When life throws a cold snap or a tough afternoon your way, what do you really need? Not a complicated soup that takes all evening! You need pure comfort, right now. That is exactly why I perfected this version of Easy Chicken Noodle Soup. Forget fussy steps; this is the simplest, most reliable way to get a huge, steaming pot of that classic flavor on the table fast.
I developed this version for readers who want a comforting bowl of soup without complicated steps. The simplicity reminded me of the soups I grew up eating — warm, soothing, and always exactly what you need on a long day. After testing every shortcut imaginable, I can promise you this recipe gets deep flavor with minimal effort. It truly is the best quick fix!
Why This Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Works (E-E-A-T Focused)
Look, we all need recipes we can trust when we are running on fumes, and this Easy Chicken Noodle Soup is top of my list for reliability. It truly only takes about 30 minutes total time—most of that is just simmering! It hits all the right warm, nostalgic notes without demanding you chop a whole chicken or simmer bones for hours.
The biggest time-saver, and flavor secret, is using pre-cooked (rotisserie!) chicken meat. You just toss it in at the very end. That keeps this recipe unbelievably quick.
But speed doesn’t mean sacrificing deep flavor! My expertise comes in knowing that the broth is everything. If you’re using store-bought stock, you absolutely must boost it up. I insist on adding that Better Than Bullion base we mention in the ingredients list to give it that homemade richness you expect from the best soup. It turns a standard broth into something that tastes like it simmered all day long. If you’re looking for other classic dishes, check out how I pair sides with stuffed peppers over here if you need some ideas. For a deeper dive into classic versions, check out this ultimate recipe on Taste of Home here, too!
Gathering Ingredients for Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Okay, let’s get our players lined up! This recipe is designed to serve 6 happy bowls and get you there in about 30 minutes total time, provided you have your items ready to go. Since speed is the name of the game, we are leaning hard on that rotisserie chicken shortcut—it makes this soup recipe feel like cheating!
Don’t worry about having specialty supplies; these are pantry staples, though I always recommend using a good quality chicken stock to make sure we build big flavor fast. If you’re planning for an amazing homemade Egg Noodle Soup experience, the noodles are totally flexible here!
For the Soup Components
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 2 celery, diced
- 3-4 large carrots, diced
- 1 garlic, minced
- 10 cups chicken stock, or broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, or more, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon 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 meat
- 1 teaspoon better than bouillon chicken flavor, or chicken bouillon granules (or more, as needed)
Quick note on salt: since stock varies wildly in sodium, always add salt gradually. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out! If you’re wondering about swapping salt types, I broke down the differences between kosher and sea salt in this quick guide.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
This is where the magic happens, and honestly, it moves so fast! You’ll see how this becomes your go-to for a quick weeknight fix. We are keeping the steps minimal so you can spend less time chopping and more time eating this delicious Easy Chicken Noodle Soup.
Sautéing Aromatics
First things first: we need to build that flavor foundation. Get your large stock pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Drop in that 1/2 Tablespoon of butter and let it melt nicely. Immediately toss in your diced celery and those carrots. You want to sauté these guys for a solid 3 minutes until they start to look tender and smell sweet. After that little time passes, throw in your minced garlic and cook it for just about 30 seconds more. Just until you can smell it—don’t let it burn or it gets bitter!
Building the Broth Base
Now dump in all 10 cups of your chicken stock. This is your liquid canvas! Add your initial seasonings: the rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Here’s my big expertise tip—taste it now! Does it taste a little flat? That’s normal when using standard stock. This is when you stir in that teaspoon of Better Than Bullion or your bouillon granules. Taste it again. See? It instantly tastes richer, like it’s been simmering all morning. Adjust the salt and pepper now until *you* love the base flavor.
Cooking Noodles and Finishing the Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Time for the noodles! Bring that seasoned broth up to a boil before adding your uncooked homemade egg noodles or your dry store-bought pasta choice. I always tell folks to check the package directions, but honestly, you want them just barely tender—al dente is the goal. Don’t overcook them here! Remember, if you’re using pasta, you can check out my essential pasta cooking rules for perfect results.
As soon as they hit that perfect tenderness, immediately yank the whole pot off the heat. Trust me, they will keep cooking in residual heat! That prevents mushy noodles later. Lastly, fold in your 3 cups of pre-cooked rotisserie chicken meat. Give it one final taste. If the chicken needs a tiny bit more oomph, add a pinch more salt or pepper here (Step 6 adjustment!). That’s it—your beautiful, simple soup is ready for bowls.
Expert Tips for Perfect Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Getting this right every single time is all about understanding what happens outside the main cooking steps. Since we are moving so fast to make this the ultimate Chicken Pasta Soup, we have to be smart with our flavor boosters and noodle handling. These little tricks really build up that trust factor in your cooking!
Noodle Selection and Texture
I absolutely adore homemade egg noodles, but if you grab store-bought, remember this key rule: cook them until they are just shy of done—maybe a minute shy of what the package says. Why? Because they absorb liquid like little sponges! If you pull the pot off the heat immediately when they are almost done, the residual heat finishes the cooking so they are tender, not soggy, when you go to eat them. That’s the secret to avoiding that sad, mushy result.
Flavor Boosters and Substitutions
If your store-bought chicken stock seems a little thin on flavor—which happens all the time—don’t just add salt! You need that depth. Rely heavily on the Better Than Bullion we listed; it’s a game-changer for canned or boxed liquids. If you are substituting raw chicken instead of rotisserie (which is a great option!), make sure you drop your raw chicken pieces into the boiling broth first and let them cook through completely before you even think about adding the noodles. If you’re looking for a whole different kind of savory chicken meal, check out my easy crockpot honey garlic chicken recipe, too!
Oh, and don’t forget that note on gluten-free adaptations! If you swap in gluten-free egg noodles, they sometimes cook slightly faster, so definitely watch them closely.
Just remember to keep those aromatics softened properly, like we discussed when learning whether or not to sauté them first!
Storage and Reheating Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
This soup is great for leftovers, but you’ve got to be smart about how you store it, especially with those noodles in there! Since this Easy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe yields about 6 bowls, you might have some left over. I find leftovers keep wonderfully in an airtight container for about 4 to 5 days in the fridge, depending on how fresh your rotisserie chicken was.
Here’s my top tip for making them last longer: if you know you won’t eat it all in two days, cook your noodles totally separately! Put the chicken and the broth base (veggies and all) into a container. Then, just cook a single serving of noodles whenever you want a bowl. If you don’t separate them, those noodles will soak up all that broth overnight and turn into something closer to chicken-flavored pasta!
When you reheat it, just add a splash of water or extra chicken broth to loosen things up again. If you want to check out another great make-ahead chicken dish, my crockpot honey garlic chicken is amazing for lunches!
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Noodle Soup
Can I use different noodles in this Easy Chicken Noodle Soup?
That’s a great question because the noodle choice totally changes the texture! This recipe works beautifully with traditional egg noodles, of course, but I also mentioned those cute little farfalle pasta shapes work perfectly too—they hold the broth so nicely. If you are feeling adventurous and want to explore other options, the base broth we made works fantastic for a homemade Noodle Soup Recipes night. While you can certainly try making a Chicken Pasta Soup with rice noodles or even attempt a quick Ramen Noodle Soup style, the herbs we used here really sing best with the classic egg noodle or simple short pasta.
How can I make this recipe without rotisserie chicken?
Oh, absolutely! If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken ready to go, you just need to adjust when you cook the meat instead of skipping it. Remember that step where we bring the broth to a boil? Right after you add the stock and seasonings in Step 3, toss in your raw chicken pieces instead of waiting until the end. Use skinless, boneless thighs or breasts; they cook fast! Let them poach gently in that seasoned broth for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until they’re cooked through. Then, remove them, shred them up, and add them back in at the very end with the noodles. Super simple swap!
Is this recipe similar to Turkey Noodle Soup?
It is! The base of this Easy Chicken Noodle Soup—the mirepoix (that’s the celery and carrots!), the broth, the herbs—is really the perfect template for almost any comforting meat soup. If you have leftover turkey after a holiday, just swap out the 3 cups of chicken meat for 3 cups of shredded turkey meat. It works 100%! The flavor profile will shift slightly to be more savory, but the method stays exactly the same. You’ll have an amazing bowl of Turkey Noodle Soup on the table in minutes!
Estimated Nutritional Information for Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Now, I always tell people that when you’re counting calories or keeping track of macros, you should take these numbers with a grain of salt because every rotisserie chicken is different, and how much broth you mop up with your noodles changes everything!
But just so you have a good ballpark idea of what you’re getting into with this wonderfully satisfying bowl of Easy Chicken Noodle Soup (which serves 6), here are the estimates based on my testing and the ingredients listed. It’s surprisingly light, too!
For one generous bowl, you are generally looking at:
- Calories: Around 206
- Protein: A solid 23 grams—hello, muscle repair!
- Total Fat: Only about 6 grams
- Carbohydrates: Roughly 14 grams
It’s a lovely balance, really! You get great protein power from the chicken and just enough carbs from the noodles to give you energy without feeling weighed down. We also get a good kick of Vitamin A from those carrots, which is a nice bonus we can thank those veggies for.
Just a small reminder that these are estimates, as I mentioned. If you use leaner chicken breast or skip the butter, those numbers will shift a bit. If you’re looking into our data practices in general, you can always read our Privacy Policy over here!
Share Your Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Experience
Seriously, I want to see your bowls! This Easy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is made to be comforting, but it tastes even better when I know it warmed someone up on a chilly evening. I love hearing how this quick meal fits into your busy schedule.
When you make a batch (remember, it serves 6 generous bowls!), please leave a rating right below the recipe card. Did it take you exactly 30 minutes? Were the carrots perfect? Every bit of feedback helps me continue testing and improving these simple recipes for all of you!
Tell Me What You Think!
If you have a great success story, or maybe you tweaked the spices a little bit, don’t be shy! Drop a comment below and let me know. I try to respond to every single person who reaches out. It means the world to me to know this recipe brought some easy comfort to your table.
Share Your Photos
If you snap a quick picture of your steaming bowl—maybe with some crackers on the side or a piece of crusty bread—tag me on social media! Seeing those classic carrots, chicken, and noodles reminds me why I work so hard to simplify these traditional flavors.
If you need to get in touch with me directly for specific questions that aren’t covered in the FAQs or notes, you can always reach out through the contact page right here. Happy soup making!
About the Recipe Developer
This tried-and-true, super speedy recipe for Easy Chicken Noodle Soup comes straight from my test kitchen. I’m Emily Mitchell, and I work as the Efficiency & Testing Coordinator here at Recipes by Betty. My whole job is basically making sure comfort food classics can actually fit into your chaotic life.
I have tried every combination out there for a quick soup, and I promise you, the few minutes we spend sautéing the celery and carrots really pays off in the final flavor. I want you to feel confident pulling this recipe out on the busiest of days.
For more about the mission behind simplifying classic cooking and to see my credentials, you can always check out my full bio page right here!
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Large stock pot
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 2 celery, diced
- 3-4 large carrots, diced
- 1 garlic, minced
- 10 cups chicken stock, or broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, or more, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon 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 meat
- 1 teaspoon better than bouillon chicken flavor, or chicken bouillon granules or more, as needed
Instructions
- Add butter, diced celery, and carrots to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add chicken stock and season the broth with rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Taste and add a spoonful of “better than bullion” chicken or chicken bouillon cubes or granules as needed.
- Bring the broth to a boil. Add noodles (either uncooked homemade egg noodles, or dry store-bought pasta) and cook just until noodles are al dente.
- Remove the pot from heat as soon as the noodles are just barely tender. The noodles will continue to cook once you remove the pot from the heat.
- Add chicken meat from the rotisserie chicken. Taste the broth again and add more seasonings, if needed.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, depending on the freshness of the chicken you used.