Hearty Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I stole this recipe for Hearty Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup from Taste of Home: Half Homemade who stole it from Norma Reynolds from Overland Park, KS. This hearty soup is prefect for a winter day! Chicken is placed in a slow cooker or pressure cooker with carrots, celery and onions. Seasonings and chicken stock are added in next and cooked for several hours. Then the chicken is removed and shredded. Noodles are added the last 30 minutes of cooking time. The shredded chicken is added before serving this tasty chicken noodle soup.

“Food feeds both the body and soul – there are clear reasons to eat a balanced diet, but there are also reasons you cling to your mom’s secret chicken noodle soup recipe when you’re sick.” – Michael Mina, American Chef (see more quotes in the Quotes tab)

To start this soup sear 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves sprinkled with poultry seasoning in a skillet or on sauté setting for a pressure cooker (Instant Pot).

Remove the chicken. Then add 12 fresh baby carrots (cut into ½ inch pieces), 4 diced celery ribs and ¾ cup finely chopped onion.

Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Transfer the vegetables to a slow cooker. Or if using a pressure cooker, cancel the sauté setting. Then add 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley, ½ tsp pepper and 2 minced garlic cloves.

Next add 4 cans (14 ½ oz each) chicken broth and the chicken to the pot. (I recommend using the equivalent of chicken stock instead.)

Then if using a slow cooker cover and cook on LOW until meat is tender, 5-6 hours. If using a pressure cooker, seal the pot and use the slow cooker function. Remove chicken; cool slightly.

Next add 1 package (9 oz) refrigerated linguine or dried linguine that has been broken in half. Change control to High on the slow cooker or pressure cooker. Then cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Cut the chicken into pieces and return to the soup, heat through. Sprinkle with pepper and parsley if needed. Serve and enjoy!

If you liked the recipe for Hearty Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup you can try other chicken soups like Fiesta Chowder, Italian Meatball Soup or Crock Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup.

Hearty Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This hearty soup is prefect for a winter day! Chicken is placed in a slow cooker or pressure cooker with carrots, celery and onions. Seasonings and chicken stock are added in next and cooked for several hours. Then the chicken is removed and shredded. Noodles are added the last 30 minutes of cooking time. The shredded chicken is added before serving.
Course Entree
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 12 fresh baby carrots cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 4 celery ribs cut into ½ inch pieces
  • ¾ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp mustard seed
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and halved
  • 1 ¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1 ¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 cans (14 ½ oz) each chicken broth
  • 1 package (9 oz) refrigerated linguine
  • Coarsely ground pepper

Instructions

  1. In a 5 qt slow cooker, combine first 6 ingredients. Place mustard seed and garlic on double thickness cheesecloth, bring up the corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag. Place in slow cooker. Add chicken and chicken broth. Cover and cook on LOW until meat is tender, 5-6 hours.
  2. Discard spice bag. Remove chicken; cool slightly. Stir in linguine into soup, cover and cook on HIGH until tender, about 30 minutes. Cut the chicken into pieces and return to the soup, heat through.
  3. Sprinkle with pepper and parsley if needed.

Recipe Notes

I sauté the vegetables first and season the chicken and sear it before adding to slow cooker. If you season the chicken and vegetables, you don’t need to make a spice bag. You can substitute dried pasta, just break into pieces first.