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This healthy homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is what I make any time I start feeling under the weather. Having homemade chicken noodle soup is a powerhouse of vitamins and nutrients. The warm broth is also incredibly soothing for anyone suffering from a sore or scratchy throat and it’s a great way to get more fluids into the body.
I especially love that this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is so easy to make. You can choose to make your own broth, which I highly recommend, or use store-bought. I also include a variety of different vegetables instead of just the typical carrots and celery. Finally, I use a rotisserie chicken to save on time. You can also use the entire carcass from the rotisserie chicken to make an amazing homemade bone broth to use for your soup!
Should I make my own chicken stock (bone broth) or use store-bought chicken broth?
If you’re going to make homemade chicken noodle soup, I highly recommend making your own chicken stock (also called bone broth). Since you will already have all the ingredients on hand to make your homemade chicken noodle soup, the extra effort to make your own chicken stock is well worth it. It is also great if you are watching your sodium so you can control exactly what is being put into your stock.
Store-bought chicken broth is basically water with flavoring, coloring, sodium, and concentrates. If you read the back panel, there are no vitamins in store-bought chicken broth, while homemade chicken stock is full of vitamins, nutrients, collagen, and protein.
If you own an Instant Pot, you can make Bone Broth in only two hours. Making Bone Broth on the stove however will take about 24 hours on low heat. Here is our recipe for making Bone Broth in the Instant Pot. You’ll then use the additional ingredients, to make your soup.
What type of noodles should I use for homemade chicken noodle soup?
Chicken noodle soup is traditionally made using egg noodles. However, I very rarely use egg noodles because they lack any nutritional value. I personally prefer to use either whole wheat pasta or high protein pasta such as Barilla’s Protein Plus which offers a whopping 10g of protein and 4g of fiber.
If you are making gluten-free chicken noodle soup, there is also a huge selection of gluten-free pasta to choose from. Banza is a popular brand made from chickpeas which is gluten-free and full of 5g of fiber and 13g of protein!
If you are on a low-carb diet, you may want to order a brand called Fiber Gourmet Pasta which has over 6,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. It is delicious and has less than half the net carbs of normal pasta. Additionally, it has an insane 25g of fiber and is only 100 calories per serving. Yes, you can eat low-carb and still enjoy pasta!
What vegetables work best in chicken noodle soup?
By nature, homemade chicken noodle soup is incredibly healthy, and much has to do with adding lots of nutrient-rich vegetables. The most disappointing homemade chicken noodle soup recipes are the ones I see where the only added vegetables are carrots and celery. It feels like a wasted opportunity. Below are the vegetables I always include in my healthy chicken noodle soup recipe.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Fresh or Frozen Peas
- Kale or Spinach (did you know Kale has more Vitamin C than oranges?!)
- Onions & Garlic
Is Chicken Noodle Soup good for weight loss?
If you make homemade chicken noodle soup, make your own broth, and use a high fiber and high protein pasta instead of traditional egg noodles, then yes chicken noodle soup is great for weight loss. Homemade chicken noodle soup is full of vitamins, nutrients, fiber, protein, and collagen. It is also low-calorie.
How do you make Healthy Homemade Chicken Soup?
First, start by making your homemade bone broth (chicken stock) and set it o the side. Alternatively, you can use store-bought chicken broth or chicken stock. For this recipe, you will use three 32oz cartons of chicken broth or stock.
Next, you will set a large pot on low to medium heat, or put your instant pot on saute mode. Preheat for a few minutes and then add your onions and garlic. Saute for about 1 minute until the onions become translucent. Then add your kale or spinach and saute another 1-2 minutes until they have wilted and cooked down. Once wilted, add your remaining vegetables and parsley. Continue sauteing for an additional 1-2 minutes which will help the harder vegetables soften just slightly.
After sauteing your vegetables, you will pour in half of your bone broth (or chicken stock). Pouring in only half will help your pasta cook faster. You do not need to have your soup come to a boil. In fact, it is best to not let your soup boil at all. After you pour in half of your chicken bone broth, you can pour in your pasta immediately after.
It is best to slowly let your pasta cook while having your soup on a very low simmer. This will take slightly longer to cook but will ensure the pasta and vegetables are not mushy. It will also give time for all the flavors to meld together.
Once your pasta is Al Dente, or just slightly undercooked, you can add your remaining broth, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I highly recommend adding the salt and pepper in increments and tasting your soup. I always recommend adding salt and pepper to taste since everyone’s palettes are different.
Also, do not omit the fresh lemon juice. Soups need acid for balance and it is a night and day difference. I even serve my chicken noodle soup with a lemon wedge. Trust me, you will thank me later!
Storage suggestions
Homemade chicken noodle soup freezes incredibly well. In fact, my chicken noodle soup is often part of my meal prep. This recipe makes 8 hearty portions and I always put the majority of them in the freezer. We just take them out the day before and I have the perfect lunch.
My fiance does not even take them out the day before. He runs warm water along the outside of the container just to loosen it. Then dumps the entire frozen block of chicken noodle soup into a saucepot with a small amount of water. He sets the flame on low heat, covers it with a lid, and lets it slowly melt and cook for about 15 minutes.
This soup will also last in the refrigerator for a week.
The Best Healthy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 12 cups Chicken Bone Broth or three 32oz cartons of store-bought chicken broth
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup yellow onions chopped
- 2 cups carrots diced
- 2 cups kale Tuscan, chopped
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup peas frozen
- 6 cups chicken breast rotisserie shredded
- 1 tbsp Parsley fresh, chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 3 tsp salt himalayan, to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper to taste
- 2 cups Barilla Pasta protein plus spiral
Instructions
- First, start by making our homemade bone broth if you are not using store-bought broth.
- Next set your Instant Pot to saute or set a large soup stock pot over medium heat. Let them preheat for about 3 minutes.
- Once preheated, spray with olive oil. Then add the onions and garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes until they become translucent.
- Then add your kale or spinach and saute another 1-2 minutes until they have wilted and cooked down.
- Next, add your remaining vegetables and parsley. Continue sauteing for an additional 1-2 minutes which will help the harder vegetables soften just slightly.
- After sauteing your vegetables, you will pour in half of your bone broth (or chicken stock). Pouring in only half will help your pasta cook faster. You do not need to have your soup come to a boil. In fact,it is best to not let your soup boil at all.
- After you pour in half of your chicken bone broth, you can pour in your pasta immediately after.
- Slowly cook your soup on a low simmer until your pasta is al dente, or just slightly under cooked.
- Finally, add the rest of your broth, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste.
Notes
- Do not omit the lemon juice. Soups need a citrus component and adding lemon juice makes difference in the flavor. I also serve this soup with a small lemon wedge.
- Do not boil your soup, it will make your vegetables and pasta mushy
Sondra Barker
