This simple classic chicken noodle soup can be made in a crock pot or on the stovetop—get a great homemade taste with this Betty Crocker inspired recipe. Bring on the cold weather; I'm ready now.
Introduction
A warm and comforting soup with chunks of chicken with lots of vegetables and noodles is just like grandma would make since it is from her recipe.
I love simple, really simple. This recipe is right up my alley: no precooking things and no taking the chicken out of the pot to cut it up.
I read multiple recipes as usual, but I ultimately used my wife's favorite recipe and added a conversion to a crock pot. The original source is the 1972 Betty Crocker Cookbook.
My Rating
A very nice chicken soup. But since it is just chicken soup, it can only be a 4.
🐓The Chicken
I tend to use skinless boneless chicken breasts for everything. But boneless chicken thighs would work great here.
I also do cubed chicken here. But if you want shredded chicken, put the whole breasts in the crock pot (not frozen), and at the 3-hour mark when adding the noodles, remove the chicken, shred and place back into the crock pot.
You can also use pre-cooked chicken and add it with the noodles.
👨🍳Variations
The recipe, as stated in very good. I like a lot of meat and veggies in my soup.
If you want more soup with lots of broth, add another 14 oz can of chicken broth. Most of you will want the extra broth.
If you want a lot of noodles, add the can of broth plus ½ cup more of noodles. Don't add the extra noodles without the broth, or you won't have any broth left.
♨️Crock Pot Version
This fits nicely in a 3-½-quart crock pot. You can cook this recipe in a larger crock pot, and you could double the size if using the larger crock pot.
I only cooked this on low. Most crock pot recipes cut the time in half if cooked on high. I'm not convinced that would work well here. The veggies took the whole 4 hours, and I don't know the effect on the timing of the noodles. If you try it, please comment on the results.
♨️Stovetop Version
To do this on the stovetop, add everything but noodles to a Dutch oven and simmer for 1-½ hours until carrots are tender and chicken is 165°. If doing whole raw chicken, remove and shred at this point.
If using pre-cooked chicken, then add at this point. Bring to boil and cook noodles per package instructions.
✔️Tips
The Pasta
I suggest commercial egg noodles and my timing reflects that. If you use a non-standard pasta, especially if it has a quick cooking time, you need to assume my time estimates are incorrect and start watching your pasta starting at about the time suggested on the package.
Even with the commercial egg noodles, check them a few times during the cooking.
Storage
Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. The pasta will absorb some of the fluid during that time and may need some added broth. If you are planning on freezing part of this, I suggest removing that amount before adding the pasta. It will freeze well for 3-4 months.
📖"Comfort Food" Soups
Easy One Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Old Fashion Vegetable Beef Soup
Easy Crock Pot French Onion Soup
Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
This is a four to six serving recipe. You can cut in half easily, but you want a few leftovers.
Peel and cut two carrots into medallions, medium onion chopped, and slice two ribs of celery.
Trim and cut two skinless boneless chicken breasts into cubes. From this point on, the instructions are for the crock pot version. See the Pro Tips in the recipe card for stovetop instructions.
Add the chicken and veggies to a small slow cooker (3 ½ qt.). Add 32 oz of chicken broth or stock, one bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. one 14 oz can more of broth if you want a lot of liquid in your soup. Most of you will want this extra broth. Cook on low for 4 hours in the crock pot.
After the first 3 hours in the crock pot, add 1 ½ cups of dry noodles and let cook for the final hour. If you like a lot of noodles, add another ½ cup of noodles BUT do not do this without adding more broth from the previous instruction. I suggest standard commercial egg noodles. Please check the pasta every 15 minutes until done. If you use non-standard pasta, you should check the pasta more frequently.
📖Recipe
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - 1 to 1 ½ pounds and may use thighs
- 32-48 oz chicken broth - see recpe notes
- 2 carrots
- 2 ribs celery
- 1 onion - medium
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ cup dry noodles - see recipe notes
Instructions
- This is a four to six serving recipe. You can cut in half easily, but you want a few leftovers.
- Peel and cut two carrots into medallions, medium onion chopped, and slice two ribs of celery.
- Trim and cut two skinless boneless chicken breasts into cubes. From this point on, the instructions are for the crock pot version. See the Pro Tips in the recipe card for stovetop instructions.
- Add the chicken and veggies to a small slow cooker (3 ½ qt.). Add 32 oz of chicken broth or stock, one bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. one 14 oz can more of broth if you want a lot of liquid in your soup. Most of you will want this extra broth. Cook on low for 4 hours in the crock pot.
- After the first 3 hours in the crock pot, add 1 ½ cups of dry noodles and let cook for the final hour. If you like a lot of noodles, add another ½ cup of noodles BUT do not do this without adding more broth from the previous instruction. I suggest standard commercial egg noodles. Please check the pasta every 15 minutes until done. If you use non-standard pasta, you should check the pasta more frequently.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You may use skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts. You will want 1 to 1 ½ pounds of either.
- If you want shredded chicken, add it not cut up and remove to shred at the three-hour mark and add it back in with the noodles.
- If using precooked chicken, add it with the noodles.
- I suggest commercial egg noodles and my timing reflects that. If you use a non-standard pasta, especially if it has a quick cooking time, you need to assume my time estimates are incorrect and start watching your pasta starting at about the time suggested on the package.
- Even with the commercial egg noodles, check them a few times during the cooking.
- We like chicken noodle soup with lots of "stuff." The recipe as written is great. Most of you will want 48 oz of broth in this recipe.
- Second, if you are a big noodle person, you can add another ½ cup of noodles BUT do not do this without adding the additional broth, or it will absorb most the broth.
- This fits nicely in a 3 ½ qt crock pot. You may use a bigger pot.
- With each reheating, the noodles absorb more fluid, so you usually need more broth with each reheating.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Can be frozen but remove what you want to freeze before the noodles. Good frozen for 3-4 months.
Stovetop Version
- To do this on the stovetop, add everything but noodles to a Dutch oven and simmer for 1-½ hours until carrots are tender and chicken is 165°. If doing whole raw chicken breasts, remove and shred at this point.
- If using pre-cooked chicken then add at this point.
- Bring to boil and cook noodles per package instructions.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published November 20, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Ashley Ayres
What seasoning can be used if don't have bay leaf
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Ashley,
Welcome to the blog.
Just skip the bay leaf.
Dan
Patricia
I make a similar recipe a lot. A tip is to cook pasta separate and add to each individual serving. Keeps broth from being all soaked up especially if you have leftovers.
Lonnie
I've made this several times over the past year and I always, always forget the bay leaf. In all other soups, I remember. So, I just put this together this morning to eat later and remembered the bay leaf! Yay me!
I'm wondering if you've ever used different seasonings. I love thyme and in a chicken dish, I love to add poultry seasoning. Would those two things work well in this one? I don't like changing things up unless I know it'll work.
Thanks for such a simple, wonderful tasting recipe.
JOY MARIE GRAY
Hello Dr Dan,
Made this Chicken noodle soup tonight for dinner, I loved that the recipe was so easy and I did follow it exactly. But after four hours and 10 minutes we served our dinner and the carrots were hard and the celery was semi-hard, we still enjoyed the flavor thank you for the recipe
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Joy,
Welcome to the blog.
A couple of things about the veggies not being done. Thinner cooks faster so cut thinner may help. Second, there is some variability in crock pots so you may want to check the veggies for tenderness before adding the noodles and cook a bit longer is needed.
Dan