Classic Chicken Noodle Soup recipe made with tender chicken, carrots, celery, onion and a flavorful sage broth. Perfect chicken noodle soup for cold days or when you’re sick!
Our family absolutely loves homemade chicken noodle soup, so I make it often. I’ve made it a variety of ways, but I keep coming back to this classic recipe. It’s very traditional; made with all the basic ingredients like homestyle egg noodles, diced chicken, sliced carrots, celery and chicken broth. It’s simple, warm and truly comforting. I recently served it when our entire family came down with the flu. Now, you haven’t truly experienced a cold & flu season until you pass the flu from one person to the next in a family of 7. Ahhh… I’m so glad that’s over. Chicken soup for the win!
How do you cook chicken noodle soup?
You can cook chicken noodle soup on the stovetop, in a crock pot or in the instant pot! The method you choose to cook your soup really just depends on how much time you have and what appliances are your favorite. If you cook chicken noodle soup on the stovetop, it takes about an hour. That factors in about 10 minutes prep time and 50 minutes of cooking time.
If you cook it in the crockpot, it’s obviously a much slower cooking method, so it can take all day. BUT it’s very hands-off cooking, and you can literally come home and within an hour, be serving yourself a hot bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup!
The instant pot method is the fastest method, factoring in 10 minutes of prep time and just over 40 minutes of cook time/ pressure increasing and releasing time. The good news for instant pot lovers too is that most of that is hands off time as well!
What noodles to use in chicken noodle soup
You can use a variety of different noodles in a chicken noodle soup recipe. My favorite type is a homestyle egg noodle that I purchase from Walmart. They come in a bag and they’re so delicious! But, I’ve also used bowtie pasta, small shells pasta and even regular egg noddles. The homestyle egg noodles I love take 25 minutes to cook. More traditional box/ bagged pasta takes about 20 minutes to cook. I’ve even used a variety of homestyle egg noodles that are frozen.
How do you make chicken noodle soup?
To make chicken noodle soup on the stovetop, you first melt butter in a large saucepan. Add in onion, garlic, and seasonings. Saute over medium-high heat for around 7-8 minutes, so the onions begin to soften. Add in carrots and celery and cook another 5 minutes.
Add in 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes.
Add remaining 5 cups of broth and return to a boil. Add in the noodles and chicken. Cover & cook soup until the noodles are soft, about 20-25 minutes. {This will vary depending on what type of egg noodle you use. If the box says to cook for 10 minutes, then only allow 15 minutes. Homestyle egg noodles generally need longer to cook, around 20-25 minutes.}
Simmer on the stove for at least 10 minutes, but up to an hour, until you’re ready to serve.
How do you make Chicken Noodle Soup more flavorful?
If there’s one critique I have about most chicken noodle soup recipes, it’s that they don’t have enough flavor! I remedy this by adding additional bouillon to my soup recipe, but even still I love additional flavor. Here are several ideas I have that are fantastic. You can even do ALL of them for a show-stopping chicken noodle soup!
–Add in 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk and another 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon just before serving. Don’t boil the soup after you add in the milk, but rather just simmer for another 5 minutes, then serve. This adds a rich flavor that is just amazing!
— Slightly thicken the soup while simultaneously adding more flavor by adding in 3 TBSP mashed potato flakes before the final 10 minutes of cooking time.
–Top your bowl of chicken noodle soup with cheddar cheese! SO GOOD!
–Add in 1-2 cups of cooked, crumbled sausage to the recipe. More flavor plus extra protein!
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this chicken noodle soup recipe:
–2 TBSP butter
–2 tsp minced garlic
–1 cup diced onion
–1 tsp rubbed sage
–1 tsp season salt
–1/2 tsp black pepper
–2 carrots, peeled and sliced
–2-3 ribs of celery, sliced
–1 TBSP chicken bouillon, rounded
–8 cups chicken broth
–2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
–3 cups cooked chicken, diced
How to cook Chicken Noodle Soup on the Stovetop:
- Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add in onion, garlic, and seasonings. Saute over medium-high heat for around 7-8 minutes, so the onions begin to soften. Add in carrots and celery and cook another 5 minutes.
Add in 3 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. - Add remaining 5 cups of broth and return to a boil. Add in the noodles and chicken. Cover & cook soup until the noodles are soft, about 20-25 minutes. {This will vary depending on what type of egg noodle you use. If the box says to cook for 10 minutes, then only allow 15 minutes. Homestyle egg noodles generally need longer to cook, around 20-25 minutes.}
- Simmer on the stove for at least 10 minutes, but up to an hour, until you’re ready to serve. Enjoy!
How to cook Chicken Noodle Soup in a Crock Pot:
- Add all ingredients to crock pot except for noodles. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 4-5 hours.
- Add noodles to crock pot. Replace lid and cook an additional 1 hour on high.
How to cook Chicken Noodle Soup in a 6 or 8 qt. Instant Pot:
- Turn IP on Saute mode. Melt butter in pot. Add in onion, garlic, and seasonings. Saute for 5 minutes. Add in all remaining ingredients, including uncooked noodles.
- Switch IP to high pressure mode and set for 2 minutes. IP will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. Once time is up, let pot release pressure naturally for 10 minutes*, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Test noodles for doneness. If they’re not quite done, replace lid on pot and let it just sit for another 5-10 minutes.
- *Time required for NPR (natural pressure release) depends on the type of noodles you use in the soup. If the box says to cook for 10 minutes, then only allow 5 minutes NPR. Homestyle egg noodles generally need longer to cook, around 20-25 minutes, so they’ll need the full 10 minutes NPR.
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup recipe made with tender chicken, carrots, celery, onion and a flavorful sage broth. Perfect comfort food recipe for cold days or when you're sick!
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Servings: 8
Calories: 187kcal
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP butter
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 1 tsp season salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 2-3 ribs of celery sliced
- 1 TBSP chicken bouillon rounded
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
- 3 cups cooked chicken diced
Instructions
Stovetop Cooking Instructions:
- Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add in onion, garlic, and seasonings. Saute over medium-high heat for around 7-8 minutes, so the onions begin to soften. Add in carrots and celery and cook another 5 minutes.
- Add in 3 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes.
- Add remaining 5 cups of broth and return to a boil. Add in the noodles and chicken. Cover & cook soup until the noodles are soft, about 20-25 minutes. {This will vary depending on what type of egg noodle you use. If the box says to cook for 10 minutes, then only allow 15 minutes. Homestyle egg noodles generally need longer to cook, around 20-25 minutes.}
- Simmer on the stove for at least 10 minutes, but up to an hour, until you're ready to serve. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Cooking instructions:
- Add all ingredients to crock pot except for noodles. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 4-5 hours.
- Add noodles to crock pot. Replace lid and cook an additional 1 hour on high.
Instant Pot instructions:
- Turn IP on Saute mode. Melt butter in pot. Add in onion, garlic, and seasonings. Saute for 5 minutes. Add in all remaining ingredients, including uncooked noodles.
- Switch IP to high pressure mode and set for 2 minutes. IP will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. Once time is up, let pot release pressure naturally for 10 minutes*, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Test noodles for doneness. If they're not quite done, replace lid on pot and let it just sit for another 5-10 minutes.
- *Time required for NPR (natural pressure release) depends on the type of noodles you use in the soup. If the box says to cook for 10 minutes, then only allow 5 minutes NPR. Homestyle egg noodles generally need longer to cook, around 20-25 minutes, so they'll need the full 10 minutes NPR.
Notes
Serves 8
Nutrition
Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1237mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2665IU | Vitamin C: 19.2mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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Christi Schimp says
That looks so good! Makes me think I should make some chicken noodle soup soon… I've liked adding basil, but I think I might try the sage! I really like sage – especially in stuffing and bean-noodle-vegetable soups, I'm sure it makes a great addition to chicken noodle soup as well!
Edith says
There’s nothing “classic” about boxed noodles. Chicken noodle soup is not authentic without homemade noodles
Lauren Lattimer says
This is our family’s favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. Thank you!
Jessica says
So glad you liked it Lauren! 🙂