This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe will warm you on a cold day and help you feel better when you are ill. The recipe is made with bone broth and extra vegetables to provide added nutrition. It includes precooked chicken for a meal that is nourishing and gets on the table quickly.
Chicken noodle soup is so hard not to love! I mean it is so warming and has noodles, two very satisfying things.
Here is a little secret for you, before I really learned to cook and before I learned how important food choices are for health, I relied heavily on prepackaged and canned food to feed myself. Those foods played a big part in some health issues that I experienced during that time.
Making shifts in the types and quality of the foods that went into my body made a huge difference in how I felt and my mood. Well worth the effort in my opinion!
So while you could just open a can to get a bowl of soup, why do it when making your own is as easy?
I purposely kept this recipe extra easy by using leftover cooked chicken. I also added a few extra veggies to make it more filling and nourishing.
Nutritional benefits
Bone broth gets talked about a lot these days. And for good reason, it is full of compounds that promote good health.
Bone broth contains a trace amount of minerals.
It is also rich in amino acids. Glycine is one of them. It has anti-inflammatory properties and supports the immune system. Bone broth also provides proline which is great for joint health and collagen production.
Bone broth is a great source of gelatin. Gelatin can help to improve digestive function.
What shape of pasta works best for chicken noodle soup?
Any shape of pasts will work to make homemade chicken noodle soup.
I think that a flat shape, like bowties or broken fettuccini, works the best. But you are certainly not limited to those.
Because any shape will work, this recipe is a great way to use up any small portions of dry pasta that you may have in your pantry. I used two different shapes once and my oldest son, who is 3, thought it was the best soup ever!
If using two different shapes be sure to check the cooking times and if there is a large difference in times, add the pasta at different times so they get done at the same time.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot or enameled dutch oven
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Ingredients for healthy chicken noodle soup recipe
- Precooked Cubed Chicken: Both dark and light meat chicken work for this recipe. I like to roast additional chicken when making a meal and use that meat when making soup.
- Healthy cooking fat: Butter, ghee, olive oil, or coconut oil will all work. I like to use grassfed butter for the added nutrients.
- Carrots: Peel and chop the carrots into bite-size pieces. The smaller you cut the carrots, the quicker they will become soft.
- Celery: Dice the celery. I am not a big celery fan so I kept it to the minimum, feel free to add a little more.
- Onions: Diced
- Garlic: Peel and mince the garlic
- Peas: Frozen peas work great for this homemade chicken noodle soup.
- Bone Broth: I prefer using homemade broth but you can use store-bought. Looked for broth that does not have added sugar or other unwanted ingredients like MSG.
- Bay Leaves
- Dried Thyme
- Salt
- Pepper
- Gluten-free Pasta: Jovial Foods make my favorite gluten-free noodles. They have a great texture and hold up really well.
- Coconut Milk: Go with full-fat coconut milk, it adds a nice texture to the soup!
How to make homemade chicken noodle soup
- In a large pot or dutch oven, melt cooking fat over medium heat.
- Once the fat has melted, add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until the veggies being to soften, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Add pasta, bring back to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is done.
- Once the pasta is done, add chicken, peas, and coconut milk to the pot. Allow soup to come to a simmer again.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve in individual bowls.
What to serve with chicken noodle soup?
While this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe can be a meal of its own, you might want to add a bit more to the meal. Here are a few ideas for you:
- Raw cheese: We really like this raw cheddar.
- Freshly baked bread: My sourdough focaccia is great for dipping and soaking up the nourishing and delish broth of this soup.
- Sourdough Crackers
- Fermented Sauerkraut: If you are not fermenting your own sauerkraut, Bubbie’s is my favorite brand!!
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Tips for the best chicken noodle soup
For the best homemade chicken noodle soup be sure you have properly salted it! If the soup seems a bit flat, it most likely needs a bit more salt. Add a 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the flavor pops.
When using the leftover chicken to make soup, it can get tough. To ensure that doesn’t happen with your soup, do not add the chicken until the end as I have stated in the recipe.
Meal Prep Tips
The best way to meal prep this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is to prep all your ingredients during your meal prep session. Then the day you want to eat the soup, all you have to do is pull them from the frig and make the soup. This would allow you to have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!!
Homemade chicken noodle soup can be made ahead of time during meal prep and then gently reheated. Please note though that the noodle will start to get really soft.
How to store
Store any leftover chicken noodle soup in an airtight container in the frig for up 5 days.
If you make and love this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would leave a review!
And don’t forget to pin the recipe for later!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe used leftover chicken to help get dinner on the table quickly. It has bone broth and plenty of veggies for extra nutrition!
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5-6 cups bone broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup gluten-free pasta
- 2 cups precooked chicken, cubed
- 1 cup peas
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, melt cooking fat over medium heat.
- Once the fat has melted or is warm, add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until the veggies being to soften, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Add pasta, bring back to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is done.
- Once the pasta is done, add chicken, peas, and coconut milk to the pot. Allow soup to come to a simmer again.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve in individual bowls.
Notes
For the best homemade chicken noodle soup be sure you have properly salted it! If the soup seems a bit flat, it most likely needs a bit more salt. Add a 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the flavor pops.
When using the leftover chicken to make soup, it can get tough. To ensure that doesn't happen with your soup, do not add the chicken until the end as I have stated in the recipe.
