10 Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipes From Scratch (2026)

Every one of these easy chicken noodle soup recipes from scratch starts the same way: a pot, some chicken, and enough time to let the broth turn golden. There are ten here, and every single one is cooked start to finish on this page with exact quantities and timings, so you can scroll straight to the one that fits your night and cook it without guessing.

They are written for a real household kitchen, not a test kitchen. Most land on the table in under an hour, the slow-cooker one cooks while you are out, all of them feed six or eight, and each is a genuine from-scratch method: real broth, real vegetables, chicken cooked to a safe 165°F (74°C). Pick the classic if you want the bowl your grandmother made, the creamy one if the kids want silk, and the slow-cooker version if you would rather not watch a pot at all. More seasonal ideas live in our easy fall soup recipes for cozy bowls.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipes From Scratch at a Glance

Recipe	Total Time	Difficulty	Best For
1. Classic Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup	65 min	Easy	Sick days and Sunday dinner
2. Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup	35 min	Easy	Picky eaters and cold nights
3. Chicken Noodle Soup with vegetables and herbs	45 min	Easy	Vegetable-forward lunches
4. Garlic Butter Chicken Noodle Soup	30 min	Easy	Weeknight dinners with bread
5. Chicken Noodle Soup with potato and vegetables	50 min	Easy	Big hungry households
6. Spicy Southwest Chicken Noodle Soup	40 min	Easy	Adults and adjustable heat
7. Lemon Herb Chicken Noodle Soup	30 min	Easy	Spring dinners and lunchboxes
8. Chicken Noodle Soup with rice noodles	25 min	Easy	Gluten-free and lighter bowls
9. Chicken Noodle Soup with cabbage and carrots	40 min	Easy	Stretching a small budget
10. Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup	6-7 hrs	Easy	Hands-off cooking

Two quick notes before you start. I write cup and tablespoon measurements in US units, and every chicken recipe here reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before the soup is served. If you want a creamy soup with no dairy at all, our creamy chicken soup recipe goes a different route entirely.

1. Classic Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the version everybody means when they say chicken noodle soup. A long, gentle simmer with the whole pieces of vegetables in the pot gives you a clear gold broth, and wide egg noodles make it feel like the real thing.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 45 min · Total: 65 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 12 cups cold water
• 2 large carrots, halved
• 2 celery stalks, halved
• 1 small yellow onion, quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, added near the end
• 2 cups wide egg noodles
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Put the chicken, water, halved carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, thyme and pepper in a large stockpot.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered, then turn the heat down until the surface just barely shivers.
3. Skim the foam off the top with a slotted spoon during the first ten minutes, or the broth clouds.
4. Simmer partly covered for 30 minutes, until the chicken pulls easily from the bone and the meat hits 165°F (74°C).
5. Remove the chicken and the vegetable pieces to a board. Set them aside.
6. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, pressing hard on the discarded vegetables.
7. Return the broth to a simmer and add the chicken, breaking it into large pieces as it goes in.
8. Add the egg noodles and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often, until the noodles are tender and the broth returns to a simmer.
9. Taste, then add the kosher salt a pinch at a time until it tastes right.
10. Fold in the parsley, ladle into bowls, and grind fresh pepper over the top.

Tip: Start with cold water and keep the heat at a bare simmer. A hard boil for 45 minutes scatters fat through the liquid and leaves you with a cloudy, greasy broth instead of a clear gold one.

Swap it: Thighs give the richest broth, but three boneless skinless breasts work fine. A quartered whole chicken is the most economical option and takes about ten minutes longer to become tender.

Storage: Keep it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. For freezing, freeze the broth and chicken without the noodles, then cook fresh noodles when you reheat.

2. Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Creamy soup fails for one reason, and it is boiling. Keep the heat low, add the dairy at the end, and you get a silky bowl that coats a spoon without turning grainy.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 35 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cups wide egg noodles
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the carrots and celery.
2. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring, until they start to soften and smell sweet.
3. Add the chicken and thyme and cook for 3 minutes, until the outside of the cubes turns white.
4. Pour in the broth and water and bring to a full boil.
5. Add the egg noodles and boil for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring twice, until the noodles are soft.
6. Turn the heat to low. Let the soup cool for a full minute before you add the dairy.
7. Pour in the half-and-half and stir gently, keeping nothing above a lazy simmer.
8. Season with the black pepper and salt to taste, then scatter the parsley over each bowl.

Tip: That one-minute rest before the half-and-half goes in is the whole trick. Milk proteins seize when they hit boiling liquid, and a cool pot keeps the soup smooth instead of curdled.

Swap it: Whole milk works and gives a lighter result. For dairy-free, simmer an extra 2 tablespoons of chopped onion in the broth, strain it out, and finish with a tablespoon of cashew cream.

Storage: Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Creamy soup thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of broth or milk when you reheat on the stove over low heat.

3. Chicken Noodle Soup with vegetables and herbs

This one is for people who think soup should taste like the garden. Veggies rather than cream, with a pile of fresh dill stirred in at the very end.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 45 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup trimmed green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups medium egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring the broth, carrots, celery and onion to a boil in a large pot.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer the vegetables for 6 minutes, until the carrots are just tender with a little bite left.
3. Raise the heat back to a boil and add the green beans.
4. Cook for 4 minutes, then add the frozen peas and cook for 1 more minute.
5. Add the egg noodles and boil for 8 minutes, stirring, until tender.
6. Stir in the shredded chicken and heat through for 2 minutes.
7. Take the pot off the heat and fold in the dill, parsley, lemon juice and pepper.

Tip: Add the green beans and peas late. Anything green that simmers for 20 minutes turns olive-drab, and a half-minute of cooking keeps the color bright.

Swap it: Swap green beans for sliced zucchini in summer. Add a cup of shredded cabbage with the green beans if you want more body without more chopping.

Storage: 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The noodles drink the broth as they sit, so add a splash of broth to each container when you pack it for the next day.

4. Garlic Butter Chicken Noodle Soup

Thirty minutes from the cutting board to the table, and it tastes like you stood over the pot for an hour. Garlic goes in at the end, not the start, and that is the difference.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 8 min · Cook: 22 min · Total: 30 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cups egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 6 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic, and stir for 45 seconds until the garlic smells sweet and golden.
4. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
5. Add the egg noodles and boil for 8 to 9 minutes, until tender.
6. Stir in the shredded chicken, parsley, black pepper and the red pepper flakes if using.
7. Turn the heat off, cover, and let the soup sit for 3 minutes before serving.

Tip: Garlic burns in about 20 seconds on a hot burner. Add it with cold butter and only cook it until the kitchen smells like dinner, not until the edges go brown.

Swap it: Use rotisserie chicken and save ten more minutes. Two teaspoons of tomato paste stirred in with the garlic turns this into a deeper, slightly sweet soup.

Storage: 3 to 4 days refrigerated. The butter sits on top when the soup cools, so give it a good stir before reheating and add a splash of broth if it thickened.

5. Chicken Noodle Soup with potato and vegetables

Potato is what turns a bowl of soup into a meal that sticks with you. The only thing to watch is the order, because potatoes need a head start and noodles need none at all.

Yield: 8 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 50 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 7 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 3 cups wide egg noodles
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions

Instructions

1. Put the broth, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender on the outside.
3. Add the cubed chicken and oregano and simmer for 6 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
4. Turn the heat up to a boil and add the egg noodles.
5. Boil for 8 minutes, stirring often, until the noodles are tender and the potatoes have completely give way.
6. Season with salt and black pepper and serve with the scallions on top.

Tip: Add the potatoes with the broth and the noodles at the very end. Noodles added at the same time as potatoes cook into paste before the potato is tender.

Swap it: Russet potatoes break down and thicken the broth, which is welcome here. Sweet potato makes it sweeter, so cut back the oregano by half.

Storage: 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Potato thickens this one more than most, so add broth to your desired consistency when reheating, and stir in the scallions fresh.

6. Spicy Southwest Chicken Noodle Soup

Cumin, chili powder and a can of tomatoes turn the same pot of broth into something with a whole different personality. The heat level is a dial you set, not a decision you make.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 30 min · Total: 40 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 cups medium noodles
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Bring the broth, carrots and onion to a boil in a large pot.
2. Simmer for 6 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
3. Add the tomatoes, corn, black beans, chili powder and cumin and stir well.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors come together.
5. Add the noodles and boil for 8 to 9 minutes, stirring, until tender.
6. Turn the heat off and fold in the shredded chicken.
7. Top each bowl with the cheese, cilantro and a spoonful of sour cream.

Tip: Start with 1 teaspoon of chili powder, taste, then add the rest. The flavors land after the broth has cooled slightly, and you can always raise the heat at the table but never lower it.

Swap it: For a version kids will eat, hold the sour cream and cheese over the top and stir just a little in. Adding 1 teaspoon of mild ancho chile powder instead of chipotle keeps the warmth without the bite.

Storage: 3 to 4 days refrigerated. Keep the sour cream and cheese on the side when you store the soup, and add them fresh to each bowl.

7. Lemon Herb Chicken Noodle Soup

A bright, clean-tasting soup that tastes like spring in the middle of winter. Everything is fast here, and the lemon goes in the bowl, not the pot, so the broth never turns bitter.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 8 min · Cook: 22 min · Total: 30 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups thin noodles
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring the broth, carrots, celery and onion to a boil in a large pot.
2. Turn the heat down and simmer the vegetables for 7 minutes, until tender.
3. Add the noodles and boil for 6 minutes, until tender but still a little firm.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the shredded chicken, olive oil, thyme and lemon zest.
5. Taste the broth and add the lemon juice a spoonful at a time until it is bright without being sharp.
6. Add the parsley and black pepper, and serve immediately.

Tip: Add the lemon juice after the heat is off. Boiling lemon juice for more than a minute dulls its aroma and leaves the broth tasting flat, even with more juice added later.

Swap it: Use flat-leaf parsley and add a few fresh dill sprigs at the table. A cup of orzo works in place of the noodles, though it releases more starch and thickens the broth.

Storage: 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently and squeeze a little fresh lemon over each bowl at the end, because the acid fades after a day in the container.

8. Chicken Noodle Soup with rice noodles

Rice noodles give you the lightest, cleanest bowl on this list, and they are the easy pick if anyone at the table avoids gluten. Cook them on their own, and the broth stays clear and full-bodied.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 6 min · Cook: 19 min · Total: 25 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces flat rice noodles
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Bring the broth, carrots, ginger and garlic to a boil, then simmer for 6 minutes until the carrots are barely tender.
2. Strain the broth into a clean pot, pressing on the ginger and garlic to get all the flavor out.
3. Cook the rice noodles in a separate pot of boiling water for the time printed on the package, usually 4 to 6 minutes for wide noodles.
4. Strain the noodles and rinse them under cold water for 5 seconds to stop them from sticking.
5. Return the broth to a simmer and stir in the shredded chicken, soy sauce and sesame oil.
6. Divide the drained noodles among 6 bowls, then ladle the hot broth and carrots over the top.
7. Finish each bowl with scallions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Tip: Never simmer rice noodles in the soup broth. They release starch as they cook, and by the time you serve it the broth has turned cloudy and gluey, with noodles the texture of wet paper.

Swap it: Tamari instead of soy sauce keeps the gluten out. Soba noodles cook in about 5 minutes and bring a nutty flavor that works with the ginger.

Storage: Store the broth and chicken without the noodles, refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Drop fresh cooked noodles into each bowl while the broth reheats, or they will be soft by the second day.

9. Chicken Noodle Soup with cabbage and carrots

Cabbage is the most affordable way to fill a soup bowl, and it brings a sweetness you do not get from any other vegetable here. Add it late so it keeps some crunch.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 12 min · Cook: 28 min · Total: 40 min · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1/4 head cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cups wide egg noodles
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Bring the broth, carrots and onion to a boil in a large pot, then simmer for 6 minutes until the carrots soften.
2. Add the cubed chicken and simmer for 6 minutes, until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
3. Add the noodles and boil for 8 minutes, stirring often.
4. Turn the heat down and add the shredded cabbage.
5. Simmer for 6 minutes, until the cabbage is wilted but still has a little bite.
6. Stir in the dill, black pepper and vinegar.
7. Serve topped with the chopped scallions.

Tip: Shred the cabbage yourself. Bagged slaw is cut too fine and turns to nothing in the broth, and a sharp knife on a flat side of the cabbage wedge gives you thin, even ribbons.

Swap it: A cup of sauerkraut in place of half the cabbage brings a nice sour edge. Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the chicken for a deeper, woodier soup.

Storage: 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The cabbage softens overnight, so if you want the texture to stay, shred it fresh and scatter it over the reheated bowl.

10. Slow-Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Everything except the noodles goes in the crockpot before breakfast and cooks all day while you are out. The noodles get the last twenty minutes, and that timing is the entire recipe.

Yield: 8 servings · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 6 to 7 hrs on low · Total: 6 to 7 hrs · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups wide egg noodles
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Add the broth, chicken thighs, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf and thyme to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the chicken falls apart and reaches 165°F (74°C).
3. Use two forks to shred the chicken right in the cooker and discard the bones.
4. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the egg noodles.
5. Cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes, until the noodles are tender.
6. Stir in the parsley and black pepper, and season with salt before serving.

Tip: Do not add the noodles at the start of the day. Eight hours in a slow cooker turns them to glue, and the soup thickens past saving.

Swap it: Cook the chicken and vegetables in the crockpot on high for 4 hours if you need it sooner, then add the noodles for the last 25 minutes. Frozen peas and corn can go in during that last stretch too.

Storage: 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freeze the broth and shredded chicken without the noodles, and add fresh noodles when you reheat from frozen.

Tips for Making These

Where easy chicken noodle soup recipes from scratch usually go wrong

• Boiling instead of simmering. A hard boil emulsifies fat into the liquid and turns a clear gold broth cloudy. Bring the pot up to temperature once, then drop the heat until you only see a bubble every second or two.
• Salting too early. Broth that sits in salted liquid for an hour gets harder to flavor later. Season the finished soup, tasting as you go.
• Noodles that cook all day. Whether it is a stovetop pot or a slow cooker, add noodles at the end. Mushy noodles are the most common complaint I hear about homemade soup, and every fix comes down to timing.
• Raw chicken handled carelessly. Keep raw poultry separate from produce and ready-to-eat food, wash hands with soap after handling it, and never return marinated chicken to the same dish. Cook every recipe here to 165°F (74°C) and use a thermometer in the thickest part, not the bone.
• Skipping acid and fresh herbs. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar at the end, plus parsley, dill or cilantro stirred in off the heat, is what separates a good bowl from a flat one. It costs nothing and changes the whole soup.
• Bland broth. Low-sodium chicken broth needs more than salt. A teaspoon of better-than-bouillon paste, a chicken bouillon cube, or leaving the skin on the thighs while the broth simmers all make a measurable difference.

Leftovers deserve a note. Noodles keep drinking broth in the fridge, so store the soup and the noodles as separately as you can, and loosen everything with fresh broth on the stove. For a family with two picky eaters, the chicken and cream of mushroom soup recipes take the same shortcuts and win over the same crowd. If you are cooking for a larger group, chicken and sweet potato recipes stretch the same grocery budget further.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Cozy Chicken Noodle Soup for Every Household

Start with the classic. It teaches you the one thing that carries over to all the others: a cold pot of water, a bare simmer, and a big enough pot to leave the lid off while the broth comes to a boil. Once that feels routine, move to the creamy version for a picky table or the slow-cooker version for a day you do not want to watch a pot.

Pick from these easy chicken noodle soup recipes from scratch with the plan in mind rather than the mood: a little hotter for adults, a little brighter for a spring lunch, a bowl of leftovers that you can freeze in two minutes. Any of them beats a carton, and all ten are yours to cook from right now.