This homemade chicken noodle soup is a great home ready for a good reason. I have been under the weather for the past three days. But instead of resorting to over-the-counter medicines, I decided to go with natural remedies like a warm lemon and ginger drink (which I learned from my mom) and hearty bowls of soup. And this one right here is on top of my list ’cause my family loved it so much. When I say “LOVED”, that means we can go for days eating this soup for dinner. Not convinced yet? Read on and you’ll see why. 😉
What’s in a homemade chicken noodle soup?
Flavorful chicken broth made from scratch, tender chicken, fresh veggies and egg noodles; you’ll regret passing up a great soup like this. While I do love this Chicken Tortilla Soup and Nigeria’s Ogbono Soup (so good with pounded yam..mmm), I’d give a run for my money with this soulful chicken noodle soup. In this homemade chicken noodle soup, I decided to make the broth and soup from scratch (which we’ll talk more about later). There are also times though that I use store-bought broth, especially when pressed with time. If that’s the case, make sure to always go with low-sodium broth as they are less salty. It also has loads of chicken chunks which I used to make the broth. Again, if time doesn’t permit, feel free to use rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken. But if you want more flavors in your soup, I suggest you go with bone-in skinless chicken thighs.
And it doesn’t stop from there. You can throw in any fresh veggies you have like carrots and celery in this case here OR add broccoli florets, green beans, pumpkin, spinach and even corn kernels. For the noodles, I love the texture of egg noodles for this soup, but you can always use angel hair, thin spaghetti or any pasta you like.
How do I make the best chicken soup?
As with any soup, a good broth is always the deciding factor whether it’s a win or a flop. Making the broth from scratch is totally a game changer, resulting to a much flavorful chicken soup. I started off by sauteing celery, onions, minced garlic and bay leaf along with the seasonings to create a good base. This process will help bring out the richness of my bone-in skinless chicken thighs. The darker the meat with the bones, the stronger and richer the taste is of your soup compared to using white meat like chicken breast. As mentioned earlier, rotisserie chicken and any leftover roasted chicken or turkey works as well. Don’t worry; this recipe is extremely forgiving. So just imagine all the flavors in your broth/soup as the chicken and spices simmer in a pot. Once the chicken is cooked through, you chop them off, toss in the noodles to soak in all the goodness and throw back in the chicken meat. Simply delicious!
Feel free to adjust the taste with salt and pepper as you go along OR add in your preferred fresh or dried herbs like basil, rosemary or oregano. Also, a dash of crushed of red chili pepper flakes would be great if you want a little kick into it. Pair this warm bowl of delicious homemade chicken noodle soup with some easy homemade garlic bread, bread rolls or this moist and buttery skillet cornbread. Enjoy!
Tips and Notes:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium meat. Stir in onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf, followed by thyme, Italian seasoning, white pepper, and paprika. Saute for about 2-3 minutes until onions are wilted. Add the chicken thighs, and chicken bouillon. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add carrots and broth to cover the chicken, you top with more water. Salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 or more or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and shred the meat; discard the bones. Add shredded chicken back into the soup together with the noodles. Add water to cover noodles. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes while stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning salt, pepper and soup consistency to taste. Serve warm
