Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Easy Chicken Noodle Soup 4.2 (73) 8 Reviews This one-pot recipe comes together in about 30 minutes. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 19, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 35 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe Homemade chicken noodle soup is pure comfort in a bowl. This quick version is made with chicken breast and a flavorful broth and is a great recipe to have in your back pocket. It has all the bold flavors of a slow-cooked chicken soup but comes together in just over 30 minutes—and it couldn’t be simpler or more delicious. We build layers of flavor by sautéing aromatic vegetables like carrots, onion, and celery until they soften and begin to release their natural flavors. Chicken broth and water are added, followed by boneless skinless chicken breasts. The chicken takes about 10 minutes to cook. Then, while you shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, thin noodles cook in the broth. When the soup is ready to serve, each bowl is topped with some fresh dill for an earthy finish. We guarantee you’ll never reach for a can of store-bought chicken noodle soup again. Take our advice and make a double batch to keep some in the freezer. It’s perfect for when you’re under the weather or need to get dinner on the table in a hurry. Jason Donnelly 26 Quick Soup Recipes That Are Ready in 45 Minutes or Less The Best Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup We love a thin noodle, such as vermicelli or angel hair for chicken noodle soup, since they cook quickly and are easy for people of all ages to eat. Wide egg noodles are good at absorbing lots of flavor and also cook quickly. But don't let having the "wrong" noodle in your pantry stop you from making this soup. If you have something a bit thicker, like spaghetti or linguine, use it—just remember that those thicker noodles will need to be cooked separately before being stirred into the soup. 5 Tasty Ways to Customize this Soup Garnish with other fresh, delicate herbs like flat-leaf parsley, basil, or thyme. Amp up the flavor by adding dried herbs, like thyme or rosemary, to the vegetables while they are sautéing. Use about half the amount you would of fresh herbs (for instance, 1 tablespoon of dried herbs for 2 tablespoons of fresh), since dried herbs are more powerful than fresh. Add extra fiber and color by stirring in a few handfuls of leafy greens at the end. Try baby spinach, arugula, or tender kale. Leek greens are a delicious springtime substitute for the onions. Wash them well, because leeks hold a lot of dirt and grit between their layers. Swap the long noodles for other quick-cooking pasta shapes, like orzo or ditalini. Or use leftover cooked rice or other cooked grains. Stir them in after the chicken. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 stalks celery, diced small 2 medium carrots, diced medium 1 medium yellow onion, diced small Salt and pepper 4 cups chicken broth 1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 6 ounces vermicelli or angel-hair pasta, broken into 1 ½-inch pieces ¼ cup chopped fresh dill Directions Jason Donnelly Sauté celery, carrots, and onions: In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add celery, carrots, and onion and cook until celery and carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Jason Donnelly Add broth and water: Add broth and 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Jason Donnelly Cook chicken: Add chicken, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Jason Donnelly Shred chicken: With tongs, remove chicken and chop or shred into bite-size pieces. Jason Donnelly Cook pasta: Add pasta to pot and cook until tender, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Jason Donnelly Serve: To serve, stir in chicken and dill. Jason Donnelly How to Store Chicken Noodle Soup If you happen to have any soup left over, let it cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers. Store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Alternatively, freeze the soup for up to six months. How to Reheat Soup Pour the leftover soup into a pot and heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the broth, chicken, and noodles are warmed through. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. To reheat frozen soup, we recommend thawing the container of soup in the refrigerator overnight and reheating as above. Frequently Asked Questions Is it better to cook noodles separately for chicken soup? Whether you need to cook the noodles separately to the chicken soup depends on the type of noodles you are using. Thin noodles, like the ones we call for in this recipe, cook quickly enough that they can boil in the broth for a few minutes. Thicker dried noodles like most wheat-based noodles, should be cooked separately before adding to the soup. They take longer to cook, so they will absorb too much broth if added directly to the soup. We also recommend snapping longer noodles into smaller, more manageable pieces that will fit neatly in a spoonful of soup. Why does homemade chicken noodle soup taste bland? Homemade chicken soup may taste bland if it is under-seasoned. Make sure to taste the soup as you are preparing it, and add salt and pepper as needed to bring out the flavors of the chicken and vegetables. Then taste again when the soup is finished and add more salt and pepper if needed. How do I add flavor to homemade chicken soup? There are lots of ways to add flavor to homemade chicken soup. One of our favorite ways is to turn to your spice cabinet. Ground spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano are a surefire way to add instant flavor to chicken noodle soup. A surefire way to make a flavorful chicken noodle soup is to start with a rich homemade chicken broth. This will also help boost the overall flavor of your soup. 5 More Chicken Soup Recipes to Try Test Kitchen's Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup Peruvian Chicken Soup With Rice and Potatoes Turmeric-Ginger Chicken Soup Chicken Zoodle Soup Restorative Chicken Soup with Ginger Originally appeared: Everyday Food, October 2012 Rate It PRINT Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to MarthaStewart.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.