This time of year just calls out for classic dutch oven chicken noodle soup, just how grandma makes it. This recipe is exactly what you need on a cold day: made-from-scratch flavorful broth, shredded chicken, fresh herbs, noodles, and plenty of vegetables.
I'm the crunchy mom. Sure we keep a small pharmacy of ibuprofen and vitamins in the house, but the moment someone feels even a little bad? Let me bust out the onion slices and syrup, find the Tiger Balm, make the ginger tea, and stir up the soups.
Most importantly, this soup. An old fashioned hearty chicken noodle soup, where you slow cook the tender chicken thighs and make homemade chicken stock. Sounds like a labor of love, but you'll be surprised at how easy the cooking process is.
Let the stock simmer, strain, and then cook more veggies and the wide egg noodles in the broth. That's it. She's comfort food at it's finest with delicious flavor and all the warm, cozy vibes. Y'all know I love a good ole warm bowl of chicken noodle soup!
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Origins of Chicken Noodle Soup
What's so interesting about homemade chicken soup is that literally every country, every culture has a rendition of their own chicken soup recipes.
Since they started domesticating bird in Southeast Asia and China about 10,000 years ago, chicken soup has migrated across the globe, each culture adding their own unique flavors, ingredients, and processes...but at the end of the day, they all are made with simple ingredients that turn into a hearty soup.
Why Use a Dutch Oven
A Dutch oven pot is a large, wide, heavy pot made of cast iron and often enamel coated so the cast iron doesn't react with any acidic ingredients.
In my professional (and personal) opinion, everyone should have a dutch oven in their home! Cast iron dutch oven pots are my most used in the kitchen, they're so versatile: bake bread in them, make soups and stews, sear and braise a pot roast, the list goes on.
The reason why we want to use a dutch oven here is because we are making our homemade chicken broth, where the ingredients need to maintain a consistent temperature for a long period of time so we can pull the nutrients from the chicken bones and flavor from the chicken meat and vegetables.
Ingredients
A classic chicken noodle soup recipe is simple, full of fresh ingredients, and above all...warms the soul!
High heat oil. You want a high heat oil, like grapeseed or vegetable oil, to give the chicken thighs a nice, hard sear.
Bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs. They gives us all that good-for-you collagen just hiding in those thigh bones and skin. For chicken noodle soup, I am very particular about my cuts of chicken, the meat on thighs can handle the long cooking time and still remain, tender and juicy.
Fresh thyme, bay leaves. These babies go into the broth as well, I love a well-seasoned broth full of flavor! I like taking the thyme and searing it with the soup vegetables as well.
Black peppercorns. Whole ones infuse our broth with that pepperiness, and of course we are seasoning everything with it.
Yellow onions, carrots, and celery. The classic mirepoix ingredients, it's a must for American style chicken noodle soup, we use them in both the broth and the soup itself. We give all of these a good sear which not only makes the broth a beautiful golden brown, but also brings out the sweetness in the carrots.
A whole head of garlic. If you're not a garlic fan, you can omit them or use garlic powder instead.
Egg noodles. Another chicken noodle key ingredient!
Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. This gives a much-needed acidity to the soup and apple cider vinegar is so good for you if you have a cold or just feeling a little icky.
Chicken Breast vs. Chicken Thighs vs. Whole Chicken
The type of chicken you use does affect the outcome of your chicken noodle soup.
Let's be honest here: boneless, skinless chicken breast will offer nothing to your broth and only dry, crumbly chicken meat to your soup. Bone-in chicken breast offers basically the same thing.
Using a whole chicken is the old fashioned way to do it, and the chicken bones will give us a stock full of body, but the different cuts of chicken cook at different rates and the breasts will come out drier instead of juicy.
This is why I like chicken thighs the best for chicken soups. The thigh bones hold plenty of collagen, the fat holds plenty of flavor, and the meat can handle long cooking times.
Instructions
The full recipe is down below in the printable recipe card for measurements.
This is all done on the stove top in a large dutch oven, a one pan plan kind of meal (my favorite kind of meal!).
First, sear the chicken thighs in the pot. And I mean sear those babies. You want the skin really well-seared so there's a ton of fat in the pan. Make sure to do it in batches if you cannot fit all the thighs in the pan in one layer.
Afterward, sear the vegetables on medium heat. Remember to only use half the veggies. The other half will be sliced smaller for eating and seared later.
Get that head of garlic seared, too. The browning will give you that classic garlic flavor you're looking for instead of disappearing while it simmers in the broth.
Pour in your cold water, add the thighs back, and simmer that baby for an hour and a half.
When time's up, congrats! It's time to strain. Pull out the chicken and let it cool so you can shred them, then (pro secret) line a mesh strainer with paper towels. As you strain, the paper towels will catch the majority of the fat in the broth.
KEEP THAT FAT, pour it into a container. Use it to sear the sliced vegetables for the soup, which is the next step. You can of course toss it and use olive oil if you wanted, but we're doing this old fashioned-style. That fat holds tons of flavor.
So sear the thinly sliced veggies until they're gaining some nice golden brown color, then add the broth back and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Now add the cooked chicken back to the soup with the egg noodles and cook them until al dente.
And what's better with soup than crusty bread? I'll wait.
Variations and Tips for the Best Chicken Noodle Soup
The type of noodles you use are really up to you, but taking some cultural cues with Jewish matzo balls, fluffy Southern drop dumplings, white rice, vermicelli, tortellini or others is not a bad idea! Use your favorite noodles!
Add in some different additions like toasted sesame oil, chili crisp, aromatic oils, mushrooms, ginger, really the sky's the limit!
Turn this into a weeknight meal by foregoing the chicken broth steps and using low sodium chicken broth. I love using chicken base over the canned chicken broth or bouillon cubes, it has so much flavor!
Make creamy chicken noodle soup by adding a hearty little dose of heavy cream. Now that's a rich and inviting meal!
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.Keep in mind that the noodles will absorb more broth and get more mushy as a leftover.
Reheat this soup in the microwave or by returning it to the soup pot and heating on the stove top.
How to Freeze
If you're making chicken noodle soup as a freezer meal (great idea!) make the soup as directed, but don't add the noodles.
Cool it to room temperature, and then transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip top/vacuum seal bag. Remove all air from the bag, if using, label it with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating Instructions
Put the frozen soup in the fridge and allow to thaw overnight to a day ahead of time OR place into a sous vide safe bag.
Place the thawed soup in a pot and cook on the stove top until thoroughly heated.
Add the uncooked noodles and cook until al dente. Serve hot!
FAQ
If you're looking to make this a weeknight dinner, absolutely use leftover chicken! The bones from the rotisserie chicken can be used to make the stock, so you don't have to sear the meat!
You totally can, it'll just taste less chicken-y.
More Cozy Soups
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Tomato Soup (better than Campbell's!)
- Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- Avgolemono Soup
- French Onion Soup
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📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
This time of year just calls out for classic dutch oven chicken noodle soup, just how grandma makes it. This recipe is exactly what you need on a cold day: made-from-scratch flavorful broth, shredded chicken, fresh herbs, noodles, and plenty of vegetables.
Ingredients
Homemade Chicken Broth
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ½ large yellow onion, quartered
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 2 celery ribs, washed and chopped in half
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups cold water
- Capful of apple cider vinegar (2 tsp)
Chicken Noodle Soup
- ½ large onion, small diced
- 2 celery stalks, washed and sliced ¼ inch pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch coins
- 12 ounces dried egg noodles
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the Chicken Broth
- In a large dutch oven pot, heat the oil and butter over medium high heat until the fat is shimmering hot.
- Pat the chicken thighs' skin dry with a paper towel, then season generously with salt and pepper. Place the thighs skin-side down in the hot oil and sear for 3-4 minutes, until the skin is crispy and golden brown.
- Flip the chicken over and sear the meat for another 3-4 minutes, until there is a golden brown crust. Remove them from the pan and place onto a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the quartered onion, celery, carrots, halved garlic head, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Sear until the vegetables gain some color, for 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in the cold water and the apple cider, then add the chicken thighs back to the pot.
- Let the broth come to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
- After the 90 minutes are up, remove the chicken thighs with tongs to let cool enough to shred, and carefully strain the chicken broth into a wire mesh strainer lined with paper towels over a large mixing bowl. Try to keep the vegetables in the bowl so the fat and liquid fall into the paper towels (only if you're using the fat in the next steps).
- Set aside. Transfer the fat from the paper towels into a small container, if using.
Make the Chicken Noodle Soup
- Add the chicken fat back into the dutch oven and turn the heat to medium heat.
- Toss in the diced onion, sliced celery, and sliced carrots into the pot. Give them a teaspoon of kosher salt, then sauté for 4-5 minutes to gain some brown color.
- Add the broth back to the pot and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the vegetables are simmering, shred the cooked chicken and discard the skin and bones.
- After the 10 minutes are up, add the shredded chicken and egg noodles to the soup. Turn the temperature up to medium high and cook the noodles until al dente according to package directions.
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot in soup bowls with crusty bread.
Notes
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.Keep in mind that the noodles will absorb more broth and get more mushy as a leftover.
Reheat this soup in the microwave or by returning it to the soup pot and heating on the stove top.
How to Freeze
If you're making chicken noodle soup as a freezer meal (great idea!) make the soup as directed, but don't add the noodles.
Cool it to room temperature, and then transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip top/vacuum seal bag. Remove all air from the bag, if using, label it with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating Instructions
Put the frozen soup in the fridge and allow to thaw overnight to a day ahead of time OR place into a sous vide safe bag
Place the thawed soup in a pot and cook on the stove top until thoroughly heated.
Add the uncooked noodles and cook until al dente. Serve hot!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 253Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 266mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 18g
All nutrition facts are estimations. Please see a physician for any health-related inquiries.
Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.
Teri says
Love the fact that you used chicken thighs for this recipe, they are so delicious. Saving this one, as I know we will need it.
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says
My mama always told us that chicken soup heals a cold because "there is actually stuff in there to make you feel better." She never did say what the "stuff" was but I agree with you - it' works! This recipe is absolutely one to keep on hand!
Cindy @ The Sweet Nerd says
Homemade ginger ale too? I feel like maybe your family feigns illness just to get your delicious sick treatment. The soup looks divine.
Dana says
Chicken noodle soup is one of my favorites! This recipe looks amazing and delicious. I love how hearty it is!
Annissa says
This chicken noodle soup looks so hearty and comforting! Lovely photos!
Rae says
There are some soups in life that are basically a necessity in order for one to recover from an illness. Chicken noodle is one of those soups, and nothing beats homemade chicken noodle soup.