How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup

This homemade chicken noodle soup is the perfect comforting dish to serve when the cooler weather arrives and is much healthier than store-bought soup. Make up a pot at the beginning of the week for a quick and easy lunch or dinner throughout the week! It only takes 30 minutes to prepare! {Gluten-free friendly}

Healthy Chicken Soup

• One pot meal – All of the ingredients can be tossed into a large pot for a quick meal that requires minimal prep and clean up. It also makes for a balanced meal because you have your protein, grains, and vegetables cooked all in one pot!
• Simple – This easy chicken noodle soup can be cooked in 30 minutes, so it requires minimal time and effort. And the best part is, no fancy ingredients are required!
• Hearty & filling – With the protein-rich chicken and fibre-filled veggies and pasta, this soup is incredibly satisfying. This ain’t no wimpy can of store-bought chicken noodle soup!
• Family-friendly – This soup recipe is appropriate for all ages. It’s especially good for little ones because by cooking the chicken, noodles, and vegetables in the broth, it really helps to tenderize them, making it easier for them to chew.
• Much healthier than store-bought – What I love about chicken noodle soup from scratch is that you can control the sodium level. Canned chicken noodle soup generally is in the ballpark of 830mg of sodium for a one cup serving (which is about half to a third of the recommended daily intake), but when you make your own, you can use reduced-sodium or no salt-added broth to control your intake. You can also pump up the fibre and protein by adding more chicken and veggies!
• Perfect for cold and flu season – Similar to this no noodle chicken soup, this recipe has a good balance of ingredients that contain immune-boosting properties. The carrots consist of vitamin A, which plays a role in immune response. The chicken and stock both contain zinc which may help fight against the common cold when consumed in adequate amounts. Plus, by drinking the broth, it can help you stay adequately hydrated (especially if it’s lower in sodium) which is not always the easiest thing to do when you’re sick.

Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

Chicken – Use skinless boneless chicken breasts, or sub in skinless boneless chicken thighs, if desired. If you already have shredded chicken on hand, you can also add it to the soup and skip the step where you cook the chicken breasts.

Broth – Use reduced-sodium or no salt-added store-bought chicken broth, or sub in homemade chicken broth if you have some on hand! When I make this soup, I generally use no salt-added broth and we each season our own bowl of soup accordingly. This is one of the best ways to control individual sodium consumption.

Pasta – Use your preferred pasta. You can switch it up depending on what you have on hand. Some good options would be fusilli, rotini or egg noodles. When I make this soup, I generally use a whole-grain or fibre-enriched fusilli pasta. You can also sub in gluten-free pasta if necessary.

How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup

Step 1 – In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 5-6 minutes or until onion is translucent and fragrant. Add the thyme and cook for an additional minute.
Step 2 – Next, add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Turn the stove up to high and bring broth to a boil.
Step 3 – Add chicken breasts, turn the stove down to medium low and simmer the chicken for 15 minutes.
Step 4 – Next, add the pasta to the pot and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes until pasta is al dente and chicken has cooked through and is no longer pink inside.
Step 5 – Remove chicken breasts to a bowl and shred using two forks.
Step 6 – Add shredded chicken back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

Healthy Chicken Soup Recipe Tips

• Cut the vegetables so that they’re roughly the same size so that they all finish cooking at the same time.
• You may need to add some extra broth if the soup has been sitting for a while as the noodles tend to absorb the liquid the longer it sits.
• If you want to save on time, you can add pre-shredded chicken that you’ve cooked ahead of time or use a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken breasts in the broth. You would need about three cups of shredded chicken for this soup recipe.
• This chicken noodle soup recipe is a great recipe if you’re looking to do some meal prepping or batch cooking. It makes 8 servings, or you can easily double it and freeze any leftovers in individual containers or large ziploc bags for quick and easy meals.

Recipe FAQs

Do I have to cook the chicken before adding it to the soup?

No, it’s not necessary. That’s what I love most about this soup! It’s a one pot meal so the chicken breasts cook right in the broth along with the rest of the ingredients. Simply add the raw chicken breasts to the broth and boil for about 20-25 minutes. Once the chicken is tender, remove the breasts from the pot and use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to incorporate it into the soup.

Do I have to use fresh herbs?

No, you don’t have to use fresh thyme or parsley, although it does lend a nice flavour. If you wish to sub in dried herbs, feel free to do so. Instead of adding one teaspoon of fresh thyme, you can sub in half a teaspoon of dried. The fresh parsley is totally optional too.

What can I add to chicken soup to make it more flavourful?

The beauty of this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is that you can adapt it to suit your taste preferences.

If you want to add more flavour, you can add some additional fresh herbs (think thyme, rosemary or parsley), or fresh minced garlic. I also recommend adding salt and pepper to taste before serving. Additionally, you can finish the soup with a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice for a brighter, more refreshing flavour.

If you like spicy food, you might also wish to add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne to give the soup some heat or turmeric to add a different flavour profile.

Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?

Yes! In a slow cooker, combine the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and chicken breasts. Pour in the broth and cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Discard bay leaves. Return chicken to slow cooker and add the noodles. Cook on high, covered, until al dente, about 10-15 minutes. You can also cook the noodles separately and add to the soup once cooked.

How to Store

Store this soup in the fridge in the pot or an air-tight container for up to four days.

Can you freeze Chicken Noodle Soup?

Yes! It’s one of my favourite soups to make ahead of time as an easy freezer meal! You can store it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. If you do choose to freeze it, I highly recommend cooking the noodles separately and freezing the soup without the noodles, or else they might get mushy. When you’re ready to serve, simply thaw the soup and add the freshly cooked noodles.

To defrost: allow the soup to sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving and then follow the reheating guidelines below.

How to reheat Low Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup

You can reheat this soup on the stove in a large saucepan over medium low heat until heated through. Be careful not to turn up the stove too high as it may cause the soup to stick to the bottom of the pan. You may wish to add some additional broth or to the soup when reheating it to thin it out a bit as the noodles tend to absorb the liquid the longer it sits.

Serving suggestions

I like serving this soup topped with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley or thyme. It also pairs well with crackers or some crusty bread for the ultimate comforting dish. Brings back all of those warm and cozy childhood memories!

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This recipe was originally posted in October 2018 and was updated in September 2020 to include better recipe tips and photos. 

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