This homemade healthy chicken noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food to warm up from the inside out! Homemade chicken noodle soup is hands-down better than the salty canned stuff, and this version tastes just like mom used to make. Make a batch at the beginning of the week for easy lunches, or throw it together in just 30 minutes for a quick, nourishing dinner any night of the week. It's the best! {Gluten-free friendly}
2cupsdry pasta of choicesuch as rotini, fusilli or egg noodles (I used whole-grain fusilli)
Salt and pepperto taste
Optional garnishes:
Top with finely chopped fresh parsley,if desired
Instructions
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.
Next, add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Turn the stove up to high and bring broth to a boil.
Add chicken breasts, turn the stove down to medium low and simmer the chicken for 15 minutes. Next, add the pasta to the pot and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender and chicken has cooked through and is no longer pink inside.
Remove chicken breasts to a bowl and shred using two forks.
Add shredded chicken back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
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 3 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.