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.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Walking on Sunshine 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.
Table of Contents
- How to Cook Chicken for Soup
- What Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup?
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Top Tip
- Add and Cook the Vegetables
- Chicken Noodle Soup recipe with Elbow Macaroni
- LOVE this recipe? SAVE it for Later!
- What goes good with Chicken Soup?
- Storing and Reheating Tips
- More Delicious Soup Recipes
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments
How to Cook Chicken for Soup
Roasting: Roast chicken pieces in the oven until cooked through. This adds a depth of flavor and gives the chicken a nice texture.
Pan-frying: Quickly cook chicken in a skillet with some oil until browned and cooked through. This adds a bit of a sear and keeps the chicken moist.
Poaching: Gently simmer chicken in broth or water until cooked through. This is a great way to keep the chicken tender and moist.
Rotisserie or Leftover Roast Chicken: To make this soup even easier, use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or leftover chicken from your Sunday roast! Simply shred the meat and add it to the soup along with the cooked macaroni.
What Noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup?
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.
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.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Below is a quick preview of the ingredients you’ll need. For exact amounts, check the recipe card below. You can also use the "Shopping List button" to create a printable shopping list, or the "Get Ingredients button" in the recipe card to order groceries online.
More InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore Information
Ingredients
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
Step 1: Heat oil in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until the juices run clear, then allow the chicken to rest for 2-3 minutes before chopping into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Top Tip
If you're using a cast iron pan to cook the chicken, remember that these pans require a little extra care. Check out my tips for cleaning a cast iron skillet to ensure your pan stays in top condition and lasts for years to come.
Proper cleaning will prevent rust and maintain the pan's seasoning, which is essential for its non-stick properties and cooking performance.
Add and Cook the Vegetables
Step 2: Heat the remaining oil in a large stock pot on medium heat on the stovetop. Add the carrots, celery, and onion, stirring to coat with oil, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chicken Noodle Soup recipe with Elbow Macaroni
Step 3: Add the chicken stock, water, and a bay leaf, then increase heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, simmer for 8 minutes, then add the cooked elbow macaroni and chicken (or your favorite noodle or rice!). Stir to combine and allow everything to simmer for a few extra minutes before serving.
LOVE this recipe? SAVE it for Later!
❤️Tap the heart icon in the lower right corner to add the recipe to your recipe box for easy access anytime.
If you made it, leaving a star rating or quick review is always appreciated and helps other readers too.
Want to save this printed recipe? The Ultimate Meal Planner & Recipe Binder helps you keep recipes organized in one easy place.
What goes good with Chicken Soup?
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.
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.
Storing and Reheating Tips
Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Then store in the refrigerator in airtight containers for a few days.
Freezer: Try using these Silicone Freezer Trays to freeze leftover soup. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thawing and Reheating: 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.
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
Chicken Soup with Macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 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 directions
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh dill or parsley as garnish
Method
- 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 the cooked elbow macaroni 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.
Nutrition
Notes
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions, then add it to the cooked soup right before serving.
- 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.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!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!
Michelle says
Excellent. I’ve never used elbows for this soup before, but now they’re my son’s favorite.
Lois says
It's my family's favorite for chicken soup too! I try to use a different pasta from time to time but always come back to elbow noodles. Thanks for visiting and the 5-star review!
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!
Sfg says
Do u cook noodles first or cook it with the broth
Lois says
You cook the elbow macaroni according the package directions and then add it to the soup. It's stated in the recipe and in the recipe card. I hope you try the recipe!
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!