Is there anything more comforting than homemade Chicken Noodle Soup? Carrots, onions, celery…the smell is enough to bring you back. This recipe uses dark and white meat from a rotisserie chicken, and homemade noodles (or you can totally use store-bought). It’s nostalgia in a bowl!
Originally posted October 2, 2017
I’m pretty sure my dad is the last human on planet Earth to not have a smart phone. We keep losing him. We’ve been on vacation together with my brother all week in D.C. and Richmond, which has been sooo much fun (follow along on my Instagram stories!) We will be in a museum or whatever, wander off in different directions, and then realize Dad is not with us. No big deal right? We’ll just text him that we are by the such-and-such exhibit…oh wait.
He also doesn’t have a pocket encyclopedia, map, or the-entire-internet in his pocket. He’s always borrowing my mom’s phone to look stuff up. We were driving around looking for a gas station one night, and Dad asks Mom to look for a 711 so we can stop. A couple minutes later he’s like, did you find one? And she’s like, “OH, you meant look it up on the phone. I’ve just been keeping my eyes peeled.” She was looking out the window like a HAWK.
(I’m making fun of my mom here, but I shouldn’t be, because one time someone told me they needed something off my desktop, and I started looking around on top of the desk instead of handing them the computer. For real.)
Making delicious Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Welcome to October my friends, it’s finally SOUP SEASON! The best time of the year! I love soup and could probably eat it every day. I’m lucky that I married Eric, who has a healthy respect for soup in spite of being a man. (Did you know that some guys consider soup to be “girl food??” True story. Click on that link and scroll all the way down to read the comment from my friend Cindy about how she tries to present soup as “watered down casserole” to get her husband to eat it.)
Today’s recipe does not resemble watered-down-casserole in any way, in case you were worried. So far I’m doing a terrible job selling this soup.
How to make homemade noodles for chicken soup
But do I even need to sell the quintessential Chicken Noodle?? Yes, yes I do, because THE NOODLES, GUYS. They’re gonna change your life, or at least your level of respect for Chicken Noodle Soup. Sure, they take a few extra minutes to make, but you just can’t beat the flavor. It really takes the soup from average to excellent. Of course you don’t have to make the noodles; the pantry variety will work great too, I use them all the time. It still turns out amazing.
Stir together flour and salt with some egg and milk, knead a couple minutes, roll it out, cut, and voila. You can even make these ahead of time and freeze for the next time you need some soup or stroganoff in your life.
One of the secrets/shortcuts is to use a rotisserie chicken, and to add a few of the bones from the chicken. This way you don’t have to deal with cooking the chicken, but you still get ALL the flavor.
This is basically the homemade chicken noodle soup recipe that your grandma made. Once you smell it, you will remember. Also turns out, it’s really easy. Sorry to destroy your legacy, grandma!
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One Year Ago:Â Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake (and my 5th blog anniversary!)
Three years ago: Beef Barley Soup
Six years ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting
Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 1 & 1/4 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoon butter, softened
For the soup
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 & 1/2 cups celery, chopped small
- 6-7 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups, or even a little more)*
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 10 cups water
- 3 tablespoons Chicken Bouillon
- 2-3 thyme sprigs, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3-4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 4-6 bones from the rotisserie chicken
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
For the noodles:
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- In a small bowl beat the egg and milk together with a fork.
- Add the liquid to the flour. Add a couple teaspoons of softened butter. (I just grabbed a spoonful from my butter dish on the counter, it doesn't have to be exact.)
- Combine with a wooden spoon until it has come together, then switch to the dough hook. (Or turn it out onto a flour-dusted surface and knead with your hands.
- Knead for about 5 minutes.
- Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick. You want it to be pretty thin because the noodles puff up a bit in the soup.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into thin strips. You want them to be about 2-3 inches long and 1/4 or 1/2 inch wide. You can of course make them any shape you want! You want them to be uniform is size though, so that they cook evenly.
- Separate the noodles so they are not touching and can dry out.
- Let the noodles dry for anywhere between 1/2 hour and 2 hours.** This really depends on how hungry you are. I waited about 30-45 minutes before losing patience and throwing them in the soup, though I'm sure some chef somewhere is reading this shaking his head.
For the soup:
- In a large stock pot with a wide bottom, heat 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until melted.
- When it is hot, add the chopped onions, celery, and carrots. Season with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt.
- Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 more minute, until it becomes fragrant. At this point feel free to exit your home, wait a moment, and reenter. You will be so darn proud of the aroma that greets you.
- Add 10 cups of water and turn the heat up to high. Stir in 3 tablespoons of chicken base.
- Add fresh thyme sprigs, or if you don't have any, dried thyme.
- Add basil, oregano, and poultry seasoning.
- Add the chicken and chicken bones. The amount of chicken that you add is totally up to you, and the nice thing about precooked chicken is that you can add more later if it doesn't seem like enough. The bones are added for flavor. Don't skip this step! It's part of what gives this chicken soup so much flavor.
- When the mixture comes to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook partially covered for 10 minutes or until the carrots are completely tender.
- Turn the heat to high again and bring up to a boil.
- Add the homemade noodles. If you are using store bought pantry noodles, add 2 cups.
- Lower to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are al dente. This will be in 6-8 minutes for homemade noodles, and more like 8-9 minutes for store bought noodles.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and chicken bones.
- Season with additional salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Garnish each bowl with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
You will love these other soups! Hooray for soup season!
Ham and Potato Soup: I know, I know. This picture is the worst. It’s my 3rd blog post of all times, back in the Stone Age of 2011. But I promise, the soup recipe is solid.
Slow Cooker Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Soup:Â
A few other soup recipes from blog friends!
Chicken Noodle Soup from Big Bear’s Wife
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup from Noble Pig
Chicken Rice Noodle Soup from A Beautiful Plate
I made this tonight! really good! I will definitely make it again and not change anything
I’m so glad you liked the recipe Marlo! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment :)
Just a quick question could you make the noodles gluten free? would it work guess I was wondering because a lot of the time gluten free flour makes a paste
Hi Susan! I have not tried it with gluten free flour! Let us know how it goes!
A soup **hack** for either chicken or turkey– if you have any leftover bread stuffing- I use Pepperidge Farms Cubes Seasoned- is to put it in with the carcase and veg. If you don’t, or are using store rotisserie or saved bones etc, just pour half a bag of the dry stuffing into the soup at the start. Adds wonderful flavor and some bit of thickness to the broth. I also use a LOT of parsley while cooking! A half bunch for a pot full of this type. Also use matzoh balls for both chicken or turkey, it’s a *thing* in our family, even the absolutely will not eat soup adult kid eats THIS one!! To keep the matzoh balls from sopping up all the broth I cook them in water with a ladle full of broth and then plop them into the soup pot for a few minutes. Ditto noodles, which can be broth hogs!
Great tips Comet! Love these ideas! I need to try this soup with matzoh for sure!