Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade chicken noodle soup with a rich, herby broth, tender carrots and celery, plenty of chicken, and soft egg noodles. Quick with rotisserie chicken, deeply flavorful thanks to good stock and a boost of concentrated bouillon. The comforting classic done right.
Equipment
- Large stock pot (enameled pot)
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3-4 large carrots diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 10 cups chicken stock or broth; homemade recommended
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/8 tsp dried rosemary or more, to taste
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 batch homemade egg noodles or 4 cups dry egg noodles, farfalle, or other bite-size pasta
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken
- 1 tsp concentrated chicken bouillon base or chicken bouillon granules, to taste
Instructions
- Saute the Vegetables: Add the butter, diced celery, and carrots to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Season the Broth: Add the chicken stock and season with rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper (taste before adding more salt). Add a spoonful of concentrated chicken bouillon base as needed for depth, tasting as you go.
- Cook the Noodles: Bring the broth to a boil. Add the noodles (uncooked homemade egg noodles or dry pasta) and cook just until al dente.
- Don't Overcook: If using store-bought noodles, remove the pot from the heat as soon as they're barely tender, they keep cooking in the hot broth and you don't want them mushy.
- Add the Chicken: Stir in the rotisserie chicken meat to warm through. Taste the broth again and adjust the seasonings if needed, then serve.
Notes
Homemade stock makes the best soup (use the rotisserie meat for the soup and the bones for the broth); good store-bought broth works, boosted with concentrated chicken bouillon base for depth. Season gradually and taste as you go. Add noodles at the end and pull the pot off the heat the moment they're tender so they don't go mushy. Homemade egg noodles hold up best for make-ahead and leftovers. To use raw chicken, add thighs/breasts/tenders to the boiling broth and cook about 5 minutes before the noodles. Gluten-free: use gluten-free egg noodles. Keeps 4 to 5 days refrigerated or 2 to 3 months frozen (undercook store-bought noodles before freezing). Higher-protein macro variation: 24 oz chicken, low-sodium broth, 5 cups dry egg noodles (~313 kcal, 34g protein per serving).