Chicken Noodle Soup. Seriously…so basic, right?
Yeah, unless you are me. I’m plenty particular when it comes to my chicken noodle soup which is why I finally decided to perfect the stuff. Here’s what I require: Lots of chicken. Lots of it. The same goes for the noodles. And not just any noodles. Good-quality, thick noodles (my brand recommendation is down in the Notes of the recipe). The noodles make the soup, baby. Oh, and lots of flavor doesn’t hurt either.
My preference is to cook my whole chicken up in the slow cooker all day with some pumped up broth (thanks to the veggies and seasonings added in with the chicken and broth) and then throw the rest of the soup together with the slow cooker broth in a flash about 30 minutes before eating. We love a slightly creamy chicken noodle soup, but I’ve left that part optional in case you fall among the more classic lines of chicken-noodle-soup-lovers.
Looks like I still have plenty of time to enjoy a good pot of this chicken noodle soup since we just got slammed with another six inches of snow. (Hey, Winter, it’s March already!!)
One Year Ago: Honey Roast Chicken
Two Years Ago: Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan
Three Years Ago: Asian Chicken Salad
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
*Note: Not in the market for a huge ol’ pot of soup? Well, then, keep the Chicken and Broth ingredients the same but save half of the chicken for later (freezer for another use or another batch of soup) and halve the Soup ingredients. Quality of noodles counts big time! I love the Mrs. Weiss brand of wide Kluski noodles. And while we are talking brands, my favorite brand of chicken broth is Swanson’s Natural Goodness Chicken Broth (33% Less Sodium, all-natural).
*Serves 8-10 (maybe more?? This makes a huge pot of soup)
INGREDIENTS:
For Chicken and Broth:
3-4 pound whole chicken, neck and giblets removed
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 stalks celery, chopped in large chunks
3-4 carrots, cut in large chunks
1 onion, chopped in large pieces
Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound carrots, chopped
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste, depending on the broth)
½ teaspoon pepper
16-20 ounces egg noodles
1 cup cream or half-and-half combined with 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional for creamy-style)
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse the chicken, removing the neck and giblets. Place the chicken in a slow cooker and add the other ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Carefully remove the chicken and set aside in a large bowl until the chicken is cool enough to handle without burning your fingertips off. Meanwhile, remove and discard the large solids from the chicken broth and strain the chicken broth into a large pot.
To the same pot, add another 12 cups chicken broth, the chopped vegetables and the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly tender (they’ll cook more when the noodles cook). Taste the broth and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions at a rolling boil. While the noodles are cooking, take the chicken off the bones and shred into bite-size pieces. For a creamy version, combine the cream (or half-and-half) and cornstarch in a liquid measuring, whisking to dissolve the cornstarch. Add the slurry to the soup and simmer rapidly for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the shredded chicken. Serve.
Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds simple and delicious! Can’t wait to try your version! But I’m a little embarrassed to admit I have never in my life cooked a whole chicken… so this could be interesting!
With spring just around the corner, I can’t seem to get my fill of these deliciously warm and cozy winter soups. This one’s for dinner tonight!
Thanks so much for the delicious recipes.
No giblets in the slow cooker?
I’m very particular about my chicken noodle soup too. I always make homemade noodles. They really are very quick and easy, and nothing compares! I’ve never thought to put cream in. Can’t wait to try that creamy version. Yum!
My favorite chicken noodle soup uses the same “soup” recipe (minus the cream-excited to try that!) but I sort of cheat when it comes to the chicken. I buy the already roasted whole chickens from the grocery store. I boil it in water while I’m getting all my veggies ready and when it’s super tender I take it out, chop half the chicken for my soup, and save the other half in the freezer. I love the flavor the pre-seasoned/roasted chicken adds to the soup with no work from me! Oh, and I also make homemade noodles because my dad would never forgive me if I didn’t
You did it! Bless your beautiful and sharing heart. Now, why is it you haven’t sought out an agent for a book deal? A little tour around the nation meeting moms whose lives have been changed by your offerings? Your Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is reshaping the views moms have of themselves as cooks in their own kitchens. Their husbands are proclaiming, “I LOVE you, you can cook!!! Your style, and of course the seamlessly foolproofed (plus, well-narrated) recipes,….that with confidence and a mentor, we make,…and put on our ‘to try’ lists, and for sure get the ingredients for at the store.
Personally, I can’t wait to try your latest pork chops in the crockpot recipe, and your barley chili. Anyway, I know everyone agrees with me that you deserve to be of Pioneer Woman status, a household name. I just had to say it today.
Plus, you’re going to make me cook a whole chicken. And I will do it out of duty to my family. Plus pure joy!
Definitely saving this recipe. I have never made my own chicken soup but I agree with you that lots of chicken is a must!
Okay, this looks really great. I keep failing at homemade chicken noodle soup. I guess I’m going to have to put my big-girl panties on and try to cook a whole chicken. It’ll be a miracle if I get past the giblets, but the real test will be getting the meat off the bone. Nothing grosses me out more (weird, I know!!), but I will do it for you because I know the results will be worth it!
What a gorgeous bowl of soup! Everyone should have a great chicken noodle soup recipe, and this one looks perfect!
We have the exact same taste in chicken noodle soup! I didn’t know there were others out there that liked it creamy and stuffed with noodles. I have never tried those noodles. I either make my own or in a hurry I buy the Grandma’s (I think? Granny or Grandma or something similar). They are in the frozen food section. Honestly, you can’t tell the difference between the Grandma’s and homemade.
What a wonderful, cozy and warm soup! There’s nothing better for a cold day, and especially a sick cold! I’ve never had a creamy one, but would definitely love to try this. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, looks like the perfect soup for a cold March day, My husband came home from work with a cold yesterday, this sounds like the perfect solution today! Thanks
I make my own noodles for chicken noodle soup, and put part whole wheat flour in them for extra fiber……the best ever taste!! Have not tried cream in chicken noodle soup……that’s a new idea. Cooking a chicken is quite simple, after doing it a time or two. Many of our grandma’s only had chicken noodle soup if they raised their own chickens.
I am making this right now – what is the best way to freeze the extra cooked chicken? My market only had big chickens…
Does the soup freeze ok? I could just make a jumbo pot and freeze 1/2.
Valerie, I would probably opt to freeze the chicken instead of the soup. I usually just place the cooked and cooled, shredded chicken in ziploc freezer bags and freeze them that way. I usually drizzle a little chicken broth over the chicken before sealing to keep it moist.
I so needed this recipe one day earlier. I was looking for a great whole chicken crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe and couldn’t find one.
) But now I have one. Thanks!
Yum! Looks so good! What would be even better is homemade noodles. (This is usually too much work for me.)
Oh is there anything better than chicken noodle soup! This looks so yummy. I’d love for you to submit this to the M&T Spotlight at http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
Ok maybe this is a silly question, but do you cook the chicken with the skin on? I’ve never actually cooked a WHOLE chicken before, totally going into uncharted territory! This soup just looked too good to pass up.
P.S. I totally agree with Jessica! If you did a book I would totally buy it! Then I could get rid of my binder full of your printed out recipes!
Hi Tasha – yes, go ahead and cook that chicken up with the skin on.
So after straining the broth from the chicken and adding it back to the pot, are you adding 12 more cups of broth or is that the broth you got from the chicken? Otherwise it seems like there will be close to 20 cups of broth. Is that right?
Hi Jolene – this makes a HUGE pot of soup, so yes, it is around 18 cups of broth total. You can easily halve the soup, saving half of the chicken for later (freezing) or using a smaller chicken. The other alternative, if you like more noodles and less broth is to simply add less broth (maybe 8 cups instead of 12). Hope that helps!
Can you freeze the creamy chicken noodle soup. It makes so much and it was so good I’d like to save it. thx
Hi Amanda – I don’t think chicken noodle soup fairs that well frozen because whenever I’ve tried it, the noodles get pretty mush and texturely weird after thawing. However, if you don’t mind that part, then yes, the soup should freeze fine, even with the creaminess.
Melanie,
I haven’t actually made this dish yet myself but my cousin made it for us after we had just moved. To me it tasted like the best chicken noodle soup I have ever had! We gladly accepted when my cousin offered us some leftovers to take home. Thanks for the great recipe! I’m going to have to try making this myself.
Hi Melanie,
I did make this last week with less broth and I made some homemade egg noodles. The soup was amazing! I think we were all fighting for the leftovers. Thank you!
Found your blog over the weekend and I love it! Busy mom of four with a super demanding DC career and your blog has inspired me to actually look forward to cooking again instead of dreading it. Love all the helpful tips, recommendations and pics! Made this soup yesterday in its entirety and it was the best chicken noodle soup I have ever had! Kids loved it too, thank you!!!
This sounds wonderful! My mouth is watering. 15 months ago my hubby and I decided it best for our kids if I became stay-at-home mom. As a result, I have been cooking more– learning to perfect my cooking skills (which were limited, but not so much that we ordered out a lot or suffered starvation
Still, I never really enjoyed cooking. I think now that I’m not so stressed about work and have the time, I am learning to enjoy it more. So, I’m excited to try this recipe. Thanks for your website!!! (please clarify: When you say, “Rinse the chicken, removing the neck and giblets. Place the chicken in a slow cooker and add the other ingredients. ” What “other ingredients” do you mean? The top list of ingredients for Chicken and Broth)
Hi CeCe – thanks for your comment! I’m glad you are enjoying cooking more! As for your question, add all the other ingredients to the slow cooker listed under Chicken and Broth.
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