Homemade chicken noodle soup, it’s one of those dishes that has as much nostalgia attached to it as a Thanksgiving Turkey, Gram Gram’s gingersnaps, or those Saturday morning Mickey Mouse pancakes. Memories. I’m saying that homemade chicken noodle soup has memories inexorably attached to it.

With rich, velvety broth and ridiculously, perfect egg noodles, this homemade chicken noodle soup might just wiggle its way onto your list of family staples.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with chopsticks holding up noodles

INGREDIENTS

homemade chicken stock
perfect homemade egg noodles
whole chicken
carrots
celery stalks
garlic
button, cremini, or baby bella mushrooms

LET’S GET COOKIN’

Start with some easy, homemade chicken stock. You can cheat and use stuff from the store… but why? This is about flavor, nutrients, and not eating crappy chicken noodle soup. Just don’t.

Now, I’m using an Instant Pot because it’s the fastest way to make chicken stock (it takes about an hour instead of four).

Fish your chicken out of the pressure cooker and set it aside to cool. You’ll come back to that. Just let it cool, okay? Your fingers will thank you. Also, fish out the celery, carrots, bay leaves, and onions. Those don’t have any redeemable flavor in them.

You can roll them in salt, or, if you want to really fly the “weird” flag, you can dip those veggies in soy sauce and eat them. Your call.

MAKE SOME NOODLES

It’s time to get your egg noodle dough made and in the fridge to rest. You can get that recipe here: the perfect egg noodles.

Now prep your carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. I go into cut-size detail in the video. So, check that out! Set those veggies off to the side and start pulling apart your chicken.

There really is no right or wrong way to strip a chicken to prepare for homemade chicken noodle soup. Dogs don’t like to eat chicken bones, and neither should you: remove them and separate the meat.

Just before you start rolling out your noodles, toss your veggies into your strained chicken stock, and set your Instant Pot on sauté. This stock will add a richness to your homemade chicken noodle soup that your friends will be talking about for years.

Friendly reminder to start your pasta water.

MAKE SOME SOUP

Your veggies should cook in the chicken stock for about 10-minutes, or until the mushrooms have halved in size and your carrots are soft.

Cook your amazing pasta!

Just before you turn off you Instant Pot, add your chicken. A whole chicken is usually a bit too much for my taste, but it’s up to you. Saving a 1/2 cup (120 ml) of chicken for later doesn’t hurt anything. It’s good in quesadillas.

Salt and stir your homemade chicken noodle soup before ladling it over your shocked and waiting noodles.

Enjoy. You’ve just made greatness.

FAQs

Can I make this with store bought noodles to save time?

Absolutely. I won’t tell anyone. I mean, you’re missing out, but we all have time crunches.

Can I add spinach or other veggies to this?

Absolutely. For spinach, frozen peas, or anything else you fancy, I’d wait until your ingredients are in the Instant Pot and simmering in the chicken stock. That’s the time they’ll have the most opportunity to soak up the most flavor.

How long do I cook homemade pasta for?

This particular pasta cooks in about 3-minutes, so don’t run away from your stove to scrub the bathroom sink. Later. Do that later.

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