The Coziest Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe for Winter (2024)

Make this cozy and delicious Chicken Noodle Soup chock full of tender noodles, juicy chicken, and a mix of carrots, celery, and onions. It’s your go-to comfort food that’s not just warm and cozy but nourishing, too, making those chilly days a bit more bearable.

There’s something special about whipping up a pot of my Baba’s (grandma’s) chicken noodle soup. It’s as straightforward as they come – no frills, no fuss, just good ol’ heartwarming flavor. However, Baba was all about that whole chicken life, but me? I’ve hacked the system with bone-in chicken breasts and ready-made broth. In half the time, with a fraction of the effort, you’re diving into a world of comfort and deliciousness of homemade chicken noodle soup.

Why You Should Make This Soup

• My version of this classic soup is simple and authentic, but it’s also easy because of shortcuts like using bone-in chicken breasts and store-bought chicken broth.
• Feel like tweaking the classic? Whether you want to switch up the veggies or the protein or want something creamier, this recipe is flexible.
• Lastly, there’s so much comfort in relishing a bowl of homemade soup.

Ingredients For Chicken Noodle Soup

• Olive Oil & Butter: For sauteing.
• Onion: I use yellow onion, but a white onion or sweet onion is okay to use.
• Celery: You’ll need about three celery stalks, thinly sliced.
• Carrots: I use two medium carrots, sliced thinly.
• Fresh Garlic: You’ll need six cloves of garlic, minced or pressed.
• Broth: I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth.
• Thyme: You can use fresh thyme sprigs or a teaspoon of dried thyme.
• Bay Leaves: This recipe uses two bay leaves.
• Chicken: Use bone-in chicken to make the best soup, and, more importantly, you’re getting all those nutrients from the chicken bonesand connective tissue.
• Salt and Pepper: To taste.
• Noodles: I use these Carba-Nada noodles – but you can use wide egg noodles.
• Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish.
• Lemon Wedges: For serving.

How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Sauté the Vegetables: Heat the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
2. Add Broth and Chicken: Stir in the chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf; scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken, salt, and pepper; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add Noodles and Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and transfer them to a cutting board. Add the egg noodles to the soup and cook them for 7 minutes or until al dente. While the noodles are cooking, shred the chicken and discard the bones. Important: If using Carba-Nada noodles, you can add those together with the shredded chicken because they only take 4 to 5 minutes to cook.
4. Finish Simmering and Serve: Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, cover, and simmer for 2 more minutes. Then, remove from the heat, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, and adjust the salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley and serve the soup with lemon wedges.

Serving Suggestions

A skillet full of my rosemary and garlic bread would make a lovely addition to this hearty homemade soup, and so will my slow cooker bread with basil pesto. For this soup, I also like a chopped side salad like my shopska Macedonian chopped salad or this other chopped egg cucumber tomato salad. To complete the meal, serve these tasty Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Buttercream Filling.

How to Store Leftover Soup

• To Refrigerate: Store leftover soup in airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, add the leftovers to a soup pot set over medium heat and cook until heated through.
• To Freeze: You should leave out the noodles because defrosting them will cause them to get mushy and overly soft. Instead, make the soup without the noodles, and add them once you’ve defrosted the soup and heated it to a simmer. Simmer the hot soup with the dried noodles for about 7 minutes or until al dente.