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    Home » Recipes » Chicken

    Best Chicken Noodle Soup (Using a Leftover Chicken)

    First Published: February 2, 2020 . Last Modified: October 25, 2023 lisa17 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    The Best Chicken Noodle Soup is made whenever I have a leftover roaster chicken carcass.  This homemade chicken soup recipe is made in my Dutch oven and it is a keeper!  

    a bowl of the best chicken noodle soup

    Everyone should know how to make a comforting pot of soup that's loaded with meat, veggies and tons of chicken flavor. There is nothing better than a nice warm bowl of soup on a cold winter day. It is also one of those great meals that can be made in advance or pulled out of the freezer when you have a sick family member or friend. Plus it's a great way to use up the leftover carcass from chicken.

    Ingredients Needed for the Best Chicken Noodle Soup 

    This recipe is more of a process than a strict recipe. Every time I make chicken noodle soup, it comes out a little different because I may have used different seasonings or I may add in different vegetables.

    • Chicken Carcass – This recipe is ideal for using up a leftover chicken carcass from a leftover roast chicken or a store bought rotisserie chicken. You want to have some meat leftover rather than a carcass that has been picked clean. You can also use a leftover turkey which I often use after Thanksgiving.
    • Water – The chicken carcass will flavor the homemade chicken broth as the soup cooks so cold water is truly all you need but you can substitute chicken or vegetable stock if you prefer.
    • Vegetables – I love to use carrots, yellow onions and celery. I always have them on hand and they each lend a great flavor to the broth. Feel free to add additional veggies such as mushrooms, potatoes, peas, green beans, etc. as you see fit.
    • Seasonings – Add in your favorite seasonings and fresh herbs such as salt, black pepper, fresh parsley, thyme, sage, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, poultry seasoning. My Cuban Roasted Chicken makes a really good chicken soup with complex flavor but you can use any chicken that's well seasoned.
    • Noodles – From spaghetti to egg noodles to elbow macaroni you can really use any kind of noodles in this recipe. You can even add wild rice or brown rice if you'd like to make it a chicken rice soup. Use your favorite personal preference. 
    a pot of leftover chicken carcass and vegetables simmers on a stove.

    How to make Chicken Carcass Soup

    This delicious soup is totally made from scratch but it's so simple to make!

    1. Place the chicken carcass into a Dutch oven or large pot along with the vegetables and herbs and cover the leftover chicken meat with enough water to submerge and simmer over low heat.
    2. Remove the pot from the heat and cool for a few minutes before straining the broth. Reserve the broth and set aside the chicken and the vegtables.
    3. Chop any chicken meat into small bite sized pieces, discarding the chicken skin and bones. Chop the carrots, celery and onion(if desired) into bite-sized pieces. Discard herbs.
    4. Return the strained broth to the pot and add the shredded chicken and chopped vegetables.
    5. Bring the broth to a low simmer, stir in raw noodles and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the noodles are done. Season with more salt and pepper and dried herbs if desired.

    The whole process takes about 2 hours to cook but is worth every minute. And it really is passive cooking time because while it simmers, you can be doing other things. You'll have the best chicken noodle soup in a Dutch oven simmering on your stove and your kitchen will smell amazing!

    What type of noodles should you use?   

    The nice thing about chicken noodle soup is that you can use all types of noodles. Sometimes I use spaghetti and other times I'm in the mood for wide egg noodles. They are added at the end so you can basically use whatever you like. Or you could add orzo, elbow macaroni or pastina. Make this a gluten free recipe by using gluten free noodles or rice.

    A bowl of homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with a spoon for serving.

    Tips for making the best homemade chicken noodle soup:

    • Use a grocery store leftover rotisserie chicken to make this recipe super easy.
    • If you have a whole chicken, you can use about ⅔ of the meat for other recipes, reserving ⅓ of the leftover meat for the soup.
    • To make a heartier bone broth, bake the leftover bones on a large pan in the oven before making the soup.
    • Make the homemade chicken stock a day or two in advance and cook the noodles just before serving.
    • Be sure to remove all of the chicken bones.
    • Make a really big batch so you can freeze some. You can double the recipe below but make sure not to add the noodles until you reheat the soup.
    • The longer the stock cooks, the more flavorful it is. Onions and celery are not the only veggies that can be added to flavor the soup. Some other favorites are parsnips, leeks, garlic and chives. You can also use your favorite herbs.
    • To make the soup extra meaty, add cooked pre-chicken just before serving.
    • If you don't want to add noodles, you can substitute rice also. Add dry rice to the last 25 minutes of cooking time. It might soak up the broth so make sure to add extra water as needed.
    • Add salt and pepper to your taste.

    Storing and Leftovers

    Store this leftover soup in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can be reheated by the bowl in the microwave or you could reheat in a pot on the stove. This soup can also be frozen in freezer safe containers. I like to freeze it then add the noodles when reheating the soup.

    FAQ

    Can you make this soup without a chicken carcass?

    Yes, you can! Use leftovers from my recipe for bone in chicken breast if you like white meat or choose these baked chicken leg quarters if you prefer the dark meat. Use several for each pot of soup and make sure there is some meat left on the bones.

    February 4th is National Homemade Soup Day!

    I could eat soup all winter. In case you didn't know, February 4th is national homemade soup day. I really don't need a special day to celebrate with homemade soup but for those who do, I have included more homemade leftover chicken soup recipes below. 

    More Chicken Soup Recipes 

    • Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup
    • Gluten Chicken Noodle Soup
    • Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup 
    • Slow Cooker Chicken Sicilian Soup via Katie's Cucina
    • Chicken Lentil Soup via Swirls of Flavor

    If you like this leftover chicken soup recipe, please leave a 5-star rating below.

    RECIPE

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    5 from 4 votes

    Best Chicken Noodle Soup

    Everyone should know how to make the best chicken noodle soup from a leftover chicken carcass!
    Prep Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time2 hours hrs
    Total Time3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 245kcal
    Author: Jersey Girl Cooks (Lisa Grant)
    Cost: $5

    Ingredients

    • 1 leftover roasted chicken carcass
    • a large pot of water
    • 1 large onion peeled
    • 3 large stalks of celery trimmed
    • a handful of parsley and dill or other favorite herbs
    • 3 large carrots peeled and trimmed
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 8 ounces noodles
    • 1 tablespoon dried herbs

    Instructions

    • Put the chicken in a large soup pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil on medium heat, add onion, cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour. Add the celery, herbs and carrots. Cover and cook on low heat for another 30 minutes.
    • Remove pot from the heat. Cool for a few minutes. Strain the broth and remove the chicken and vegetables. Chop the chicken into small pieces, discarding the bones and skin. Skim the broth for any extra fat. Chop the carrots, celery and onion(if desired). Discard herbs.
    • Pour broth in the pot and add the chicken and chopped vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook soup on medium heat and bring the broth to a simmer. Add noodles or pasta and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are done. Season with more salt and pepper and dried herbs if desired.

    Notes

    Chicken soup can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen. Make sure not to add noodles in advance if freezing. Soup should be defrosted and heated up then noodles added the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5230IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

    Thanks for stopping by! Subscribe to Jersey Girl Cooks if you would like more recipes and cooking tips sent to your email. You can also order my Super Easy Cookbook for Beginners and follow me on social media - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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    Comments

    1. Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet) says

      April 27, 2012 at 5:46 pm

      Yum...this looks SO comforting! It's already in the 90s here in Texas this week, but I can eat chicken soup year-round too...especially with a salad for lunch. Your soup looks so good! BTW...I'm having a contest on my blog that you should really enter! Come by for the details...

      Reply
    2. Lea Ann says

      April 28, 2012 at 8:57 am

      I can eat soup year round, and there's nothing more flavorful than a big brothy bowl of chicken soup. ok, now I'm officially hungry. 🙂

      Reply
    3. Kate says

      April 28, 2012 at 9:45 am

      I have a cold right now so it's the perfect time for chicken soup!

      Reply
    4. Zee says

      April 29, 2012 at 8:27 am

      Soup on a rainy day is best comfort food ever!

      Reply
    5. Liz says

      April 29, 2012 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      Great idea using drumsticks for soup! We've had the same rainy, dreary couple of days and this would have been marvelous for dinner!

      Reply
    6. Hezzi-D says

      February 02, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      5 stars
      Chicken noodle soup is always one of my favorites. Can't wait to try this.

      Reply
    7. Wendy Klik says

      February 02, 2020 at 5:17 pm

      I used to raise meat chickens and each one made 3 meals for a family of 4. One of those meals was always a soup of some sort. Perfect main meal soup,

      Reply
    8. Karen says

      February 02, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      There are so many good uses for rotisserie chickens! This soup looks nice and hearty without too many calories!

      Reply
      • lisa says

        February 03, 2020 at 9:35 pm

        Thanks Karen! I do love rotisserie chicken!

        Reply
    9. Lynne Laino says

      February 02, 2020 at 10:05 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect recipe Lisa! Whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken, I throw the bones in a freezer for soup! My go to seasoning for hicken soup is Bell’s Poultry seasoning.

      Reply
      • lisa says

        February 03, 2020 at 9:34 pm

        Thanks Lynne! I'll have to try Bell's poultry seasoning.

        Reply
    10. Terri Steffes says

      February 03, 2020 at 6:32 pm

      My husband makes the perfect stock and when I showed him this, he said, yes, this is the way I do it. Yum.

      Reply
      • lisa says

        February 03, 2020 at 9:35 pm

        Definitely the best way Terri!

        Reply
    11. Audrey says

      February 05, 2020 at 2:51 pm

      My son is convinced that Chicken Noodle Soup is the only food he can eat when he is sick. But I could enjoy this anytime.

      Reply
    12. Cheese Curd In Paradise says

      February 05, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best way to make chicken noodle soup! It looks so hearty and delicious!

      Reply
    13. Inger @ Art of Natural Liivng says

      February 08, 2020 at 11:29 pm

      I always save my chicken carcass for broth (also beef and pork bones). This looks delicious!

      Reply
    14. Christie says

      February 16, 2020 at 8:43 am

      There is nothing more comforting than chicken soup. And I always use my leftover chicken including the carcass for the broth!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lisa

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