Chicken noodle soup classic (Printable)

A warm bowl featuring tender chicken, vegetables, and egg noodles in a light savory broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), or 2 thighs for richer flavor

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Broth & Noodles

06 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 2 cups wide egg noodles (about 4.2 oz)

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How To Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, sliced carrots, and celery; sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Place whole chicken breasts in the pot. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
04 - Remove chicken from the pot and shred it using two forks.
05 - Return shredded chicken to the pot. Add egg noodles and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until tender.
06 - Stir in chopped fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with additional parsley, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, and most of that time is just simmering while you do something else.
  • The broth tastes homemade without any fussy technique, and it somehow gets better the next day.
  • It's the kind of meal that makes you feel taken care of, whether you're cooking it for yourself or someone who needs warmth.
02 -
  • Don't skip sautéing the vegetables first—it's the difference between soup that tastes like hot water and soup that tastes like someone actually cooked it.
  • If you're nervous about overcooking chicken, cook it to 165°F with a meat thermometer, but honestly, 20 minutes in gentle simmering is almost impossible to mess up.
  • Add the noodles toward the very end, not at the beginning—they'll get mushy and cloudy if they spend too long in the broth.
03 -
  • Taste as you season instead of dumping everything in at once—you can always add salt, but you can't take it out.
  • If your noodles are almost done but the soup still needs a few more minutes to meld, hold the noodles and add them just at the end so they stay tender instead of turning to paste.
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