Easy chicken noodle soup is a light, brothy dish made with tender rotisserie chicken, egg noodles, and a few vegetables. It comes together on the stovetop in about 45 minutes, which makes it a good choice for a busy weeknight.
This is the version I reach for when I want something warm and familiar without a lot of fuss. It is comfort food at its simplest, and it fills the whole house with the smell of home.
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Ingredients You Will Need
- Butter: melted in the pot to start, it softens the vegetables and gives the broth a little richness at the base.
- Carrots and celery: the two vegetables that flavor the pot. Chop them small so they cook through while the soup simmers.
- Chicken broth: the boxed broth is the backbone of the soup. I use two full boxes, and I always keep an extra on hand in case the noodles drink up too much.
- Campbell’s chicken broth: two cans go in alongside the boxed broth. The canned kind is a little richer and saltier, and together they taste better than either one alone.
- Rotisserie chicken: the shortcut that makes this soup so quick. Pick the meat off a store-bought bird, and be sure to add any juice from the bottom of the bag for extra flavor.
- Egg noodles: I like Kluski noodles, the short, thick kind, for their homemade feel, but any wide egg noodle works. Hold back a handful of the bag so the soup does not turn too thick.
- Lawry’s seasoned salt: the only seasoning the soup needs. It brings salt along with a little garlic and paprika, so you can skip a long list of spices.
How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup
- In a large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add carrots and celery.
- Saute for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Add all the chicken broth, both boxes and cans.
- Pick the meat off the rotisserie chicken and add to broth.
- Make sure to pour any juice in the bottom of the chicken bag into the broth.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add almost the whole bag of noodles leaving a handful in the bag.
- Add seasoned salt and black pepper to taste.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
Tips For The Best Chicken Noodle Soup
- The one thing to watch with chicken noodle soup is the noodles. They keep drinking up the broth as the soup sits, so what looks perfect on the stove can turn thick and heavy by the next day. That is why I leave a handful of noodles in the bag instead of adding the whole thing, and why I keep an extra box of broth in the pantry.
- When the soup thickens, just stir in more broth until it loosens back to where you want it.
- If you know you will have leftovers, you can cook the noodles separately and add them to each bowl, which keeps them from going soft in the pot.
- This recipe is very easy to cut in half to make a smaller amount. Simply click the “1/2X” button in the recipe card below.
Ways To Change It Up
This soup takes well to small changes, so make it your own. Leftover turkey stands in beautifully for the rotisserie chicken, which makes this a good recipe for the days after Thanksgiving. You can swap the egg noodles for rice or orzo, or stir in a handful of frozen peas or fresh spinach near the end for a little color. If you would rather set it and forget it, the soup also works in the crockpot on low for a few hours. A squeeze of lemon or a little fresh dill at the table brightens the bowl, though it is just as good plain.
What To Serve With Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup can stand on its own, but the right side turns it into a full supper. A loaf of no-knead peasant bread is my first choice for dipping, since the crust holds up to a brothy bowl. For something fresh alongside, an autumn romaine lettuce salad balances all that warmth and rounds out the meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the soup I come back to whenever the weather turns and I want something warm on the stove without much effort. The rotisserie chicken keeps it fast enough for a weeknight, and it never asks much of me on a busy day. Simple food like this is what I love to cook most, and a good bowl of soup at the end of the day is enough.
If you want to make a night of it, a batch of ham and Swiss sliders makes it a proper soup-and-sandwich supper, and they come together nearly as fast. For a heartier spread, a pan of garlic cheese bread is lovely torn into pieces beside your bowl, and it bakes up as a quick bread rather than the usual buttered slices. I hope this recipe earns a place at your table the way it has at mine.
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup carrots (chopped)
- 1 cup celery (chopped)
- 2 32 oz. chicken broth
- 2 cans Campbell’s chicken broth (10.5 oz.)
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken (chopped or shredded)
- 16 oz. egg noodles
- 1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add carrots and celery.
- Saute for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Add all the chicken broth, both boxes and cans.
- Pick the meat off the rotisserie chicken and add to broth.
- Make sure to pour any juice in the bottom of the chicken bag into the broth.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add almost the whole bag of noodles leaving a handful in the bag.
- Add seasoned salt.
- Lower heat and simmer 30 minutes.
- Serve with fresh bread or a salad.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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I made this soup last night, and we loved it! The Kluski noodles really do make a difference. I live in Alabama, and that type of noodle aren’t in stores here. I was traveling on business in Indiana earlier this week and snagged a couple bags of the noodles there. The soup is perfect, comforting, and nutritious all at the same time!
If you want it to look like canned soup, use fettuccine noodles broken to the appropriate size. 😉
Same great taste. 😁
While this recipe looks good;I like that the noodles resemble those in Campbell’s Chicken noodle soup-which I’m looking to recreate, as much as possible.
Campbell’s cans are 2.5 servings. one serving is 890mgs, one can of soup has 2,225mgs of sodium! even their ‘lower’ sodium cans have 400-600 per serving and that’s still too much, one can still is high at 1200-1800+ per can. Your sodium is 400mg, and 9mgs fat. I’m trying for much lower sodium and fat.
If I try your recipe, I’d have to leave out vegs,and very little chicken, probably no chicken, and use sodium free broth,- I know plants, other foods may have natural sodium-
What can I use to replace the flavor the vegs and sodium bring to the recipe?
Basically looking for an exact copy minus sodium of Campbell’s CN soup.
Thanks
Hi Ann…I’m afraid I don’t have much information for you. As far as adding flavor without sodium, you could try things like Mrs. Dash, onion powder, other dried or fresh herbs. You could also try something acidic like lemon juice. Good luck!
This recipe is so easy and soo good. I followed as directed and would probably use a little less pasta or a little more broth. I’ve liked all your recipes that I have tried.
Hi Kim…yes, sometimes the noodles have a mind of their own! Thank you very much for the rating…I truly appreciate it!
This recipe is so close to a recipe shared by a friend after making my family chicken soup. He added Lawry’s garlic salt and it really makes the soup delicious!! Give this a try the next time you make your delicious looking soup.
I made this tonight, even though summer isn’t officially over, and it was delicious! I love to cook but sometimes just want something simple. We had it with pretzel rolls and called it dinner! There is a lot left over so I’ll freeze some and hope the noodles don’t soak up all the broth! Thanks for a good recipe!
I made this soup last night, and my whole family loved it! Thanks, too, for your tip about the Kluski noodles – they were perfect for that homemade taste.
Sometimes I don’t want to fuss in the kitchen and like a quick and easy go-to recipe to create a hearty, satisfying, delicious soup….and this is it. All of your posts are so inspirational and I thank you for sharing!
Ann, I just wanted to thank you for all the soup and bread recipes. They look amazing and I can’t wait to try them. Variety is the spice of life! These look easy and the soups are quick to make. Thank you again! Pat
Easy and fast, that’s my kind of soup. Looks delicious besides being easy.
Anne, this is the best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever made! It was so delicious. I was fortunate to find the noodles you recommended and that was one huge difference. It just all came together wonderfully. What I like about this recipe is that if I were not feeling well, it would be no trouble to make and I know it would make you feel much better to have it to nurse yourself back to health. This is definitely a keeper for me!
I’m so glad you liked it…and it’s super easy I agree. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
My family loved this soup. I’m making it again today!
This soup is delicious. It was a BIG hit with my family, and will go on my regular rotation of recipes.
YUMMY!
My husband works out side all day shoveling snow. I made this for him for when he got off of work. He LOVED it.
Note: he is a picky eater.
Great recipe!
Thanks for that recipe! Always looking for something easy to make after getting home after an hour commute!
Love your blog, your home, and your friendly approach.
Have Turkey soup and Ham and split pea soup in the freezer. My husband made them over the holidays. Rotisserie chicken is so versatile. Love quick homemade soups and this looks warm and delicious. Happy New Year Ann! Kathleen in Az