Chicken Noodle Soup

My wife came down with the flu this week, and all she wanted was a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. It starts with a whole chicken, building a rich homemade stock as it simmers, then finishes with tender shredded chicken, leeks, carrot, celery, pasta and a handful of greens stirred through at the end. Comfort in a bowl!

Serves 6

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hours 30 minutes

Looking for more comforting chicken soups? Try my Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Soup or my Tortellini Minestrone.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

Helpful Tips

Storage

Fridge: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The pasta will keep absorbing liquid, so top up with extra stock or water when reheating.
Freezer: freezes well for up to 2 months, but for best texture, freeze the broth and chicken separately and cook the pasta fresh when reheating.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, loosening with extra stock or water as needed.

Substitutions

Whole chicken → 4–5 chicken thigh cutlets (bone-in, skin-on); reduce simmer time to 35–40 minutes.
Vegetable stock → chicken stock for a deeper flavour, though the broth will be less clean-tasting.
Pasta of choice → any small pasta shape works well

Serving Suggestions

This soup is a complete meal on its own, but a slice of crusty sourdough or garlic bread on the side is great for mopping up the broth. A simple green salad with lemon dressing works well if you want something fresh alongside it.

Keep screen on

Ingredients Directions

Serving Scaler

Serves 6 1x 2x 3x

Ingredients

For the soup:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, sliced (white and pale green parts only)
½ medium brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 bay leaves
1 whole chicken (approx. 2kg)
3000–3500ml (12–14 cups) vegetable stock, or enough to mostly submerge the chicken
450g pasta of choice
2 cups baby spinach
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

To serve:

Grated parmesan
Extra chopped parsley

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek, onion, carrot, celery and zucchini, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Add the bay leaves, then pour in the vegetable stock until the chicken is mostly submerged. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 55-65 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Remove the chicken from the pot and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
Bring the broth back to a gentle boil and add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente (approx 8–10 minutes).
Turn the heat off. Return the shredded chicken to the pot along with the spinach and parsley, and stir until the greens wilt.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated parmesan.

Print Recipe

Nutritional Information

( per serving, based on 6 )

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	480 kcal
Protein	42 g
Carbohydrates	45 g
Fat	14 g
Fibre	5 g

Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general reference only. Actual values may vary. This is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.