There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup on a cold day. It’s the ultimate comfort food that warms you from the inside out! But let me tell ya, choosing the right noodles for your soup can make ALL the difference between a mediocre meal and a memorable one that has your family begging for seconds.
I’ve spent years perfecting my chicken noodle soup recipe, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned about the best noodles to use. Trust me, this simple decision can transform your soup from good to absolutely amazing!
Why Noodle Choice Matters in Chicken Noodle Soup
Before diving into specific noodle types let’s talk about why your noodle choice actually matters
- Texture matters: Nobody wants mushy noodles that disintegrate in their soup!
- Flavor absorption: The right noodles will soak up that delicious broth without becoming soggy
- Overall eating experience: Noodles should complement, not overwhelm, the other soup elements
As my grandma always said, “The noodle is the backbone of the soup!” And grandmas are usually right about these things.
Egg Noodles: The Undisputed Champion
If there’s one unanimous winner in the chicken noodle soup noodle competition, it’s definitely egg noodles. These are considered the gold standard for several compelling reasons:
Why Egg Noodles Work So Well
- Rich Flavor: The eggs in the dough create a richer, more savory flavor that perfectly complements chicken broth
- Ideal Texture: They maintain a satisfying chewiness even after cooking in hot broth
- Perfect Broth Absorption: They absorb just enough broth to become flavorful without turning to mush
- Traditional Appeal: Let’s be honest – they just LOOK right in chicken noodle soup!
Within the egg noodle family, you’ve got some choices to make. Medium-width egg noodles are generally the most popular option. They provide a substantial bite without overwhelming the other ingredients Wide egg noodles make for a heartier soup but can sometimes dominate, while thin egg noodles might get too soft too quickly.
Beyond Egg Noodles: Worthy Alternatives
While egg noodles reign supreme, there are several other excellent options depending on your preferences or dietary needs:
Homemade Noodles
Nothing beats the taste and texture of homemade egg noodles! If you have the time (and they don’t take as long as you might think), making your own noodles from scratch can elevate your soup to restaurant-quality.
All you need is flour, salt, milk and eggs, and they’re ready in about 5 minutes! The texture is unbeatable, and they rarely turn mushy, even after prolonged cooking.
Pasta Options
Don’t have egg noodles on hand? Several pasta shapes work nicely:
- Farfalle (bow-tie pasta): Holds its shape well and adds visual interest
- Ditalini: These small tube-like pieces are perfect when you want just a hint of pasta
- Rotini: The spirals hold broth well and add nice texture
- Orzo: This rice-shaped pasta works well for a lighter soup
Gluten-Free Alternatives
For those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease, fear not! Great options include:
- Rice noodles: Delicate texture, cook quickly, best added right before serving
- 100% buckwheat soba noodles: Check ingredients to ensure they’re completely gluten-free
- Gluten-free pasta: Made from rice, corn, or quinoa flour
The Cooking Method Matters Just as Much as the Noodle Type
Here’s a secret that many recipes don’t emphasize enough: HOW you cook your noodles can be just as important as WHICH noodles you choose!
The “Mush Factor”: Avoiding Overcooked Noodles
The biggest challenge with noodles in soup is preventing them from becoming overcooked and mushy. Here are some crucial tips:
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Cook Noodles Separately (Sometimes)
If you’re making a large batch of soup or planning to freeze it, consider cooking the noodles separately and adding them to individual servings. This prevents them from absorbing too much broth and becoming mushy during storage. -
Al Dente is Key
Cook the noodles al dente (slightly firm to the bite). They will continue to cook in the hot broth. -
Add Noodles Last
Introduce the noodles towards the end of the cooking process, after the chicken and vegetables are nearly done. This minimizes cooking time and reduces overcooking risk. -
Time It Right
Different noodles have different cooking times. Homemade egg noodles can handle longer cooking, while thin rice noodles need just a minute or two.
My Top 7 Noodle Recommendations for Chicken Noodle Soup
After testing countless noodles in my chicken soup over the years, here are my top picks:
- Country Pasta Homemade Style Egg Noodles: Thick, wide, and hearty – closest to homemade without the work
- Bechtle Bavarian Style Egg Noodles: Authentic German egg noodles with perfect texture
- Manischewitz Wide Egg Noodles: Traditional spiral dried egg noodles, versatile and reliable
- Chuster Medium Egg Noodles: Low-fat and vitamin-packed, great freezer-friendly option
- De Cecco Pasta Egg Pappardelle: Italian-style noodles with excellent flavor
- Mrs. Miller’s Old Fashioned Medium Noodles: True homemade-style noodles with simple ingredients
- Al Dente Carba-Nada Egg Noodles: Lower-carb option that still delivers on texture and flavor
Frequently Asked Questions About Noodles in Chicken Soup
Do noodles add flavor to chicken noodle soup?
While noodles aren’t typically the main flavor contributors, egg noodles do add a subtle richness that enhances the overall taste. Most noodles are made from simple ingredients like flour and sometimes eggs, so the primary flavor will come from your broth, seasonings, and other ingredients.
Should I cook the noodles before adding them to chicken noodle soup?
Usually, no! Most recipes call for cooking the noodles directly in the soup. However, if you’re making a large batch that you’ll store, cooking them separately and adding them to individual servings can prevent them from becoming mushy.
How do I prevent my noodles from getting mushy in soup?
The key is not to overcook them! Add dried egg noodles later in the cooking process, and remove the soup from heat as soon as the noodles are just barely tender. Homemade-style noodles are more forgiving and rarely turn mushy, even with longer cooking times.
How many noodles should I add to my chicken noodle soup?
A good starting point is about 1 cup of dried noodles per 4 cups of broth. You can always adjust based on your preference for a brothier or heartier soup.
Can I freeze chicken noodle soup with noodles already in it?
You can, but the noodles might become softer when thawed. For best results, either undercook the noodles slightly before freezing or freeze the soup without noodles and add freshly cooked noodles when reheating.
The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup Experience
Remember, choosing the right noodles is just one piece of the puzzle! The quality of your broth, the freshness of your vegetables, and the tenderness of your chicken all contribute to creating a memorable soup.
My personal favorite approach is using homemade chicken stock made from a rotisserie chicken carcass, then adding the shredded rotisserie meat back to the soup along with homemade egg noodles. It’s a game-changer that’ll have your family thinking you spent all day in the kitchen (when the soup practically makes itself)!
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different noodle types until you find your perfect match. Chicken noodle soup is forgiving, and sometimes the best discoveries happen by accident.
What’s your favorite noodle for chicken soup? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
So there you have it – everything you ever wanted to know about choosing the perfect noodles for your chicken noodle soup. Now go grab your biggest pot and get cooking! Your family will thank you, especially during cold and flu season when we all need a little extra comfort.
Happy cooking!
How To Make Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken: Skin-on, bone-in chicken parts give you the most flavorful broth. Using a mix of dark meat and white meat is ideal; the dark meat parts take well to long simmering, while the white meat parts can be pulled early and shredded, yielding lots of juicy chicken for the final soup.
- Herbs: No need to reinvent the wheel here. I went with bay leaf and thyme, the signature flavors of a classic chicken noodle soup.
- Noodles: Wide egg noodles are my go-to for chicken noodle soup. Why? Well, there’s the convenience factor—they cook directly in the soup, no separate boiling and draining required—but also because they have flavor in their corner. Richer than standard wheat noodles, they make for a heartier, more satisfying soup.
We’ll begin by browning the chicken to develop deep flavor that we’ll then capture in our broth.. Heat oil in a large pot, preferably a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces on both sides with 2 tsp. salt, then place in the pot skin side down. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath (the more you move the chicken, the less it will brown—so don’t do it!). Turn the chicken over with tongs and cook until golden brown on the second side. About 5 minutes per side should be sufficient.
Now let’s get our broth going. The idea here is to give individualized attention to the white meat and dark meat parts so as to play to their strengths. Pour in the stock and water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon (we want that flavor in our broth!). Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer—bubbles should break the surface only intermittently—and cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until the chicken breasts are cooked through; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the flesh should register 165°. Gentle heat is the key to extracting max flavor while ensuring moist, juicy meat. Transfer the breasts to a cutting board and let cool. Continue to simmer the dark meat pieces for another 40 minutes, then transfer to the cutting board and let cool slightly.
Time to shred. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones from both white and dark meat parts. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Set the chicken aside for a moment while we work on our aromatic vegetables and noodles.
Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the broth. Add the onion, celery, and carrot (our aromatics) to the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Now for the noodles: Add them directly to the broth. (This is the beauty of egg noodles—they cook directly in the soup, absorbing its flavors and throwing off enough starch to lend a bit of body.) Simmer the egg noodles, stirring occasionally, until tender, about another 5 minutes.
Now lets bring our shredded chicken back into play. Return the chicken to the pot and add the black pepper; taste and add more salt if needed.
To serve, divide the soup among bowls and top with chopped parsley and more black pepper.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
- The best type of noodles for chicken noodle soup: When choosing the best type of noodle, wide egg noodles are the perfect choice. They hold their own against the chicken and the vegetables while simultaneously adding their own rich body to the soup. If you’re in a pinch, you can use whatever thick noodle you have on hand, but I highly recommend egg noodles for this classic recipe.
- The secret to the most flavorful chicken noodle soup: Browning the chicken in the pot before adding the stock, water, and aromatics boosts the deep, rich flavors that we want to create in the broth. And keeping the liquid at a bare simmer (with just a few tiny bubbles breaking the surface every now and then) throughout the entire process ensures the chicken, vegetables, and noodles will cook gently, coaxing out maximum flavor while moderating the broth’s reduction.
- All about the chicken: You can make chicken noodle soup with any combination of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts, but if you have the choice, I highly recommend using a breast, a thigh, and a drumstick (basically, half a chicken, broken down). A combination of white and dark meat is ideal because it gives you that gorgeous shredded white meat in the finished soup with the benefit of the added depth of flavor that comes from stewing the dark meat for an additional 40 minutes after the white meat is finished cooking. Don’t be tempted to leave the chicken breast in for the full hour; it will overcook and turn tough and dry.
If you have leftovers, I strongly suggest (okay, BEG) that you store the noodles separately from the broth. If they’re stored together, the noodles will soak up the liquid and turn to mush—and there won’t be any broth left. If you’d like to cook this soup in advance, the same recommendation applies, though if you’re making it ahead of time, I’d recommend skipping the noodles completely. You can add them into the broth when you reheat the soup, and they should be fully cooked in just 5 minutes.Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, preferably a mix of chicken thighs and breasts
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 4 cups cold water
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 c.)
- 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/8″ thick (about 1 1/4 c.)
- 1 large carrot, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/8″ thick (about 1 c.)
- 6 oz. wide egg noodles
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
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- Step 1 In a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season chicken on all sides with 2 tsp. salt, then add to pot skin side down. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 5 minutes more.
- Step 2 Add stock, water, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 165°, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Step 3 Transfer chicken breasts to a cutting board. Continue to cook dark meat about 40 minutes more. Transfer dark meat to cutting board and let cool at least 10 minutes. Remove skin and bones and discard. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, discard thyme and bay leaf. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook over medium-low heat, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a bare simmer and stirring occasionally, until just barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 5 minutes more.
- Step 5 Stir in chicken and pepper; season with remaining 2 tsp. salt, as needed.
- Step 6 Divide soup among bowls. Top with parsley and more pepper.
- Step 7Make Ahead: Soup (without noodles) can be made 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. To serve, bring soup to a simmer in a large pot, add noodles, and simmer until noodles are al dente, about 5 minutes.
