This is an amazing Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe that is FULL of flavor, tender chicken, and delicious thick egg noodles (those amazing frozen Reames noodles). This soup has a little thicker texture that will satisfy your craving for comfort food! It will be your new go-to Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, for sure, so make sure you save this recipe!
If you are looking for a kid friendly chicken noodle soup recipe check out this one for Chicken Noodle Soup for Kids. Or if you have an Instant Pot and want to make quick work of this recipe then hop over to my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (it’s a dump and start recipe!).
RELATED: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Seven Secrets to the BEST Chicken Noodle Soup
There are seven ingredients and methods that make this the best chicken noodles soup you will ever make! I will talk more in depth about some of these below. But I wanted to put them all in one place for you to see why this recipe is unique.
- Start with butter instead of oil.
- Add flour to make a little roux, this slightly thickens the broth and gives it “weight”.
- Use a flavorful stock, instead of broth.
- Add chicken base, it’s like a huge punch of chicken flavor!
- Thick frozen egg noodles, not dry noodles from the pasta aisle.
- Shredded chicken, not chunks of chicken.
- A little apple cider vinegar added at the end will wake up flavors (you won’t be able to taste the vinegar, promise).
Flavorful Chicken Stock
There is nothing worse than digging into a bowl of chicken soup and the broth looks like water and the only chicken flavor comes from the actual pieces of chicken.
The stock in this Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is not homemade chicken broth, but it is bursting with chicken flavor! We start with a good store bought chicken stock and then add something called chicken base.
The “secret” to getting a bold flavored chicken noodle soup without making your own stock is a tablespoon of chicken base. It adds that intense chicken flavor you want in the the broth of your chicken noodle soup. We love the Better Than Bouillon Brand.
If you are not familiar with chicken base it is similar to a chicken bouillon but it comes in a tub and is paste-like. You can find it in the soup aisle of your grocery store.
Most of the soup recipes on Mom’s Dinner call for chicken base or beef base. It is worth having in your fridge or pantry!
Frozen Egg Noodles
Another secret to this being the best chicken noodle soup recipe are the Reames frozen egg noodles. They are SO much better than the traditional dry kluski noodle or dry egg noodles.
The Reames noodles are thick and have a big hearty bite and actual FLAVOR. When they cook in the flavorful chicken stock/chicken base they absorb some of that flavor and are knock-out delicious!
If you can’t find the Reames brand, any similar frozen egg noodle will work.
And once you LOVE the frozen egg noodles you need to make this Creamy Chicken and Noodle Recipe.
Turmeric
This spice is another secret ingredient to a really good chicken noodle soup with depth of flavor.
It doesn’t add a super noticeable flavor that you can pick out in the soup. But it adds a deep warmness and umami to the soup that can’t be beat!
It is also a vibrant yellow color so it punches up the color of your broth!
Turmeric is also a great anti-inflammatory food. It is activated by black pepper, so make sure you crack some pepper in your soup to get all the benefits.
Cooked Chicken
This recipe calls for cooked chicken to be added to the soup. There are a few ways we recommend you make or buy the chicken.
- Easiest: buy a rotisserie chicken and use both breasts and maybe some of the dark meat. Save the bones to make Chicken Stock in your Instant Pot!
- Instant Pot: either make all purpose chicken or a rotisserie chicken in your Instant Pot.
- Poach: cook two or three chicken breasts in simmering water, poaching is a great way to make plain chicken!
- Baking: coat 2-3 chicken breast with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Then bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Make sure it reaches 165 degree internal temp before removing from the oven.
Then you can shred or chop the chicken before adding it to the soup. But we HIGHLY RECCOMEND SHREDDING THE CHICKEN. It adds a really nice texture to the soup.
Pro Tip: to easily shred your chicken while it is still warm, pop it in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low for about 30 seconds.
More Popular Chicken Soup Recipes on Mom’s Dinner
If you love having chicken soup for dinner then check out some of these other comforting soup recipes:
How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup
You are only a few steps away from the best chicken noodle soup you have ever had!
- Melt the butter in a large pot and sauté the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic until the veggies soften and onions become translucent- about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken base, turmeric, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper and bay leaf and stir to coat the vegetables with all the herbs and spices.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
- Add the frozen egg noodles and cooked shredded chicken. Cook over medium- low heat for 20-25 minutes until the noodles are cooked through.
- Turn the heat to low and add the vinegar, cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Side Dishes for Chicken Noodle Soup
At our house we just serve this with saltine crackers or a large warm baguette, and that’s it. This is a pretty hearty soup that fills you up on it’s own!
A loaf of this 4 Ingredient Beer Bread would make a great side dish too!
Some type of tea sandwich could also be great. Use smaller buns or slider size buns, add some ham or turkey, provolone cheese, and then a mayo/mustard mixture.
Raw veggies with ranch or blue cheese dip also makes a great side.
Storing & Freezing
This recipe makes quite a bit of soup, so plan on leftovers! Which, just like chili, is even better than the first go-around. YUM
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It will thicken as it sits in the fridge so you may need to add a little broth or stock to reconstitute when reheating.
You an also freeze a batch of this Chicken Noodle Soup for easy dinner on buys weeknights. It will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Simply thaw in the fridge overnight and then heat on the stove. Or place the frozen soup in a large pot and reheat.
You can also use these amazing souper cubes to freeze individual portions of the soup.
💛💛💛💛💛
Did you make this recipe?
I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 1 Yellow Onion - chopped
- 3 Celery Stalks - chopped
- 4 Carrots - peeled and chopped
- 2 Large Garlic Cloves - chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Chicken Base
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 quarts Chicken Stock (8 cups)
- 12 oz frozen egg noodles - I use Reames Brand
- 3 cups cooked chicken - recommend shredding (I use rotisserie chicken look at notes for other options)
- 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Make sure the butter doesn't brown. If it starts to brown turn the heat to medium low.4 tablespoon Butter
- Add the chopped onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften and onions become translucent- about 10 minutes.1 Yellow Onion, 3 Celery Stalks, 4 Carrots, 2 Large Garlic Cloves
- Add the next 6 ingredients and stir to coat the vegetables.½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon Chicken Base
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 or 2 minutes.It may start to glaze the bottom of the pot, that is ok, it is added flavor! Just be sure to deglaze the bottom in the next step.2 tablespoon flour
- Pour a little stock in the hot pot and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot (this is called deglazing, and it means you are getting all the flavor that has cooked to the pot)Whisk in the rest of the chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat.2 quarts Chicken Stock (8 cups)
- Add in the frozen egg noodles and cooked shredded chicken. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are cooked through.12 oz frozen egg noodles, 3 cups cooked chicken
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the vinegar, cook for an additional 5 minutes.1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Storing
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- It may thicken as it sits in the fridge, add a little chicken broth or water to reconstitute when reheating
Freezing
- Make the soup completely and let cool. Keep in freezer safe baggies or containers for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight or use straight from frozen by thawing/reheating in a large pot.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Easiest: buy a rotisserie chicken and use both breasts and maybe some of the dark meat. Save the bones to make Chicken Stock in your Instant Pot!
- Instant Pot: either make all purpose chicken or a rotisserie chicken in your Instant Pot.
- Poach: cook two or three chicken breasts in simmering water, poaching is a great way to make plain chicken!
- Baking: coat 2-3 chicken breast with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Then bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Make sure it reaches 165 degree internal temp before removing from the oven.
angie says
Lots left over for left overs. Added 1/2 to 1 cup of water to bowl before reheating and it was still delicious!
angie says
excellant
Shelly says
Flavor was very good. I cooked it for the full amount of time stated and my noodles were still not tender. I couldn’t cook any longer because they absorbed too much of the liquid. May have to cut back on the amount of noodles I put in.
Lori Whitehead says
Just curious, what’s the purpose of the vinegar?
Susie Weinrich says
It very lightly balances the rich flavor of the soup.
Lucinda says
I have a friend who her, her husband and MIL who lives with them all have Covid. Coughs, fever and body aches I brought them all that this recipe made so they could have more than one serving. They absolutely loved it and said it made them feel better. That’s what good soup can do for a person! So thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Susie Weinrich says
I’m so sorry your friend is sick, but I am glad the soup made them feel better. That was so nice of you to take them dinner! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Kansas Breezes says
Oh my goodness.. I just made this per recipe instructions and had a couple of tastes, and it is SO delicious! I am normally not a chicken soup kind of person, but this is delicious! Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow, when it thickens up more and has even more flavor!
Cassie S says
I’ve tried more chicken noodle soup recipes than I can count looking for the perfect one. This is it! A hit at our house and freezes well! The best comfort soup.
Susie says
Best compliment ever!!! Wow! Thank you
Brandy says
This recipe is absolutely delicious! You will not be disappointed!
haven says
I have made this recipe twice now- exactly how written, except both times I omitted the turmeric as I don’t keep it in my pantry and keep forgetting to buy some. This soup is AWESOME!! Thanks for a new family favorite recipe!
Tori says
This is the best chicken noodle recipe ever! (Don’t tell my mom–she also has amazing CNS but it’s slightly different!) I have been using this recipe as my go-to now. You can also mix it up! Sometimes I add less broth, or more chicken, chicken in different ways (sous vide, diced, shredded). Highly highly recommend. and thank you so much for posting this! 🙂
Susie says
That is EXTREMELY high praise!!!! Thank you so much!!
DOROTHY M OWENS says
Can you tell what the vinegar does/adds? I’m making this tonight but am curious.
Susie says
Any time you add a little vinegar/acid it rounds out flavors. It adds a little something that you can’t quite place your finger on. It isn’t going to be a pronounced flavor in the soup, just enhances the other flavors. I think you will really like it!
Report back!
Hope says
You can also use lemon or lime juice if you don’t have vinegar. They taste just as good but each different. I never make a chicken soup without some acidic ingredient, it’s just better flavor
Molly says
Enjoyed this!
Megan says
This is my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. How would you suggest I adapt it for the slow cooker?
Susie says
First, thank you so much!! That is high praise for sure.
You could actually start with raw, whole chicken breasts and pop everything into the slow cooker (excluding the egg noodles) and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Then remove the chicken and shred or dice. Add the chicken back, add the frozen egg noodles and cook on low for an additional 30 mins to 1 hour.
The only part I am not 100% sure on is how long it will take to slow cook the frozen egg noodles. Just check back on the noodles at 30 minutes and see if they are done.
Report back and let me know how it is!!!
John says
This is the best chicken noodle soup recipe hands down!
John says
Great pics and even better soup!!