Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (The BEST)

We’ve been making this homemade chicken noodle soup for years now, and a pot of it lasts about a day and a half in our house, no joke (day two is when it’s at its best, not that anybody here has ever waited). The secret ingredients, I’ll just tell you, are a Parmesan rind that simmers right along with the chicken and a spoonful of miso stirred in at the end. A friend texted me last winter just to ask what was in it! It’s from scratch, with bone-in chicken, and I still call it easy because once the pot is simmering I go do other stuff for an hour. Your kitchen will smell like thyme and white wine the entire time!

Do not forget to check out my Chefs Tips and Wine Pairings sections below for making the best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (The BEST)

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Author: David Prock

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Yield: 4 People

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This homemade chicken noodle soup from scratch starts with bone-in chicken, skin on, simmered low in stock with white wine and a Parmesan rind. Fresh thyme and rosemary go in early, and I leave the lid cracked because I like to lift it and look (you'll do the same).

Then comes my favorite part! A spoonful of miso goes in off the heat, then a little vinegar and a big handful of fresh dill, and the broth turns from good into, well, the reason I make this at all

Egg noodles cook right in the broth at the end, which means there's one pot in the sink afterward, and that's my kind of soup!

Ingredients

For the Broth Base:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil, or a mix with butter
• ▢ 1 large Vidalia onion, diced
• ▢ 2 ribs celery, diced
• ▢ 2 large carrots, diced
• ▢ 1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced and rinsed
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons diced or crushed tomatoes
• ▢ ¼ cup dry white wine, e.g., Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, for subtle warmth

For the Stock:

• ▢ 7 cups low-sodium chicken stock or homemade broth
• ▢ 1 Parmesan rind
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• ▢ 1 small sprig fresh rosemary, or a pinch dried
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Protein:

• ▢ 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken (mix of thighs and breasts preferred)
• ▢ Optional: shredded rotisserie chicken, for convenience, with less depth

Noodles:

• ▢ 2 cups broad egg noodles, or your preferred noodle

Finishing Touches:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, optional, recommended
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white or yellow miso paste, stirred in at the end
• ▢ Fresh lemon juice, to taste (optional)

Optional Adjustment:

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, chicken flavor, added at the end only if the broth tastes flat or lacks depth

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Instructions

 

Prepare the Aromatic Base

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil (or butter/oil mix) over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, carrots, and leek. Sauté for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to take on color.
• Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and let it caramelize slightly for about 1 minute.
• Add the crushed tomato and cook for another minute. Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.

Build the Broth and Cook the Chicken

• Add the chicken stock, Parmesan rind, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken pieces into the pot, submerging them fully in the broth. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a full boil), then reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and very tender.
• Remove and Shred the Chicken
• Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Let it cool slightly, then discard the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
• While the chicken cools, skim excess fat from the broth if desired. Remove and discard the Parmesan rind, bay leaf, and herb stems.

Cook the Noodles

• Add the egg noodles to the simmering broth and cook until just tender, about 6–8 minutes. If making ahead, cook the noodles separately to prevent them from getting mushy.
• Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine.

Finish and Adjust

• Stir in the fresh parsley and dill. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and white wine vinegar.
• In a small bowl or ladle, dissolve the miso paste in a few tablespoons of hot broth, then stir it into the pot. Do not boil after adding miso.
• Taste one final time. If the broth lacks savoriness, add a small amount (½ to 1 teaspoon) of Better Than Bouillon.
• Add a splash of lemon juice at the end, if desired, to brighten.

Serve

• Ladle the soup into warm bowls

Calories: 502kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 133mg, Sodium: 231mg, Potassium: 956mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 5789IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 94mg, Iron: 3mg

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Chicken Noodle Soup: A Little History

Chicken soup is old, REALLY old. Maimonides, who was a rabbi and a doctor, was telling people to eat it back in the 12th century (a doctor prescribing soup, I love that), and cooks in China and Greece had been simmering birds in water long before him. Here in America the Jewish tradition is the one I grew up hearing about, and it’s where the nickname Jewish penicillin comes from.

The name came much later, and by accident. Blame a radio ad. In 1934 a Campbell’s chef named Ernest Lacoutiere came up with Noodle with Chicken, which is not the catchiest name, you have to admit. Four years later a radio personality read the copy wrong, said Chicken Noodle on the air, and people started asking for it by the wrong name!

So the wrong name won. Andy Warhol was painting it by 1962, one of his thirty-two cans, which is a pretty good run for a flubbed line.

I read up on this part: canned soup gets cooked again after it’s sealed, hot enough to sit safely on a shelf for years, and that second cooking is what turns the noodles so soft. The grandmother version, the traditional one, only ever had to last until Monday. That’s the one this recipe goes back to, with bone-in chicken and fresh herbs, plus a Parmesan rind and some miso that no grandmother I know of ever used.

It’s a strange loop. Somebody simplifies a dish so it fits in a can, and ninety years later somebody else spends a Sunday putting it all back.

What Makes This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Different

I have cooked chicken noodle soup for years and I never really understood what it was missing. It was always fine, good when you wanted something warm when it’s cold out, but the broth just… didn’t have it. That fullness, where you want to drink it straight from the bowl. There were three main things ended up fixing it. Bone-in chicken with the skin still on (not boneless, that was the mistake). A Parmesan rind sitting in the broth, just simmering away the entire time. And white miso, but only at the end, only when the heat’s off.

The bone-in chicken, that was the big discovery. Collagen and gelatin from the bones and the skin change the broth consistency and naturally thicken it. It does not get heavy though. The Parmesan rind does its own thing, dissolving slowly into this savory, nutty something-or-other (believe me, you want it in there). And miso, look, I tried adding it earlier once and the entire pot went bitter on me. Lesson learned. Stir it in at the end and it just… completes the broth somehow.

And boy, the rest is where we break out into greatness, I’m not kidding! Leeks AND Vidalia onion together. Tomato paste browned until it gets dark and kind of sticks to the pot (don’t skip this part). White wine to get all those browned bits up off the bottom. Thyme and rosemary. Dill and parsley right at the finish. Oh and a splash of vinegar before you serve, almost forgot that, gives you a nice acidic bite. This is the chicken noodle soup from scratch that made me quit doing it any other way.

How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Step 1: Start the Broth

1. Soften the Vegetables: Olive oil, then the onion, celery, carrots, and leek, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. The garlic goes in for the last 30 seconds, just until you can smell it from the next room.
2. Tomato Paste and Wine: Stir the tomato paste in and give it a full minute to darken a shade, then the crushed tomato for another minute. Pour in the wine, scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom, and let it cook down by half, about 2 minutes.
3. Stock, Rind, Herbs, Chicken: The stock, Parmesan rind, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and a good pinch of salt and pepper go in, then the chicken, pushed down under the broth. Bring it to a bare simmer, set the lid half on, and give it 45 to 60 minutes.

Step 2: Shred Chicken and Cook Noodles

1. Shred: Pull the chicken out onto a board and let it cool until you can handle it. Skin and bones go in the trash, and the meat gets shredded with two forks.
2. Skim and Fish Out: Skim off as much fat as you like (I leave some, it’s flavor), and fish out the rind, bay leaf, and herb stems.
3. Noodles, Then Chicken: Egg noodles go into the simmering broth for 6 to 8 minutes, until just tender, and then the chicken goes back in. If you’re making it ahead, cook the noodles separately, or they’ll be mush by lunch tomorrow.

Step 3: Finish and Serve

1. Herbs and Acid: Parsley, dill, and the vinegar go in now.
2. Miso Last: Whisk the miso into a ladle of hot broth first so it won’t clump on you, then stir it in with the heat off.
3. Taste and Fix: Salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon if it wants it. Still tasting flat, a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon fixes it, and the Flavor Adjustment Guide below has more.
4. Serve: Serve hot, preferably in wide bowls with deep spoons.

Make-Ahead & Storage for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

• Make it a day early. The broth and the chicken can be made a day or two ahead, and I’d almost tell you to. Overnight in the fridge the broth sets up wobbly like Jell-O (that’s the collagen from the bones, a good sign). Any fat on top turns into a pale lid you can lift right off with a spoon. Day-two soup is the best soup!
• Keep the noodles out of it. The first winter I made this, I left the noodles in the pot overnight and found out they drink up the broth and swell into a soft, bloated mess… completely awful! Cook them separately, stir them with a little olive oil, and put them in their own container. They go into the bowl when you reheat.
• In the fridge. Put the soup in airtight containers once it has cooled. It’s good for as much as 4 days, and the plain noodles for about 3. Reheat it over medium-low with a splash of stock, since the broth will have thickened up in the cold.
• In the freezer. Freeze the broth and chicken without noodles, and it’s good for as much as 3 months. Leave an inch of room at the top, because soup expands, and I have a cracked deli container in the recycling to prove it. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and cook fresh noodles the night you eat it!
• The Garnish Rule. Fresh dill and parsley wait until the soup is hot again. Frozen dill comes back tasting like lawn clippings. A last splash of vinegar or lemon wakes the reheated pot right back up, too!
• Meal Prep Tip. On Sunday, I portion the broth and chicken into quart containers. On a Tuesday night one goes back on the stove, and I drop in a handful of noodles for 7 minutes while I set the table. I make a double batch now, no regrets!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Upgrades and Variations

I’ve messed with this pot more than any sane person should. A few experiments were duds (a cinnamon stick, don’t ask), and these are the keepers.

• Roast the Chicken First: Salt the bone-in pieces and give them about 25 minutes at 425°F, just until the skin crackles when you poke it. Then they go into the broth to finish, and the soup comes out a shade darker, tasting a little like the bottom of a roasting pan (the good part). It’s the same browning restaurants lean on.
• Parmesan Broth Cubes: Start hoarding your Parmesan rinds now, you’ll thank me in February. I freeze mine in an ice cube tray with a splash of stock, a sliver of garlic, and a couple of thyme leaves, and one cube goes into the pot while the broth bubbles. My freezer door is half Parmesan cubes at this point.
• Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup: Do the vegetables, tomato paste, and wine on the stove first, it’s ten minutes and it matters. Then the stock, rind, herbs, and chicken go in on LOW for 6 to 7 hours. Shred the chicken, crank it to HIGH, and the noodles need about 20 minutes with the lid on. Crockpot chicken noodle soup, same deal, and yes, I still call mine a crockpot.
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup: Sauté setting for the vegetables, paste, and wine, then the stock, rind, herbs, and chicken, 15 minutes at high pressure with a 10-minute natural release. Shred, then back to sauté for the noodles, 5 or 6 minutes. It’s fast, and I’ll admit the broth is a little less jiggly the next day.
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup: Stir ½ cup of heavy cream in with the miso, heat off. It lands somewhere between chicken noodle soup and pot pie filling, and I don’t mind that one bit.
• Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut: Short on time, simmer the stock with the vegetables, rind, and herbs for 20 minutes, then stir in shredded rotisserie chicken along with the noodles. Less depth, I won’t pretend otherwise, and it’s still dinner in 40 minutes.
• Homemade Egg Noodles: About a cup of flour per egg and a pinch of salt, kneaded smooth, rested 30 minutes, rolled thin, and cut into wide ribbons. Fresh ones cook in 3 to 4 minutes. Mine come out lumpy and uneven, and they’re still my favorite thing to do on a slow Saturday.

Chef’s Tips for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

• Season It Twice: A small pinch of salt when the stock goes in, and the real seasoning at the very end. The rind and the miso are both salty.
• Rinse the Leeks After You Slice Them: Leeks are dirty, REALLY dirty. Slice them, give them a bath in a big bowl of cold water, and lift them out with your hands. You’ll see the grit sitting at the bottom and feel very smart about it!
• Skim in the First Ten Minutes: When the chicken first comes up to a simmer, a gray foam collects on top. I stand there with a ladle and my coffee and spoon it off while it’s still in one place.
• Rest the Chicken Before You Shred: Five to ten minutes on the board. Shred it straight out of the pot and the juice runs all over the cutting board, and your fingertips pay for it too (mine can confirm).
• Dried Herbs in a Pinch: Fresh is better, no contest. No fresh thyme, no problem, a teaspoon of dried covers a tablespoon of fresh. Dried dill though.. nope, I skip it!
• Cut the Vegetables Spoon-Sized: Carrots, celery, and onion, diced small, chickpea small. You want chicken, carrot, and a noodle on the same spoon.

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Flavor Adjustment Guide for Your Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

The broth is where it all lives in this soup, and here’s how to improve chicken noodle soup if something’s not right.

• Thin or Bland Broth: Let it simmer uncovered for a while longer and it will reduce and concentrate on its own. If you’re in a hurry, a small spoonful of Better Than Bouillon will get you there but I’d rather let it reduce if you have the time.
• Too Salty: Add more stock, unsalted if you have it. A splash of vinegar can help too because acid has a way of pulling the focus away from salt without removing it. Weird but true.
• Missing Depth: More miso, stirred in off the heat. Or the Parmesan rind didn’t get enough time… try simmering a second one if you have it. And honestly check your tomato paste, if you didn’t let it caramelize long enough that’s usually where the flatness comes from.
• Too Heavy or Rich: More acid. Vinegar first, then lemon. A little goes a long way but this is the fix almost always. The broth should feel rich but not sit in your stomach like a brick.
• Herbs Taste Like Nothing: Dried herbs from a jar will do that. Fresh is the way to go with this soup. And timing matters, thyme and rosemary go in early with the broth, dill and parsley at the very end right before serving. If you put the dill in too early it basically disappears.
• Mushy Noodles: Can’t undo this one unfortunately. Next time cook them separately if you’re not serving everything right away, or pull them when they’re still a little firm because they keep cooking in the hot broth. I’ve made this mistake more than once and it’s really frustrating!!

Key Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

• Leeks: Sweeter and softer than onions alone, and less funk than garlic or onions. Use the white and light green parts only, and rinse them well because they hide dirt between the layers like you wouldn’t believe.
• Tomato Paste: Just a tablespoon or two. Get the kind in the tube, not the can, because you’ll never use up a can and the tube keeps for weeks in the fridge. This is one of those ingredients where the brand matters less than what you do with it… caramelize it.
• Parmesan Rind: Save these when you finish a block of Parmesan. I keep a bag of them in the freezer specifically for soups like this. If you don’t have one, ask at the deli counter, a lot of places will sell or even give you rinds.
• White Wine: Dry and crisp, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Don’t use cooking wine from the grocery store, it’s loaded with salt and it tastes like it. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t put it in your soup.
• Fresh Herbs (Especially Dill): Dried herbs from a plastic bottle are only a backup here. Fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, fresh dill, fresh parsley. The dill especially is what gives this soup its personality and there is no dried substitute that comes close. If you’re wondering what herbs go in chicken noodle soup, it’s these four plus a bay leaf, and the dill is my favorite of the bunch.
• Miso Paste: White or yellow, either works. You can find it in the refrigerated section near the tofu. A little tub lasts forever and once you start using it in soups you’ll want it in all your soups. Make sure you stir it in at the end off the heat, that’s the rule.
• White Wine Vinegar or Lemon Juice: Just a splash at the very end. You’re not trying to make the soup taste sour, you’re trying to wake it up. Start small and taste as you go because too much acid will take over and you can’t walk it back.

Wine Pairings

Chenin Blanc (Loire Valley, France)
Why it Works: Chenin Blanc offers crisp acidity and subtle texture that lift the broth’s richness without clashing with dill or miso. Its waxy mouthfeel harmonizes beautifully with the soup’s silky stock.
Tasting Notes: Yellow apple, lanolin, chamomile, wet stone
Suggested Label: Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec

Soave Classico (Veneto, Italy)
Why it Works: Soave brings clean minerality and a gentle almond edge that echoes the parmesan-miso broth. It’s an understated amplifier of herbal and savory layers.
Tasting Notes: Lemon peel, almond skin, white flowers, crushed rock
Suggested Label: Pieropan Soave Classico

Grüner Veltliner (Austria)
Why it Works: Grüner’s zippy acidity and peppery snap brighten each spoonful. It balances the soup’s richness while mirroring its herbaceous freshness.
Tasting Notes: Lime, white pepper, snap pea, flint
Suggested Label: Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Terrassen

Vermentino (Liguria or Sardinia, Italy)
Why it Works: Vermentino offers a salty tang and bitter herbal lift that complements thyme, bay, and broth depth. Its lean texture keeps the pairing crisp.
Tasting Notes: Citrus pith, green olive, sea spray, bitter herbs
Suggested Label: Capichera Vermentino di Sardegna

Etna Bianco (Sicily, Italy)
Why it Works: Etna Bianco’s volcanic minerality and restrained stone fruit echo the soup’s savory complexity without overpowering delicate aromatics.
Tasting Notes: White peach, fennel, flint, lemon zest
Suggested Label: Benanti Etna Bianco

Faq’s

Equipment You’ll Need for This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

• Dutch Oven or Heavy-Bottomed Pot: This is a one-pot soup so the pot matters. You need something big enough to hold the chicken submerged in broth with room to spare. Heavy bottom keeps the heat even so nothing scorches while it simmers.
• Sharp Chef’s Knife: You’re doing a lot of dicing here, onion, leek, celery, carrots, garlic, herbs. A dull knife makes this take twice as long and bruises the parsley.
• Cutting Board: Get a big one out, you’ve got a lot of prep to get through before anything goes in the pot
• Tongs: For getting the chicken in and out of the hot broth without it falling apart on you. A fork won’t cut it once the meat is tender.
• Ladle: For serving and for skimming fat off the top of the broth if you want to. A deep one works best.
• Strainer or Slotted Spoon: For fishing out the Parmesan rind, bay leaf, and herb stems before serving. You don’t want anyone finding a rosemary twig in their bowl.
• Small Bowl: For dissolving the miso paste in a little hot broth before it goes into the pot. Skip this step and you get miso clumps, which is not what we’re after.
• Measuring Spoons and Cups: The broth ratio and the miso amount matter. This isn’t a dump-and-stir situation, at least not for those two.

Related Recipes You’ll Love:

Delicious Hungarian Mushroom Soup — Another from-scratch soup, this one with paprika, dill, and a big spoonful of sour cream.

Deep & Creamy Beef Stroganoff — The other thing I make when it’s cold out and I want a pile of egg noodles.

Incredible Chicken Marsala Recipe — If you liked what the white wine does in this pot, wait until you see what Marsala does in a pan sauce.

Marry Me Chicken Recipe — Creamy sun-dried tomato chicken, and it’s my go-to on a busy weeknight.

Our House Favorite Chicken Parmesan — Same chicken, same Parmesan habit, completely different direction. An Italian direction!