤️
Despite it being 100 degrees outside, I couldn’t help but make this and OMG. So delicious! Thanks for another winner Nagi. We all loved it.
Yessss! Great Danielle!
hi nagi, brilliant website I am obessed with your amazing recipies, would you care please to share your chicken soup using a whole chicken, my partner is so desperate to try it because he LOVS ALL OF YOUR RECIPES. thank you Lilly
Awww thank you Lily! OK, I will share it soon!!! I actually feel like chicken noodle soup right now…hmmm, maybe I will make it today! N x
hi, i have everything at home for this delicious looking chicken noodle soup, can i cook this in my slow cooker overnight do you think? If so, how long should I cook it for, my slow cooker is 5 litires breville slow cooker. thank you so much
Hi Lily! 6 hours in the slow cooker, but I still would not add the noodles until just before serving otherwise they will get too mushy! N x
I love this soup, wondering if slow cooker would be high or low please?
Tried it for lunch – it was great, another 5 star.
Andy, I’m starting to think you cook more than ME!!! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this! N x