Amazing 15-Minute Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

When you’re craving that deep-down warmth that only a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles can bring, you need something real, not something from a can. I’m Jordan Bell, and I’m coming to you from Asheville, NC. I know exactly what it feels like to need comfort food that also aligns with real health goals—I’ve lost 80 pounds by focusing on making Southern comfort food clean, which is why I started the Easy Detox Recipes blog. I’m Jordan Bell, and I’m coming to you from Asheville, NC.

This isn’t some complicated, hours-long stock situation, though. This recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles is my go-to when life gets busy. It proves you don’t need artificial flavors or tons of sodium to get that rich, satisfying taste. We’re using fresh carrots, celery, and real herbs to build a hearty meal that feels like a warm hug. It’s simple, it’s honest, and trust me, it tastes like it simmered all day long.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

If you’re like me, sometimes you need dinner on the table fast, but you refuse to compromise on flavor. That’s the magic here! This Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles comes together so quickly, it’s perfect for those hectic weeknights when you need serious comfort food, stat. You get that incredible depth from the fresh herbs—no dusty spice jars here—and the entire process feels rewarding, not exhausting.

It truly is the best of both worlds: classic, soulful flavor married to my clean eating philosophy. You’re getting all the satisfaction of a slow-cooked soup without having to wait all afternoon. If you are looking for other quick comfort meals, check out my delicious white chicken lasagna soup.

Quick Prep and Cooking Times

Seriously, this is fast food done right. We’re looking at only 15 minutes of actual prep time, which is just enough time to chop your veggies while the pot heats up. Then, it’s just 35 minutes of cook time total before you’re ladling out hot bowls. You can have this on the table in under an hour!

Perfect Comfort Food Made Clean

This recipe is exactly what my Easy Detox Recipes blog is all about. We use real chicken, fresh vegetables, and high-quality broth. You won’t find any weird fillers or preservatives here. It’s a hearty, satisfying, clean eating soup that satisfies those deep cravings for classic American comfort food. For more clean comfort food ideas, see my Italian penicillin soup.

Essential Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

When you’re making a foundational soup like this, the ingredients really shine through, so we don’t use a lot of shortcuts. Since this is a straight-up Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles, every component matters! I’ve tried cutting corners before—using bouillon cubes or pre-chopped mirepoix—and honestly, the flavor just falls flat. You want that vibrant taste, and that means starting with quality stuff.

The beauty of this recipe is that it relies on simple, whole foods to create that incredible depth. Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you; these items work together perfectly to create a rich, savory broth that tastes like it’s been cooking for hours.

Selecting Your Chicken and Broth

For the chicken, you absolutely have options, and I change it up based on what I have. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook faster and give you a leaner result, but I often lean toward thighs if I want a slightly richer, more flavorful broth. Either way, make sure it’s skinless! The most crucial part, though, is your broth. Please, please use 8 cups of good quality chicken broth or stock. If you can find low-sodium, even better, so you can control the salt yourself. Trust me on this—the quality of your liquid base is what makes or breaks this soup.

Aromatics and Seasoning Base

This is where the real magic happens before we even get to the noodles. We start with the classic trio: onion, carrots, and celery. They need a good sauté to soften up and release all their natural sweetness into the oil. Then comes the garlic—don’t skimp on that fresh minced garlic! For the seasonings, I insist on using dried oregano and fresh thyme if you have it. The thyme adds this bright, earthy note that cuts through the richness. Those bay leaves floating around in there are non-negotiable; they infuse the whole pot with a subtle background complexity throughout the simmer.

Equipment Needed

You don’t need a whole arsenal of gadgets for this soup, thankfully! We’re keeping it simple, just like my detox philosophy. Having the right pot makes the cleanup easier, too.

• A large Dutch oven or stockpot is essential for simmering everything together.
• You’ll need a sturdy cutting board and a sharp knife for chopping.
• Two forks are perfect for shredding that tender chicken right in the pot.
• A ladle, of course, for serving up those big bowls!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

Okay, let’s get cooking! Making this amazing Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles is really just a three-part process: build the base, simmer the chicken, and then cook the noodles. It’s so straightforward, even on a tough Tuesday night. You can find more visual guides for recipes like this on our Pinterest page.

Building the Flavor Base

First things first, grab your big Dutch oven and set it over medium heat. Add that tablespoon of olive oil. Once it shimmers just a bit, toss in your diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. You need to let these aromatics get happy together; stir them around for about 4 minutes until they start getting soft and fragrant. Don’t rush this part! Next, throw in your minced garlic—that stuff burns fast, so only let it cook for about one minute until you can really smell it. That’s your flavor foundation set right there.

Simmering and Shredding the Chicken

Now for the main event! Pour in your 8 cups of chicken broth. Then, drop in your chicken breasts or thighs, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and those two bay leaves. Bring this whole pot up to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Once it’s bubbling gently, you’re going to put the lid on, but leave it slightly askew—we want a slow, steady cook. Let it simmer away until the chicken is totally tender, which usually takes about 15 minutes. When it’s done, take the chicken out, or just leave it in there if you’re careful, and use two forks to shred it right there in the broth until it’s exactly the size you like it. That shredded chicken floating around makes the soup so much heartier!

Cooking the Egg Noodles Perfectly

This is the final step before serving, and timing is key here. Once the chicken is shredded, turn the heat up just a bit until the soup is at a low, rolling boil. Now, add your 6 ounces of egg noodles. You want them cooked perfectly al dente, which means they still have a little bite. For most noodles, this is only 6 to 7 minutes. Taste one! Don’t overcook them, because they absorb liquid rapidly once you turn the heat off. If they get too soft now, they’ll be mushy later, especially if you’re planning on having leftovers of this fantastic Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles.

Tips for Success When Making Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

I’ve made this soup countless times since I first adapted it for my clean eating journey, and I’ve learned a few tricks to make sure your Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles is absolutely perfect every single time. It’s all about managing consistency and timing, especially since we aren’t using canned flavor boosters.

These little bits of expertise are what take a good soup and make it truly amazing. Pay attention to the chicken simmer and the noodle timing, and you’ll never look back! If you enjoy these kinds of detailed tips, you might also appreciate my advice on making Greek lemon chicken soup.

Achieving Tender, Shredded Chicken

When you are simmering the chicken with the broth, remember I told you to keep the lid slightly askew? That’s important! If you seal the pot completely, the temperature gets too high and the chicken can come out tough or stringy. Leaving that small gap allows for gentle, moist heat to break down the fibers slowly. This ensures that when you shred it—even right there in the pot—it falls apart beautifully into those perfect, tender pieces.

Preventing Overcooked Egg Noodles

This is the single biggest mistake people make when preparing Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles for leftovers. Always add the egg noodles at the very end, right before serving or packaging up. Cook them only until they are just al dente, meaning they still have a slight resistance when you bite them. They will continue to soften as they sit in the hot broth. If you cook them until they are soft in the pot, they will turn completely mushy by morning!

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

I get so many questions about tweaking this soup, which is great because it shows how much you all love making this comfort food! Since we are focusing on clean eating, people often ask about substitutions. This recipe is pretty flexible, but a few key things really make this Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles shine.

Here are the top things folks ask me about when they are in the kitchen making their own batch. For more soup variations, see my recipe for hearty spinach orzo soup recipe.

Can I use different noodle shapes in this Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles?

Yes, you absolutely can! While the classic egg noodle gives that traditional texture, if you don’t have them or need a different shape, feel free to swap them out. Small pasta shapes work wonderfully—think ditalini, small shells, or even broken spaghetti pieces. Just watch the cooking time closely! Since we are aiming for an easy detox recipe, if you’re trying to cut down on refined carbs, you can also use gluten-free pasta or even spiralized zucchini noodles, though you’ll need to add those zucchini noodles right at the end, maybe even just letting the residual heat warm them up, or they get too watery.

How do I make this soup less salty?

That’s a smart question, especially since broth sodium levels vary so much! The best move is to start with low-sodium chicken broth or even unsalted stock. The salt we add is 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt, which you can easily reduce. If you taste the soup after the chicken has simmered and it seems too salty from the broth, just add an extra cup of water or unsalted stock to dilute it slightly. You can always add more salt later, but you can’t take it out!

Storage and Reheating Instructions

One of the best things about making a big pot of this Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles is having leftovers for lunch later in the week. This soup reheats beautifully, but you have to respect the noodles! They are sponges, and if you leave them in the broth overnight, they’ll soak up everything and turn into a dense mass.

I always follow my own advice here because I hate mushy noodles! Storing the components separately is the secret to keeping this comfort food tasting fresh for days.

Best Practices for Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

If you know you’re going to freeze your soup, you absolutely must leave the egg noodles out of the main batch. Freeze the broth, shredded chicken, and veggies all together in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat that frozen portion, reheat the soup base, and then cook a fresh, small batch of noodles to add right before serving. This keeps the texture perfect!

Storage Table for Leftovers

Storage Location	Duration	Reheating Note
Airtight Container (Fridge)	Up to 5 days	Add extra broth if noodles absorbed too much liquid.
Airtight Container (Freezer)	Up to 3 months	Omit noodles entirely; add fresh when reheating.

Sharing Your Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles

I truly hope this simple, clean version of Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles brings you as much comfort as it brings me and my family here in Asheville. Cooking clean Southern comfort food is my passion, and I love knowing I’ve helped you get a warm, hearty meal on the table fast! If you loved how easy this was, please leave me a quick rating below and tell me what you served alongside your soup!

Print