This homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is so quick and easy to make, you’ll be saying goodbye to the canned stuff for good. This hearty recipe is perfect for a cold winter night because it is made with homemade chicken stock and full of healthy vegetables, shredded chicken, and lots of noodles.
There are, quite literally, hundreds of different ways to make chicken noodle soup. Like a big hug from mom (or grandma…or the dog), this is my favorite version of the classic “get well soon” soup that you need to get through childhood, winter, and life in general.
Everywhere in the world, people love chicken soup as a comfort food. It’s warm soothing and incredibly tasty. But what makes chicken soup stand out are the vegetables you add. If you pick the right mix of vegetables, your soup can go from ordinary to amazing!
In this guide, we’ll go over the most popular and healthiest veggies to include, tips for prepping them, and some simple recipes to get you started. After reading this, you’ll be ready to make a chicken soup packed with flavor and nutrition.
Why Add Vegetables to Chicken Soup?
Adding vegetables to chicken soup provides several benefits:
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Flavor – Vegetables significantly enhance the taste of the broth. People often call carrots, celery, and onions “soup basics” because they make a tasty base.
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Texture – The contrast of tender chicken and firm, crisp vegetables makes soup satisfying.
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Nutrition – Chicken soup made with just chicken and broth is lacking all the vitamins minerals and antioxidants vegetables provide.
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Visual Appeal – Vegetables add delightful colors transforming basic brown soup into an appetizing meal.
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Satiety: The fiber and bulk that vegetables add to soup make it filling, so you feel full for longer.
The Best Vegetables for Chicken Soup
You can use almost any vegetable in chicken soup, but some work better than others. Here are top picks:
Onions
Onions are essential for building a flavorful broth. Yellow, white and red onions all work well. Sweat chopped onions at the beginning when sautéing aromatics. This mellows their harshness and brings out sweetness.
Tip: Add onion skins and ends to the pot when simmering the broth for extra flavor.
Carrots
Carrots are one of the classic soup vegetables for good reason. They add a touch of natural sweetness, colorful orange hue and bump up the vitamin A content. Peel and slice carrots before adding them.
Tip: Opt for full size carrots over baby carrots which tend to get mushy.
Celery
Celery provides an aromatic, earthy flavor. It also gives soup a nice crunch. Slice celery stalks and leaves into small pieces so they cook evenly.
Tip: Reserve a few larger pieces to add at the end for textural contrast.
Potatoes
Potatoes act as a thickener, giving soup a richer, heartier consistency. Opt for starchy russets or red potatoes over waxy varieties. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes before adding so they don’t get overcooked and mushy.
Tip: For even more body, puree a portion of the cooked potatoes and stir back into the soup.
Leeks
Leeks have a delicate onion-like flavor.Trim and slice white and pale green parts of leeks before adding to soup. Rinse well to remove dirt.
Tip: Use leek greens to make your own homemade stock.
Garlic
Garlic provides a sweet, aromatic flavor. Use minced or pressed garlic and add it with the onions when first cooking aromatics. Too much raw garlic can be overpowering.
Tip: Roast garlic cloves first to mellow the flavor and then add to soup.
Frozen Vegetables
Keep a bag of frozen mixed vegetables on hand to quickly make soup anytime. Good blends contain carrots, peas, corn, green beans and lima beans. Avoid those with added sauces or seasonings.
Tip: Add frozen vegetables during last 10 minutes so they don’t get overcooked.
Complementary Veggie Options
In addition to the basics, you can throw in any of these vegetables to change things up:
- Greens – spinach, kale, chard, parsley
- Beans – green, kidney, cannellini, chickpeas
- Corn
- Peas
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Tomatoes – cherry, diced
- Zucchini, diced
- Butternut squash, diced
- Okra
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Cabbage
Aim for a mix of textures and flavors. Add sturdier vegetables like potatoes and carrots first. More delicate vegetables like peas and greens can be added toward the end of cooking.
Tips for Prepping Vegetables
Properly prepping vegetables is key for even cooking and ideal flavor:
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Cut pieces small – The smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook. Aim for 1/2 inch pieces or smaller.
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Cut uniformly – Cut all pieces the same size so they finish cooking at the same time.
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Sweat aromatics – Cook onions, carrots, celery 2-3 minutes before adding broth to enhance flavor.
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Simmer greens – Add tender greens at the very end just until they wilt to retain color and nutrients.
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Roast veggies – For deeper flavor, roast vegetables in the oven first before adding to soup.
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Rinse well – Rinse off dirt and grit from leeks, greens and other veggies before using.
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Use veggie scraps – Don’t throw away stems, ends, peels and leaves. Many can be used to make stock.
Simple & Healthy Chicken Soup Recipes
Chicken soup is endlessly adaptable. Here are a few tasty veggie-filled recipes to try:
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic. Simmer chicken and vegetables in broth. Add noodles, spinach at end.
Mexican Chicken Posole
Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño, oregano, cumin. Simmer chicken in broth with corn, zucchini, beans, cilantro.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sauté onion, chili powder, cumin. Simmer chicken in broth with corn, black beans, zucchini and tortilla strips.
Italian Chicken & Gnocchi
Sauté onion, garlic, oregano. Simmer chicken in broth with potatoes, peas, spinach and gnocchi.
Chicken & Dumplings
Sauté onion, celery, carrots, garlic. Simmer chicken in broth with potatoes, peas and dumpling rounds.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Sauté onion, thyme, garlic. Simmer chicken in broth with carrots, peas, milk, biscuit dough rounds.
Soup Making Tips
Here are some tips for making healthy, tasty chicken vegetable soup:
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Start with a good broth – Use homemade or reduced sodium chicken broth for the best flavor.
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Cook chicken properly – Simmer boneless chicken breasts/thighs until cooked through before shredding.
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Flavor it up – Don’t be afraid to add herbs, spices, hot sauce, lemon juice to amp up flavor.
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Go easy on salt – Vegetables and broth often already contain sufficient sodium.
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Finish with vinegar – Add a splash of vinegar right before serving to brighten flavors.
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Garnish it – Top each bowl with fresh herbs, chili flakes, cheese or tortilla strips.
Benefits of Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup
Homemade chicken soup made with lots of vegetables offers many benefits:
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Nutrient-dense – Packed with vitamins A, C, K plus antioxidants, minerals and fiber
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Anti-inflammatory – Contains compounds that help reduce inflammation in the body
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Supports immunity – The nutrients can boost immune cell function to help you fight sickness
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Hydrating – The high water content from broth and vegetables prevents dehydration
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Comforting – Warm, soothing and fills you up – the perfect pick-me-up when sick
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Economical – Uses chicken and veggies already on hand for an inexpensive, hearty meal
When you make chicken soup, don’t miss the opportunity to pack it with delicious, healthy vegetables. Onions, carrots and celery make a flavorful base while potatoes, garlic and leeks add depth. Spinach, beans, peppers and corn provide colorful variety. Follow prep tips for tender, evenly cooked vegetables. With so many vegetables to choose from, you can create customized chicken soups again and again.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
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How to Make the Best Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Here’s how to make chicken noodle soup every time! If you’d rather make chicken soup without noodles, check out my most popular chicken soup recipe.
Prepare quality chicken stock: There’s a long and a short method for making homemade chicken stock. You should make the long version of homemade chicken stock if you have a few extra hours to spare. It’s kind of like making bone broth. Since most of us don’t, I’ve made this recipe with a simplified version that takes just 45 minutes. The end result is a soothing, comforting broth and juicy poached chicken perfect for shredding.
Use a mix of light and dark bone-in, skin-on chicken meat. The bones and the skin will add flavor and depth to the broth, while dark meat, naturally higher in fat when compared to breast meat, will withstand drying out in the boiling water. You could even use a whole chicken.
If you’re short on time, purchase good-quality store-bought broth. If you don’t have the time to make your own stock, try using store-bought chicken bone-broth or chicken stock. Store bought chicken broth is typically less flavorful.
Allow the veggies time to cook slowly before adding broth. Remember that jambalaya recipe I made where I talked all about this thing called the mirepoix. Well, chicken noodle soup has its own mirepoix of carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. When cooking these vegetables the key is to cook them low and slow. This sweetens, rather than caramelizes them, and creates that brothy flavor we love.
Season as you go. I start seasoning with salt from the very beginning until the very end. I salt the stock, the vegetables, and of course, the final result. Salt is your friend here. With that said, everyone will crave or require differing amounts of salt, so be conservative with each addition. As for black pepper, I wait to add black pepper until the vegetables have started softening.
Don’t forget about herbs. You’ll notice that I didn’t add a whole lot of fresh or dried herbs. That’s because this is a very simple chicken noodle soup recipe and the way I prefer my soup most of the time. With that said, I always add a couple of bay leaves to the broth and top each bowl with fresh parsley. Don’t be afraid to get creative – fresh thyme and fresh chives are also great additions.
Cook the egg noodles in a separate pot of salted water. If the noodles are cooked directly in the soup, they will continue to absorb stock even after they’ve finished cooking. The end result is soggy, mushy noodles and wasted broth.
Yes. You can make this chicken noodle soup recipe by swapping raw chicken with shredded rotisserie chicken. If you have the time, simmer the leftover carcass in a pot of boiling water for 20-30 minutes and strain it through a fine mesh strainer, before adding it to the softened vegetables. Note: I do not recommend simmering the carcass in the pot with vegetables. The chicken backbone is filled with tiny bones and the broth really should be strained before serving.
Yes, you can freeze chicken noodle soup, but it’s best to freeze before adding any noodles, as they tend to become mushy when reheated. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers, leaving space at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, reheat on the stovetop and stir in freshly cooked noodles just before serving.
Yes, homemade chicken noodle soup is hydrating, soothing, easy to digest, and full of nutrients. Homemade soup will always be healthier than store-bought soup which are typically loaded with sodium, artificial flavors, preservatives, and fall short on what our body really needs – vegetables!
Chicken soup 101
FAQ
What vegetables are good in chicken soup?
For this chicken vegetable soup recipe, I start with boneless skinless chicken breasts in a Dutch oven, then layer in carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and zucchini.
What ingredients do you put in chicken soup?
Ingredients1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken. 10 cups water, or as needed to cover. 3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped and separated. 1 pound baby carrots. 2 onions, chopped. 2 (14. 5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth. 2 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled. 1 packet chicken noodle soup mix.
What veggies can you add to soup?
Nearly any vegetable will make tasty soup: Sweet potato, zucchini, squash, turnip, tomato, celery, mushrooms, onions, leeks, cabbage, kale, chard, potatoes, rutabaga, celeriac, cauliflower, broccoli — the list goes on.
What does chicken soup contain?
The traditional chicken soup has a clear chicken broth and pieces of chicken or vegetables. Pasta, noodles, dumplings, carrots, potatoes, or grains like rice and barley are also often added.