Name: Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 600 g chicken breast; 2 carrots, sliced; 2 celery stalks; 1 onion; 200 g egg noodles; 1.5 L chicken broth; to taste salt; to taste pepper; to taste parsley (for garnish)

Oh, when life gets hectic, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that fixes things like a big, steaming bowl of broth and noodles. We all have that one soup that just instantly transports us back to safety, right? Well, for me, that is this incredibly easy **Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup**. This isn’t fancy restaurant broth; this is the real deal—simple, comforting, and perfect for feeding a whole crowd.

This soup takes me back to evenings when my mom simmered a big pot for everyone—simple and healing. Seriously, if you need a hug in a bowl, this is it. It’s the classic version, built from scratch, proving that the best comfort food never needs complicated ingredients.

Why This Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup is a Comfort Classic

I promise you, this recipe works every single time, which is important when you’re cooking for hungry family members! My goal here was to make something that tastes like it simmered all day, but is ready in under an hour. It’s honestly so reliable.

It’s incredibly easy—mostly just chopping veggies and letting the pot do the hard work.
Simmering the whole chicken breasts with the vegetables builds a beautiful foundational flavor that makes even this simple chicken pasta soup taste deep and rich.
This recipe doubles easily if you have a lot of mouths to feed, making it perfect for Sunday dinners or when someone in the house needs a little extra care. We even use this same base when making quick rotisserie versions, but simmering the chicken is worth it! For more classic takes, check out this ultimate recipe online.

Essential Ingredients for Your Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

You don’t need a giant pantry for this soup to taste like it’s been slow-cooked for days. That’s the beauty of simple, good ingredients hitting the pot at the right time. I’ve listed exactly what you need below. If you are curious about which salt to grab for seasoning, I wrote a little piece on kosher salt versus sea salt that might help!

Trust me, using fresh chicken breast and good quality broth makes all the difference here. Forget those flimsy packets; we’re making real comfort food!

Ingredient Breakdown for Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

600g chicken breast
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks
1 onion
200g egg noodles (my favorite kind for this!)
1.5L chicken broth
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

Okay, this is where my mom always got that focused look, but honestly, it’s just common sense mixed with a little patience. We’re focusing on building flavor right from the start, which is essential for any good soup recipe, especially when you aren’t sautéing your vegetables first (though I sometimes do that too; check out my notes on why you might want to). I found a great simple recipe online for comparison, too, if you want to peek at AllRecipes’ take!

Trust me, the steps are straightforward, but timing is key to getting those noodles just right—not mushy, never crunchy!

Simmering the Base of Your Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

First things first: grab that big pot. Add your 1.5 liters of chicken broth, the chicken breast, the sliced carrots, celery stalks, and the whole onion right into the pot. Now, you’re going to turn the heat up and bring the whole thing to a rolling boil. Once it’s bubbling happily, immediately drop that heat down low so it’s just gently simmering. We need that chicken to get nice and tender, so let it go for a solid 25 minutes.

Shredding Chicken and Adding Noodles to the Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

When that 25 minutes is up, carefully fish out those cooked chicken breasts—they should shred easily! Shred them using two forks until they look like lovely little nests, and then plop all that delicious meat right back into the broth. Now it’s time for the noodles! Pour in your 200g of egg noodles. These cook fast, so watch them closely for about 7 to 10 minutes until they are perfectly tender. If you’re curious about cooking pasta perfectly submerged in liquid like this, I have some tips here.

Final Seasoning and Serving the Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the final, crucial step! Taste your soup. Does it need more zing? More depth? Add salt and pepper to your liking. Remember, salt brings out all those beautiful root vegetable and broth flavors we just built. Don’t be shy, but always taste first! Ladle this wonderful chicken pasta soup into bowls and don’t forget a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top for a little color boost before you serve up your amazing homemade noodle soup recipes!

Expert Tips for the Best Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

Even though this is a simple recipe, those little touches can take it from good to absolutely unforgettable. I’ve learned a few things over the years of making this recipe for everyone who needs a little pick-me-up.

My first big tip relates to the broth. If you can spring for a good quality, low-sodium broth, do it! It gives you control over the final seasoning, which is the secret to a bright tasting soup. If you use super salty broth, you risk over-seasoning before you even add the pepper.

Secondly, think about when you season! I only add half the salt during the initial simmer. I wait until the noodles are cooked and everything is back in the pot to adjust. Why? Because the broth reduces slightly, concentrating the flavor. You can always add more salt, but you can’t take it out!

For a creamy version later on, I love adding a splash of heavy cream right at the end before serving, which turns it into a delightful creamy chicken noodle soup. It sounds indulgent, but it’s just a touch! If you want to get fancy with your cooking vessels, I’ve seen amazing results from people making this in Dutch ovens, like those gorgeous ones from Le Creuset; the heavy bottom helps that initial simmer stay even.

Variations on Your Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

While I stand by the classic egg noodles—they just absorb that broth so perfectly—sometimes you want to shake things up, right? Cooking should be fun, and swapping out one component can make the whole soup feel brand new!

Don’t feel like you have to stick to the original plan every single time you make a big batch of soup noodles. I have a few tricks up my sleeve for when I’m feeling restless in the kitchen, or if someone in the family prefers a different style of pasta soup recipes.

If you’re looking for something using different poultry, I highly recommend checking out my recipe for Turkey Noodle Soup! It’s perfect for using up that leftover holiday bird.

Swapping Noodles: From Egg Noodle Soup to Chicken Ramen Noodle Recipes

If you want a completely different mouthfeel, change the noodles! If you use small pasta shapes suitable for a Chicken and Broccoli Soup or something similar, remember you might need less cooking time than the 200g of egg noodles called for here.

For a chewier, more satisfying experience, you can absolutely try turning this into an inspired Chicken Ramen Noodle Recipe. Just use your preferred ramen bricks (discard the flavor packets, of course, since we are making our own broth!) and throw them in during the last few minutes of cooking. For something even lighter and silkier, rice noodle soup is a great option, too. Just be careful with those delicate guys—they cook lightning fast!

If you’re making a giant batch and think you won’t eat it all by the third day, consider leaving the noodles out entirely! Keep the broth, chicken, and veggies ready to go, and only cook the noodles right before serving. That way, leftovers are never sad and soggy.

Storing and Reheating Your Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup travels so well, but we have to talk about the noodles destroying the leftover texture. That’s the main battle when saving any good egg noodle soup!

You can safely store this in an airtight container in the fridge for about four days. For best results, I almost always recommend storing the broth and the shredded chicken/veggies completely separate from the noodles. Toss those 200g of egg noodles into a sealed baggie.

When you reheat, bring the broth mixture up to temperature first, and then, only right before you eat it, add a small portion of the noodles back to the simmering liquid. This keeps them perfectly tender and chewy, just the way they should be. For a different kind of reheating, I’ve used my slow cooker after realizing I shouldn’t reheat soup on the stove too quickly; check out my notes on slow cooker soup methods!

Frequently Asked Questions About Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

I get so many questions about tweaking this recipe, which is wonderful because it means you all love making it as much as I do! Since this recipe is so foundational, it takes substitutions really well, whether you are short on time or just trying to use up what’s in the fridge.

Most people ask about the chicken source or what kind of noodles work best if they don’t have egg noodles on hand. Keep in mind, even though we aren’t using a slow cooker here, I have some great tips for that too if you check out my favorite crockpot recipes!

Can I substitute the egg noodles in this Pasta Soup Recipe?

Absolutely! Egg noodles are fantastic because they are soft and slightly chewy, but you can easily swap them out. If you’re making a general Pasta Soup Recipe, you could use small soup pasta like stelline or orzo. If you want something that holds up a bit more, look for small elbow macaroni instead. Just remember that different pastas absorb liquid differently, so you might need to adjust your broth level slightly when you make your next batch of **Chicken Pasta Soup**!

How to make this a Turkey Noodle Soup?

Making a proper **Turkey Noodle Soup** is a fantastic idea, especially after a big holiday! The process is identical. Simply substitute the 600g of chicken breast with the same amount of leftover cooked turkey meat—whether it’s dark or white meat. If you are using very lean, dry turkey breast, you might want to add an extra splash of broth during the reheating phase just to keep things extra moist. The herbs and vegetables play so nicely with turkey flavors!

Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breast?

Oh yes, that’s my favorite weeknight shortcut! If you are short on time and can’t simmer the chicken for 25 minutes, grab a store-bought rotisserie chicken. You’ll just shred about two cups of that cooked meat and skip the first two steps entirely. You’ll put your carrots, celery, and onion in the pot with the broth, simmer for about 15 minutes until they are tender, and then toss in the pre-cooked chicken and the egg noodles together. It saves about 20 minutes of total time!

Can I make this soup richer?

If you want a richer foundation that sings, the secret is making a flavor paste before the broth goes in. Take about two tablespoons of butter and sauté your chopped celery, carrots, and onion until they are really soft and starting to brown slightly—that’s called sweating the aromatics. This develops a sweeter, deeper base flavor before you ever add the broth. It’s a tiny extra step but it completely bumps up the flavor profile of your final **Noodle Soup Recipe**.

Estimated Nutritional Data for Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

Now, I’m definitely not a registered dietitian, so please take these numbers with a grain of salt, okay? I use a standard online calculator based on the ingredients listed, and this is strictly an estimate based on 6 servings for this wonderful **Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup**.

What I can tell you for sure is that because we are using lean chicken breast and sticking to mostly broth and vegetables, this is a wonderfully nourishing and relatively light meal—perfect for when you need something hearty but clean. It’s miles better than anything you’d get out of a can, that’s for sure!

If you are interested in exploring other lighter meals we have that pack tons of fresh flavor, you have to check out my Avocado Chickpea Bowl recipe. It’s totally different, but equally satisfying.

Here is what the numbers look like for one serving (1/6th of the pot):

Calories: Approximately 300-350 kcal
Fat: Around 6-8g
Protein: About 35-40g (Thanks, chicken breast!)
Carbohydrates: Roughly 30-35g (Mostly from those lovely egg noodles)

Remember, if you use less broth or more noodles, these numbers will shift! But for a flavorful, filling bowl that tastes like home, I think those figures are fantastic!

Share Your Experience Making This Family-Style Chicken Noodle Soup

Now that you’ve simmered away with me and filled your kitchen with that beautiful, comforting chicken aroma, I really want to hear from you! Did this bring back memories of your own childhood kitchen?

Making food that connects generations is my favorite thing to do, and your feedback truly means the world to me. Whether you stuck strictly to the recipe or decided to sneak in some celery root because you had it lying around, tell me all about it!

Did you manage to keep the egg noodles from getting too soft in the leftovers? Tell me your secret!
What’s your go-to addition when you need an extra boost of flavor? A bay leaf? A dash of fresh thyme?
Did you serve this to someone special who needed a good, simple home meal?

Please, take a moment to drop a comment below and give this recipe a rating! Seriously, those star ratings help other people find this comforting dish when they need it most. If you snapped a gorgeous photo of your steaming pot ready for dinner, feel free to tag me—I love seeing my recipes in your home kitchens!

If you have any lingering questions that I didn’t cover in the FAQ section, or if you wanted to send me a personal note about how much your family loved this soup, you can always reach out directly through my contact page. Happy cooking, and thank you so much for trying out this cherished recipe!