Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

It takes a little time, but the result is about as classic and comforting as chicken noodle soup gets. The key to juicy chicken is treating the breasts and legs differently. Once the breast reaches 155°, you’ll pull the bird from the pot and remove the breast meat to keep it moist.

The legs, wings, and carcass go back in, allowing the dark meat to become fall-apart tender while the bones and cartilage-rich wings impart richer body and flavor. A fresh round of carrots and celery goes into the strained broth along with the pasta, so the vegetables cook until tender without turning to mush.

Ditalini is ideal here because the tiny rounds cook quickly right in the broth; other small shapes work too (more on that below). A generous handful of fresh dill added at the end keeps things bright, but parsley or chives make good substitutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup FAQ

What are the best noodles for chicken noodle soup? Ditalini is ideal because it cooks quickly enough to go directly into the chicken broth.

Orzo, ABC pasta, or small macaroni work too. If using longer-cooking pasta, such as egg noodles, spaghetti, or fusilli, cook it separately.

The extra starch and cooking time required by larger noodles can cause the broth to become too reduced. Can I use chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken? For this particular recipe, stick with a whole chicken.

The breast provides tender shredded meat, while the legs, wings, bones, and cartilage give the homemade broth richness, flavor, and body. Removing the breast meat early prevents it from drying out while the rest of the chicken continues to simmer. Can I make chicken noodle soup ahead of time?

Yes. The strained broth and shredded chicken can be made up to 3 days ahead; refrigerate them separately.

The carrots and celery can also be cut up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. To finish the soup, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then proceed with the recipe, adding the pasta, chicken, and fresh vegetables as directed.

Can you freeze chicken noodle soup? Yes.

Freeze the broth and shredded chicken, separately or combined, for up to 3 months. Add the pasta, fresh carrots and celery, and dill when reheating and finishing the soup.

You can also freeze leftover chicken noodle soup in portions for up to 3 months, though the pasta will soften somewhat after thawing and reheating. Watch Molly make chicken noodle soup:

• Fork

Recipe information

• Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

1

1 2 4

4 2 ½

1 6

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

• Step 1Season one 3½–4-lb. whole chicken all over with 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and place in a large pot. (For even better-tasting meat, season chicken up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to cook.) Step 2Cut 2 medium onions into quarters. (No need to remove the onion skins; leaving them on helps the broth develop its golden color.) Trim and coarsely chop 2 medium carrots, peeled, and 2 celery stalks. Cut 2 heads of garlic in half crosswise. (These will eventually be strained out, so there’s no reason to be precious with your cuts here.) Step 3Place chopped vegetables, 2 sprigs dill, and 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns in pot with chicken. Pour in 14 cups cold water (or just enough to barely cover chicken) and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, adding water as needed to keep the chicken submerged, and skimming off any foam from surface with a large spoon, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 155°, 20–25 minutes. Step 4Using tongs, carefully lift chicken out of pot and transfer to a cutting board. Let sit until cool enough to handle. Step 5Arrange chicken breast side up. Grab a wing and pull it outward so you can see where it attaches to the body. Using a sharp boning or chef’s knife, cut through the joint to separate wing from breast (if you hit bone, you’re in the wrong spot; pull the wing out farther to help you get to the place where the joint meets the socket). Repeat with wing on other side. Step 6Cut through skin connecting 1 leg to carcass. Pull leg back until ball joint pops out of its socket; cut through joint to separate leg. Repeat with leg on other side. Cut along left side of breastbone (which runs right down the center of the breast). Angling your knife, cut breast meat away from carcass on left side. Repeat process on right side. Step 7Pull off and discard any skin from legs and breasts (removing this skin prevents excess fat from rendering into the broth; no need to discard skin on the wings). Return legs, wings, and what remains of the carcass to pot. (You should now have only the chicken breasts remaining on your cutting board.) Return soup to a simmer and cook, occasionally skimming fat from surface with spoon, until reduced by 1–2", very flavorful, and leg meat is very tender and pulls apart easily, about 40 minutes. Step 8Meanwhile, shred cooled chicken breasts with 2 forks into bite-size pieces. Step 9Cut remaining 2 medium carrots, peeled, on a diagonal into ½" pieces. Thinly slice remaining 2 celery stalks, then finely chop enough dill to yield ¼ cup. Step 10Using tongs, transfer 2 chicken legs to cutting board and let cool slightly before shredding. Set a large fine-mesh sieve over another large pot. Strain broth into second pot; discard bones, carcass, wings, and vegetables. Do Ahead: Broth and shredded chicken can be made 3 days ahead; refrigerate separately. Carrots and celery can be cut 3 days ahead; refrigerate. Broth and chicken can also be frozen, separately or combined, for up to 3 months. Step 11Bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 6 oz. ditalini and stir once. Cook 5 minutes. (If using a larger or longer-cooking pasta, cook it separately according to package directions rather than in the broth.) Add carrots, celery, and all of the shredded chicken meat to pot and cook until pasta is cooked through and carrots and celery are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Step 12Remove pot from heat and stir in dill so it stays bright and fresh; season very generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle chicken soup into bowls and season with more pepper. Editor’s note: This chicken noodle soup recipe was first published in January 2020; it has been updated for style. Head this way for more of our favorite noodle soup recipes →