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This homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is a classic comfort food! Tender chicken thighs, fresh vegetables, and bright herbs in a flavorful broth make the perfect cozy soup for sick days or a cold winter night.
The BEST chicken noodle soup
This dutch oven chicken noodle soup recipe is the best! It has a rich flavor bone broth from cooking the bone in chicken thighs in the soup. It’s packed with fresh veggies and herbs, and has the perfect balance of flavors by finishing it off with fresh lemon.
I love pulling out my Dutch oven for making hearty and warming soups like Potato Soup, Butternut Squash Soup, and the Best Homemade Vegetable Soup.
The dutch oven is perfect for making a big pot of homemade soup! It has a large capacity to make a big batch, and its cast iron core delivers consistent and even heat. I use my Dutch oven all the time for soups, stews, and searing. Dutch ovens are perfect for braising, like in this tender and fall-apart Braised Pot Roast.
Some fan favorite dutch oven recipes are Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese and Dutch Oven Chili.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Cooking the bone in chicken thighs in the broth adds so much flavor.
- Perfectly balanced by finishing the soup with acidity and fresh herbs.
- From scratch is best! Making soup from scratch is always better than canned soup!
- Freezes well. So you can have some on hand for sick days.
- It’s hearty. This homestyle chicken soup is packed with chicken, veggies, and thick egg noodles for a filling and hearty meal.
Jump to:
- The BEST chicken noodle soup
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Equipment needed
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to make chicken noodle soup from scratch
- Expert Tips for the best chicken noodle soup
- Storage & Reheating
- Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Soup Recipes
- Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
- About me
Equipment needed
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Ingredients & Substitutions
You need a few fresh and wholesome ingredients to make this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe.
- Bone in chicken thighs - Using bone in chicken for soup gives it so much extra flavor! You could also use a mix of thighs and bone-in chicken breasts, or a whole chicken broken into quarters.
- Seasonings - You need onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, ground thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Vegetables - Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic make up the aromatics for this soup.
- Dry white wine - Like sauvignon blanc. You can omit if needed, but it does add an extra layer of flavor.
- Chicken stock - Use good quality chicken stock, but homemade chicken broth is better! Try to use low sodium chicken broth if possible.
- Lemon juice - Adds the perfect hit of acidity to balance out the soup.
- Fresh herbs - Fresh parsley and fresh dill, both finely chopped. Add a small amount of dill initially, then add more if needed. Dill can be overpowering if you add too much.
- Dried pasta of your choice - You can choose your favorite type of noodles, but I like to use homestyle egg noodles, ditalini, or orzo for chicken soup.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make chicken noodle soup from scratch
STEP ONE: SEASON
Pat chicken dry and season with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, ground thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
STEP TWO: SEAR
Sear chicken thighs in olive oil for about 3-5 minutes per side, until browned. Set aside. They will not be completely cooked.
STEP THREE: SAUTÉ
Melt butter and add carrots, celery, and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. Deglaze with white wine.
STEP FOUR: SIMMER
Pour in chicken stock and add thighs back to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are soft. Skim any foam that rises to the top.
STEP FIVE: DEBONE
Remove the chicken and let it cool enough to handle. Remove bones and discard. Chop thigh meat into bite sized pieces, then add back into the pot.
STEP SIX: FINISH
Stir in lemon, fresh parsley, dill, and cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy this delicious chicken soup warm with crusty bread or saltine crackers.
PRO TIP: Finishing a rich soup with a dash of acid like lemon juice balances out the flavors and adds brightness.
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Expert Tips for the best chicken noodle soup
- Cook the pasta separately. If you will be refrigerating or freezing some soup for later, it’s best to cook the pasta separately so you can store it separately from the soup. if you will be eating all of the soup now, it’s ok to cook the pasta in the soup.
- Make a double batch! Classic chicken noodle soup is essential for sick days! Make a batch to freeze so you always have some on hand when you’re feeling under the weather.
- Use bone-in chicken. Cooking chicken with the bones creates a rich broth with so much extra flavor! After cooking, the bones will remove easily.
- Sear the chicken. Searing the chicken prior to cooking it in the broth adds an extra depth of flavor.
- Use good-quality chicken broth. Soup is all about the broth! Use homemade stock or a good quality brand for the best flavor.
- Finish with an acid. To balance the soup, finish off with an acid like lemon juice.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers: Store leftover soup separate from the pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s even better the next day!
How to freeze: To freeze, add soup (without pasta) to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Don’t forget to label and date! Defrost frozen soup overnight in the fridge or in a large bowl of cold water.
How to reheat: This soup reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop. Remove the soup from heat, then stir in the pasta so it doesn’t get mushy.
Variations
- Use turkey. You can swap chicken for turkey instead to make turkey soup. You can even use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!
- Use leftover chicken. If you want to save time and use up some leftovers, you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken in place of the chicken thighs. Skip searing the chicken, and add in your cooked chicken. For the best flavor, add rotisserie chicken bones and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Make it spicy. If you want a spicy chicken soup, add a diced jalapeño with the other vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend searing the chicken first, then finish cooking the chicken in the broth. This ensures all the flavor of the chicken remains in the broth with the soup to give you the best flavor.
This dutch oven chicken noodle soup gets better a day after it's made, so it's a great soup to make ahead of time. Just store the noodles and soup separately.
Yes, you can use vegetable broth or stock instead of chicken stock. The soup just won't have as strong of a chicken flavor.
Wide egg noodles are the classic choice for chicken noodle soup. They are thick and filling adding to the heartiness of the soup. Small pasta shapes like orzo or ditalini are also a good choice since they are easy to scoop up with a spoon.
To get the most flavor in your chicken noodle soup, use bone in chicken and cook the chicken in the broth. This ensures all the juices, nutrients, and flavor from the chicken stays in the soup. Another way to add flavor is to finish the soup with fresh herbs and lemon for acidity. If you find your broth to be bland, you can let it simmer with a parmesan rind which gives the broth a rich and savory flavor.
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Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven
- cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
- Knife
Ingredients
- 3 - 3 ½ pounds bone in chicken thighs skin removed and fat trimmed
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup carrots peeled, diced, about 2-3 carrots
- 1 cup celery diced, about 2-3 stalks
- 1 cup onion diced, about 1 medium sized onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine like sauvignon blanc
- 8 cups chicken stock warmed, use homemade or good quality
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh dill finely chopped
- ½ pound dried pasta of choice I like wide egg noodles, ditalini, or orzo
Instructions
- PREP: Dice carrots, celery, and onions. Mince garlic. Remove skin from chicken thighs and trim any excess fat.
- SEASON: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, ground thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- SEAR: Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs in olive oil for about 3-5 minutes per side, until browned. Set chicken thighs aside. They will not be completely cooked.
- SAUTÉ: Melt butter and add carrots, celery, and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until onions are turning translucent. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- DEGLAZE: Deglaze with white wine and scrape up any browned bits (fond). Cook until alcohol burns off, about 2 minutes.
- SIMMER: Pour in chicken stock and add thighs back to the pot. Bring up to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are soft. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
- BOIL: Bring a separate large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set pasta aside. *If you will be consuming all the soup now, you can boil the pasta in the soup for the best flavor, but If you will be refrigerating or freezing leftovers, I recommend cooking the pasta separately.
- DEBONE: Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool enough to handle. Remove bones and gristle and discard. Chop thigh meat into bite-sized pieces, then add back into the pot.
- FINISH: Stir in lemon, fresh parsley, and dill. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm with pasta.
Notes
- If you plan on freezing some of the soup, then boil the noodles separately. Freezing the soup with noodles in it will cause the noodles to be mushy when reheating.
- How to store leftovers: Store leftover soup separate from the pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s even better the next day!
- How to freeze: To freeze, add soup (without pasta) to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Don’t forget to label and date! Defrost frozen soup overnight in the fridge or in a large bowl of cold water.
- How to reheat: This soup reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop. Remove the soup from heat, then stir in the pasta so it doesn’t get mushy.
Nutrition
About me
Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'? I'm Lauren and I love to teach you how to make the good stuff, from scratch! I use fresh quality ingredients to create impressive but approachable restaurant worthy recipes.
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