Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

December 30, 2025

Homemade chicken noodle soup starts with a deeply flavored roasted chicken, then slowly simmers into a rich broth before finishing with tender noodles and juicy shredded meat for the ultimate comfort bowl. The process takes several hours, but most of the time is hands off and rewards you with a soup that tastes like it has been simmering in a restaurant kitchen all day.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 3 ½ lb, rinsed under cold water and dried, giblets removed
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¾ cup dry white wine, optional but recommended for deglazing and flavor
2 ½ cups wide egg noodles
1 piece fresh rosemary, about 4 inches, for roasting the chicken
Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Roast the Chicken for Deep Flavor

Roasting the chicken before it ever meets the stock is what gives this soup its signature rich, almost roasty background flavor that plain boiled chicken can never match. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking dish with aluminum foil, then drizzle the foil with a bit of olive oil so the chicken does not stick while it roasts.

Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, including the cavity, because dry skin browns better and gives you more flavor. Tuck the fresh rosemary piece into the cavity of the chicken, place the chicken in the prepared baking dish breast side up, drizzle a little olive oil over the top, and season it generously with salt and pepper all over.

Slide the chicken into the preheated oven and roast it for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until it is mostly cooked through and golden, knowing it will finish cooking later in the soup. Once roasted, take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest in the pan for several minutes while you move on to the soup base.

2. Build a Flavorful Vegetable Base

Set a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, letting it get nice and hot. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery, which form the classic aromatic base for many soups and give your broth sweetness and body.

Season the vegetables lightly with salt and pepper to start layering flavor from the very beginning. Cook the vegetables for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until they soften, turn translucent and develop just a little color on the edges without browning deeply.

Once the vegetables are softened just right, stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, only until fragrant, since garlic burns easily when it is chopped so finely. Sprinkle in the poultry seasoning, which typically includes herbs like rosemary, sage and sometimes a hint of nutmeg, and cook it for a few seconds so the dried herbs bloom in the hot oil.

3. Deglaze with Wine and Add the Roasted Chicken

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom, and let it simmer briefly so the sharp alcohol note cooks off but most of the liquid remains for the long simmer ahead. The wine adds a gentle tang and depth and helps dissolve all the delicious caramelized flavor stuck to the pot from the vegetables and seasoning.

Move the vegetables slightly to the sides of the pot and carefully lift the roasted chicken out of its baking dish, leaving most of the rendered fat behind. Nestle the chicken directly into the center of the pot over the vegetables so it can finish cooking and release all its flavor into the broth.

4. Cover with Stock and Slow Simmer

Pour in enough low sodium chicken stock to cover the chicken generously, usually between 8 and 12 cups, and aim to fully submerge most of the bird so every part contributes to the broth. Low sodium stock is important here so that after hours of reduction and the salt already on the chicken and vegetables, the soup does not become overly salty.

Add a large handful of chopped fresh parsley to the pot for brightness and a fresh herbal note that balances the richness of the roasted chicken. Bring the pot up to a boil, then partially cover it with a lid left slightly ajar and reduce the heat to the lowest gentle simmer.

Let the soup cook very slowly for about 3 ½ hours, allowing the roasted chicken to become fall apart tender and the broth to concentrate into a deeply flavored base. During this time, the meat baste in the stock and the bones release their collagen, giving the soup a silky mouthfeel without any extra thickeners.

5. Skim the Fat and Adjust the Seasoning

After about 3 ½ hours, carefully lift the chicken out of the pot and set it aside on a plate to cool until it is comfortable to handle. At this stage, you will notice a visible layer of fat and some foam floating on top of the broth, mostly rendered from the chicken skin and any remaining roasting fat.

Use a ladle to skim off as much of this fat as possible by gently dragging the ladle across the surface and discarding the collected fat into a separate bowl. Removing excess fat keeps the soup tasting clean and soothing rather than greasy or heavy, which is especially important for a classic chicken noodle soup.

Once the fat is skimmed, increase the heat to bring the broth back to a gentle boil and taste it for seasoning, remembering that the vegetables were salted, the chicken was seasoned and the store bought stock already contains some salt. Add more salt and pepper only if needed at this point so you do not over season the broth.

6. Cook the Noodles and Shred the Chicken

With the broth gently boiling, add the wide egg noodles directly into the pot and stir to prevent them from sticking. Let the noodles cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender to your liking but not mushy, since they will continue to sit in hot broth when served.

While the noodles cook, and once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard all the skin and strip the meat from the bones, shredding it into bite sized pieces. Be careful to remove any small bones or cartilage so that the final soup is pleasant to eat.

Add the shredded chicken back into the pot with the simmering noodles, stirring to distribute it evenly so every bowl gets a good amount of meat. Let the soup simmer together for a few more minutes so the noodles, broth and chicken come together into one unified flavor.

7. Finish and Serve

Once the noodles are fully cooked and the chicken is heated through in the broth, the soup is ready to serve and should smell deeply savory and comforting. Taste one last time to see whether a final pinch of salt or black pepper is needed, then ladle into bowls making sure to include plenty of broth, vegetables, noodles and chicken in each.

Serve the soup piping hot, optionally with extra chopped parsley on top for color and freshness. The broth will be rich and layered in flavor from the roasted chicken, long simmer and aromatic vegetables, while the chicken is melt in your mouth tender and the noodles are soft and satisfying.

8. Detailed Tips for Best Results

For the most flavorful result, take the time to really dry the chicken thoroughly before roasting because moisture on the surface steams instead of browning and you want that browned, roasty flavor in the soup. Also, season the chicken more generously than you might for a quick pan cook because much of that seasoning will distribute into the entire pot of broth later.

When sautéing the vegetables, resist the urge to walk away for too long so that they soften without taking on dark brown edges, since over browning can shift the flavor from sweet and savory to slightly bitter. Stir occasionally and use the heat level to control the pace; medium high should be enough to get a bit of color on the carrots and onions while keeping the overall flavor clean.

The wine is technically optional, but using it to deglaze the pan lifts up all those flavorful browned bits locked onto the bottom of the pot from the vegetables and herbs, which then melt back into the broth as it simmers. If you prefer not to cook with wine, add a splash of extra stock at this stage and still scrape the bottom of the pot well to capture that same concentrated flavor.

Skimming fat after the long simmer is worth the few extra minutes because it makes the soup feel lighter and more refined, closer to a restaurant style broth than a greasy pot of boiled chicken. A wide ladle or even a large spoon works well for this job, and you do not have to remove every last drop of fat, just the majority that pools on the surface.

For the noodles, consider cooking them just until tender and avoiding over stirring once they are in the broth so they hold their shape better and stay pleasantly chewy rather than disintegrating. If you expect plenty of leftovers and want to avoid soggy noodles the next day, you can even cook the noodles separately in salted water and add them to each bowl as you serve, ladling the hot soup over the top.

Finally, when shredding the chicken, focus on pulling it into medium strands rather than tiny pieces so the meat stays moist and noticeable in each bite. Dark meat from the thighs and legs will be particularly juicy after the long simmer, so be sure to include it along with the white meat for a more flavorful and satisfying soup.

9. Essential Equipment Guide

Large roasting pan or baking dish lined with foil
Large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven with lid
Sharp chef’s knife
Cutting board
Ladle for skimming and serving
Tongs or large fork for lifting the chicken
Measuring cups and spoons

10. Nutritional Information

Approximate values per serving, assuming 8 servings and using the listed ingredients with skin removed from the chicken before shredding.

Nutrient	Amount per serving
Calories	~350 kcal
Protein	~28 g
Total Fat	~14 g
Saturated Fat	~3 g
Carbohydrates	~26 g
Fiber	~2 g
Sodium	~900 mg (using low sodium stock)

11. Pairings

Crusty baguette or artisan bread to dip into the rich broth.
Simple green salad with a light vinaigrette to balance the hearty soup.
Buttery biscuits for a more indulgent, home style meal.
Light white wine such as Pinot Grigio if serving to adults who enjoy wine with dinner.

12. Variations

Use whole wheat egg noodles instead of regular for extra fiber and a slightly nutty flavor.
Add extra fresh herbs like dill or more parsley at the end for a brighter, garden style soup.
Stir in a squeeze of lemon just before serving to give the broth a gentle citrus lift.
Swap part of the stock for additional homemade chicken broth if you have it for even deeper flavor.

13. Time and Servings

Prep Time: About 20 to 30 minutes for chopping vegetables and prepping the chicken.
Cook Time: About 4 hours total, including roasting the chicken and simmering the soup.
Servings: Approximately 6 to 8 generous bowls of soup.