The Best Chicken Noodle Soup

This really is The Best Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s based on the soup our mom made when we were growing up, but with more fresh herbs, a little lemon, and a touch of cream. It’s the perfect soup for a chilly day or whenever you want comfort.

We don’t get a lot of super cold weather here in Southern California, but when it does get a little chilly (hi, coastal fog!), we crave soup like anyone else. Chicken noodle soup is a classic, and we grew up eating and loving our mom’s homemade version. She uses a mix of fresh and pre-made ingredients, like crisp veggies and cream of chicken soup for richness (no shade to canned soup over here!). But we wanted to take it up a notch by using actual cream. The result is a comforting, luxurious chicken soup that’ll warm you up from the inside!

Why This is the Best Chicken Noodle Soup

• Easy one pot meal. Everything gets cooked together in one pot for this soup, including the chicken. There’s no need to pull out a frying pan for the chicken because we just add it to the soup and let it poach in the liquid. This makes it super simple AND gives the soup a richer chicken flavor. 
• Fresh, simple ingredients. We’ve kept it simple with this recipe, choosing to use fresh produce like carrots, onions, and celery, fresh herbs, and lean chicken breast. The addition of lemon and cream provide depth and balance and an overall subtle richness that complements the herbs. 
• Nothing beats a classic. We used classic chicken noodle soup ingredients in this recipe, like chicken breast, carrots and celery, and those nostalgic, squiggly egg noodles. But the lemon, fresh herbs, cream, and heat from the red pepper flakes really takes what is actually a simple dish and makes it into something fantastic. We think it is the best chicken noodle soup out there.
• Tastes like home. This soup is incredibly comforting and very well-balanced. It also tastes like childhood and simpler times, which we love.

Ingredients in The Best Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a pretty easy to make meal that uses a lot of fresh ingredients and flavors. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you cook them right in the soup, so it couldn’t be easier! Plus, this amps up the chicken flavor in the broth. 
• Fresh veggies – we love to add fresh vegetables for nutrients and flavor. Fresh celery adds crunch and earthiness, carrots add sweetness and balance, and onions (we prefer sweet or yellow here) add depth.
• Herbs  – this recipe calls for fresh thyme and rosemary. Fresh herbs are always better than dried if you can get them, because they have a ton more flavor. However, if you can’t get fresh herbs, you can use dried as an alternative. Just use 1 teaspoon dried for every tablespoon of fresh.
• Red pepper flakes – we love a little heat in most of our recipes. If you hate heat, you can leave it out.
• Chicken broth – use whatever broth or stock you like. We like Better Than Bullion.
• Heavy cream – a touch of heavy cream will make the soup a little creamy without being thick. If you don’t want to use heavy cream, half and half or whole milk could work, but they won’t give the soup the same rich, creamy flavor or texture.
• Egg noodles – classic chicken noodle soup needs a classic, squiggly egg noodle!
• Lemon juice – a little fresh lemon juice brings brightness and balance to the soup.
• Butter – we love the flavor and richness that butter gives to the sauteed vegetables. 
• Salt and pepper – some broths or stocks are saltier than others, so be sure to taste the soup as you go (just don’t taste it with the raw chicken in it; wait until the chicken has cooked through before tasting it!).

How to Make This Soup

Most of the cooking is fairly hands off, so this is a great meal to make when you don’t want to spend hours over a stove. Your favorite soup pot will do most of the work for you.

STEP 1: Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot and add the celery, carrots, onions, herbs, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables soften.

STEP 2: Add the chicken broth to the pot with the vegetables and bring the liquid to a low boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, which is just below a boil (you’ll usually want to adjust your temperature to medium-low heat for this).

STEP 3: Add the chicken breasts to the pot, making sure they are fully submerged in the liquid. Cover the pot and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through (internal temperature should be 165°F). 

Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it or chop it up (we prefer the chopping method with this soup). Add the chicken back to the pot. 

STEP 4: Add the raw egg noodles to the soup and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until they are al dente. 

STEP 5: Slowly pour in the heavy cream until it is combined with the rest of the liquid. Tip: use room temperature heavy cream to ensure that it doesn’t curdle when going into the hot liquid.

Stir in the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. If you want more acidity, feel free to add another ½ tablespoon of lemon.

STEP 6: Serve yourself a generous bowl of soup with a crunchy piece of ciabatta or baguette on the side for dipping.