Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Leftover Chicken

This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is easy to make with leftover chicken meat and a few simple ingredients. Enjoy homemade soup in minutes!

The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

I’ve been making this leftover chicken noodle soup for a few years now, thanks to the kids being overly generous with their germs!  During the fall and winter, I make this easy recipe at least once a week. It’s simple, flavorful and honestly the best chicken noodle soup I have every had.

My mom, her mom and her mom’s mom used to make homemade chicken soup that required boiling chicken bones on the stove for several hours. And, you had to skim the scum off the top every so often. My classic chicken noodle soup recipe is so much faster — and no scum skimming required!

I love to make homemade chicken stock from a leftover rotisserie chicken carcass in my Instant Pot. Then, I use the stock to make a flavorful broth for quick chicken soup. But, you can use store-bought broth in a pinch. This rotisserie chicken soup comes together easily and takes about 30 minutes to make!

This leftover roast chicken soup is easy to make on the stove top, and there’s something very comforting about inhaling the amazing flavor as it cooks. You can also make this an Instant Pot chicken soup if that’s easier for you.

Ingredients

You can find these simple ingredients in your grocery store. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

• Chicken broth — either homemade stock or store bought broth. I recommend low sodium chicken broth if you use store bought.
• Butter — to sauté the veggies. You can use olive oil or another oil if you prefer.
• Carrots, celery, onion — You may know this classic combo as the Trinity or mirepoix. It adds tons of flavor!
• Garlic — for more flavor
• Cooked chicken meat — from a rotisserie chicken, roast chicken or leftover chicken breasts. You won’t need the whole chicken — just about 2-3 cups.
• Seasoning — sea salt, black pepper and dried parsley or herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
• Noodles — Use your favorite noodles. I either use wide egg noodles or small thin noodles in this soup.

How to Make Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup

First, you need to chop up your aromatics — celery, carrots and onions.

To make prep easier, you can use baby carrots, and I try to keep frozen chopped onions in the freezer for when I need them. You can even keep a bag of these chopped aromatics in the freezer!

Cook the celery, carrots and onions in some butter or chicken fat (from the stock if you haven’t skimmed it off) until they’re slightly soft. Then add a little garlic, and cook until soft.

Next, pour in your chicken stock or broth. Stir it all together, add your seasonings, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.

To make this an all-in-one-pot chicken noodle soup, you can add egg noodles when the soup boils. But, I would do this only if you plan on eating the soup up that day — egg noodles suck up a ton of liquid! You can also serve cooked noodles on the side. If you do add in the egg noodles, you might have to add extra stock or water if you prefer a more liquidy soup.

When the noodles are done or when the soup comes to a boil, turn heat down, and add your leftover cooked chicken. Once it’s heated through, you’re ready to enjoy your healthy homemade chicken soup. Honestly, my entire family says this is the BEST chicken soup recipe ever!

What do you add to chicken soup for flavor?

I usually throw in a few celery leaves, along with dried herbs, salt and pepper for extra flavor. If you’re using rotisserie chicken from the store or homemade stock, keep in mind that those will have additional flavors.

What are the best herbs to use in chicken soup?

You can use dried dill, thyme, parsley, oregano or even Italian seasoning blend or a bay leaf. If you want to use fresh parsley or other fresh herbs, add those in at the end for maximum flavor.

I love adding some Herbes de Provence to chicken soup because the flavor is bright and goes well with chicken. I also use this as a rub for Instant Pot whole chicken and my roast chicken recipe.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can freeze soup leftovers in freezer bags or freezer safe containers for up to 3 months for best flavor.

You may need to add more broth or a couple cups of water when reheating soup, especially if you store the soup and noodles together. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or larger portions on the stove.

Helpful Tips

Cut down on prep time by keeping bags of chopped carrots, celery and onions in your freezer. You can also freeze extra cooked chopped chicken. I try to have these ingredients in the freezer during soup season.

If you are making soup ahead of time or you know you will have leftovers, serve the cooked noodles separately. Otherwise, they will absorb most of the broth.

Always add fresh herbs towards the end of cooking for more flavor. You can add dried herbs at the beginning of the cooking process.

More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes

Try my creamy chicken potato soup. It’s hearty and creamy! You may also like my crock pot chicken tortellini soup or my Instant Pot chicken enchilada soup. Be sure to check out more easy soup recipes to warm you up!

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Recipe first published in 2019 and updated in 2023.