Bursting with flavor and nourishing ingredients, this recipe for chicken soup with macaroni will bring warm you up even on the chilliest of days.
Made with tender chicken, vegetables, and herbs, each spoonful is a taste of pure comfort!
Whether you're sick with a cold and need a soul-soothing meal, or simply craving a bowl of goodness, comforting chicken soup is the answer.
Let me show you how to make another one of my favorite Best Fall Soup Recipes.
This is one of the earlier recipes I shared on my blog. I've been making this recipe for Homemade Chicken Soup for years. And I'm so glad that I finally got around to updating the photos and the post.
There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup and a few grilled cheese sandwiches...all year round!
Looking for more soup recipes to add to your Weekly Meal Plan? Try my Broccoli Cheese Soup Panera Bread Copycat recipe, my Loaded Potato Soup or even Italian Penicillin Soup served with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Another idea for serving soup for dinner are Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup or try this recipe for Buttercup Squash Soup that's low-carb, and gluten-free.
Table of Contents
- What Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup?
- 🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools
- 📋Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- How to Cook Chicken for Soup
- Top Tip
- Add and Cook the Vegetables
- Chicken Noodle Soup recipe with Elbow Macaroni
- Before You Begin!
- Serving Tips
- Storage Tips
- Freezing Tips
- Thawing and Reheating Tips
- 🌟More Delicious Soup Recipes
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments
What Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup?
- Egg noodles are a classic choice for chicken noodle soup.
- Wide noodles such as fettuccine, can be a delicious option for chicken noodle soup. These broad noodles provide a hearty bite and hold up well in the broth.
- Thin noodles like angel hair or vermicelli, are delicate and cook quickly. They add a light and tender element to the soup, allowing the flavors of the chicken and broth to shine through.
- Rice noodles are a gluten-free option if you enjoy a lighter noodle. They are thin, translucent, and have a delicate texture that pairs well with the chicken and vegetables.
- Elbow macaroni are my family's choice of noodle.
- Potato gnocchi are pillowy-soft dumplings made from potatoes, flour, and eggs add a rich and hearty element to the soup. As the gnocchi cook in the simmering broth, they absorb the flavors, becoming tender and infused with the savory essence of the chicken.
🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools
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📋Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
- Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Carrots, peeled and diced
- Celery, about 3 stalks, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- Canned chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- Bay leaf
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni noodles; cooked according to package
- Fresh dill or parsley as garnish
Substitutions and Variations
- You can use a rotisserie chicken if you don't have time to cook.
- I sometimes like to cook my chicken in the crock pot and then dice it up to add to the soup. Leftover roast chicken is great too!
- Try this recipe for Homemade Chicken Stock if you prefer not to use canned broth.
- My family loves elbow pasta, but my favorite is to add cooked cheese tortellini or even cooked potato gnocchi.
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Cook Chicken for Soup
- Step 1: Heat oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown both sides and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2: Cook the chicken until the juices run clear. Allow chicken to rest for 2-3 minutes before chopping into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
Top Tip
If using a cast iron pan to cook the chicken in, make sure you check out my tips for cleaning a cast iron skillet here.
Add and Cook the Vegetables
- Step 3: Heat a large stock pot on medium heat on top of the stove. Add the remaining oil.
- Step 4: Then add carrots, celery and onion to the stock pot – and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chicken Noodle Soup recipe with Elbow Macaroni
- Step 5: Add the chicken stock, water and a bay leaf.
- Step 6: Adjust heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, adjust heat to a medium-low temperature and simmer soup for 8 minutes.
- Step 7: Add the cooked elbow macaroni and chicken. You can use your favorite noodle or rice!
- Step 8: Stir to combine and allow everything to simmer for a few extra minutes before serving.
Before You Begin!
If you make this recipe, please leave a review and star rating. This helps my business thrive and continue providing FREE recipes.
Serving Tips
- Serve this easy homemade chicken soup hot, garnished with fresh dill or chopped parsley. I like to also serve this recipe with homemade biscuits or a simple grilled cheese sandwich.
- You can even serve this soup in bread bowls as a fun presentation. This soup is a meal in itself because of the vegetables and pasta.
Storage Tips
- Allow the soup to cool to room temperature.
- Then store in the refrigerator in airtight containers for a few days.
Freezing Tips
- Try using these Silicone Freezer Trays to freeze leftover soup.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- PERFECT PORTION CONTROL SOUP STORAGE: Each cavity has the ½cup, 1-cup, 125 mL and 250 mL measurements marked inside. This is a neat way to freeze in accurate size portions. Soup freezer tray is perfect for batch cooking and having leftovers frozen for later use. Freezer soup containers is a must for anyone who batch cooks soup or broth.
Thawing and Reheating Tips
- When you're ready to enjoy the soup, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight.
- Once the soup is thawed, you can reheat it on the stovetop or reheat it in the microwave in a microwave-proof bowl.
- Simple Moder Style - Soild color with simle modern nordic stripe design, comes with a food grade PP lid which has a expiration reminder function button, which can be used as a time dial and a vent valve. It's suitable for instant noodels, soup cereal or saving food in Refrigerator.
🌟More Delicious Soup Recipes
- My husband loves when this recipe for French Onion Soup is on our meal plan. Check out the VIDEO as well in the post!
- Best Fall Soups - a delicious collection of soups from my site and a few of my foodie friends!
- Try my daughter's favorite hearty Pasta Fagioli Soup made in the crock pot. It's like a meal in a bowl!
- Need a recipe that's delicious and budget-friendly? Try my Potato Corn Chowder.
Stress-Free Dinners for a Whole Month!
📖 Recipe Card
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Chicken Soup with Macaroni
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 onion diced
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni noodles; cooked according to package
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh dill or parsley as garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, cooking until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Allow chicken to rest for 2-3 minutes before chopping into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
- While chicken is cooking, start the soup by heating a large stock pot on medium heat. Add oil.
- Add carrots, celery and onion to the stock pot – and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add salt, chicken stock, water and a bay leaf.
- Adjust heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, adjust heat to a medium-low temperature and simmer soup for 30 minutes before adding noodles.
- Taste broth and add salt if needed.
- Stir in chicken and continue cooking for a few minutes till everything is combined.
- Just before serving, remove the bay leaf.
- Garnish with fresh chopped dill or chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can easily prepare this soup using a rotisserie chicken or even leftover chicken from a Roast Chicken.
- Make sure you cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F. Use a digital meat thermometer to check for doneness.
This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2011 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!
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Paula Short says
I can virtually taste this! This sounds so warm and cozy. What came to mind, do you remember the Campbell's soup commercial where the boy comes in from outside like a snowman and sits down to eat his soup and melts off? That's how cozy and inviting this reminds me of.
Thanks bunches for sharing this recipe with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
Julie Briones says
So happy you shared this yummy recipe at Tuesday Turn About, Lois. I'll be featuring you recipe at this week's party! Pinned!
Lois says
Thank you so much Julie!
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
I get a huge kick out of updated, "before and after" food photography posts: they remind me that I'm not alone in my quest to go back and update horrid shots from the beginnings of my blog! This soup looks just like a warm hug in a bowl. It would also be great for using up turkey leftovers, am I right?! 😉
Lois says
I really didn't know what I was doing when I first published this recipe! Thanks for visiting Michelle!
Trisha says
I'm trying not to covet your porch....
The chicken soup sounds yummy AND easy. I've been looking for a recipe like this. I'm sure it brought the Colonel much comfort. Enjoy your beautiful snow!
Jill says
Oh I do hope the Colonel feels better soon. I'm sure that yummy soup will do the trick!
Maggie Ann says
I love staying home on cold snowy days too. You must be a wonderful cook! I do hope your Colonel is feeling better now. Our grandson has strep....hope your hubby doesn't have that. I wish time didn't fly by so quickly online...its so much fun!
Chatty Crone says
Wish we were having chicken soup. I hope and pray that Colonel gets well quick! sandie
Paula says
Ooooh~ *BRRRR* it looks so cold there! Sorry your hubby is under the weather, but I'll bet your yummy soup will help him get back on his feet again!
Elena says
So sorry to hear that your hubby is sick. I hope he feels better soon.
A Hint of Home says
Looks yummy! I hope the colonel gets better soon!
Take care not to catch it.
Hugs!
My Journey With Candida says
A nice bowl of your chicken soup would be great today. Even if I am not sick. It is cold here in Pennsylvaina.... really cold.
Sue says
Chicken soup, one of my favorite, and it seems to cure so many ills, Praying for the Colonel to feel better, and I know the soup and your TLC, will work miracles, Lois! ~smile~.
Love the snow pictures, enjoy!
Hugs,
Sue
Julie Harward says
I LOVE chicken soup when it's cold, love your snow, we still have none! Hope the hub gets better, stay warm and cozy! 😀
Christine says
the couch seems to be the best place to stay but the pictures of the snow are beautiful!
Hope the Colonel recovers soon.
Thanks so much for visiting and encouraging me!
Best wishes
Christine
Maple Lane says
I'm sorry your husband is sick. This hearty soup will be very soothing to his sore throat. We are having heavy rain and thunder in GA today and this soup would be great.
I love your snow pics. Glad you can stay in and enjoy the view.
Marti says
Hope the colonel feels better soon. Chicken soup certainly will help. Have a good weekend watching it snow.
Linda says
Sorry the Colonel is sick...but I am sure he will soon be good as new with you nursing him back to health!
Liz says
YUMMO...from your sister!