Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (Family Recipe) (2024)

My Grandma's chicken soup recipe is so nostalgic and comforting. Juicy chicken thighs are simmered in a light and creamy broth with potatoes, carrots, and tender noodles. It's the best chicken noodle soup recipe I've ever had, and I know you're going to love it!

My Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup

My Grandma knew her way around the kitchen, and her homemade chicken noodle soup recipe is by far my favorite recipe of hers. It's got all the flavors of classic chicken soup but with a few secret ingredients that make it the best soup ever!

The recipe starts off by cooking the chicken thighs until the skin is golden crisp and the meat is super juicy. Then carrots, potatoes, and noodles are cooked until they're tender and full of flavor from the broth. I add a little heavy cream to make a creamier, richer broth before serving each bowl with a pinch of crispy chicken skin, which really takes everything over the top.

The finished chicken noodle soup is warm, hearty, and flavorful. I could eat it every night of the week!

It's a filling meal on its own, but when I'm making it for a big family dinner, I always make these sour cream biscuits. They're what my grandma would serve with chicken noodle soup, and I think they're the perfect side.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's a one pot meal. Everything to make my Grandma's homemade chicken soup recipe comes together in one pot. It makes the cooking process seamless, and it's an easy recipe to clean up after too.

Makes great leftovers. This soup tastes amazing on day one, but I think it tastes even better the next day! I usually make a double batch to have soup on hand all week long.

My family's favorite soup. This may go without saying, but my Grandma's chicken soup recipe has been a staple soup recipe in the Cunningham family for as long as I can remember. That's why I'm excited to share it on the blog. I know it'll be a family favorite of yours in no time!

Ingredients

The list for my Grandma's chicken noodle soup recipe might be a little odd, but trust me, everything comes together to make the ultimate comfort food soup recipe.

Here's everything you'll need to make chicken noodle soup:

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in with skin
• 2 tbsps. butter
• 3 cups carrots and potatoes (fresh or frozen), diced
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 5 ½ cups chicken broth
• 8 oz dried fettuccine
• Lemon wedges, for servings

If you have to run to the store for chicken thighs, grab a few extra so you can make my chicken bacon ranch casserole. It's another one of my favorite chicken recipes, so you'll definitely want to try that one next!

How To Make Grandma's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Cook the chicken: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Place the chicken skin side down in the pot and cover it with a lid. Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Then flip it over and place the lid back on to cook for another 5 minutes. When the chicken is done cooking, carefully remove the crispy skin and set it aside for later.

2. Cook the veggies: Return the chicken to the pot and add the chicken broth, carrots, and potatoes. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes. The chicken should be very tender and shred easily with a fork.

3. Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken thighs from the soup and carefully shred them with a fork. Discard the bones and return the chicken meat back to the pot.

4. Cook the noodles: Add the noodles to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes or until the noodles are tender.

5. Finish the soup: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolk and heavy cream until they fully combine. Add the egg mixture to the soup broth and cook the chicken soup for an extra 2 minutes. Serve the chicken noodle soup warm in bowls topped with crispy chicken skin and sprinkled with more thyme and fresh parsley. Finish it off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten up the flavor, and enjoy!

My Tips For Making The Best Recipe

• Feel free to use other types of noodles, like egg noodles, elbow macaroni, or orzo, to switch up the texture of the soup.
• I like to cut the veggies the day before to speed up the recipe and make this more convenient to make.
• I've made this recipe with chicken breasts and even leftover rotisserie chicken before, and it always turns out great, so don't worry if you don't want to use chicken thighs.
• My grandma would swap chicken broth for low sodium chicken broth to cut back on the salt sometimes. So feel free to do that too. The soup is delicious both ways.

How To Store Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

In the fridge: Store the leftover soup in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

In the freezer: Allow the leftover chicken noodle soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating: I like to heat the soup in a large pot set over medium heat on the stovetop. Just simmer until it is fully reheated. For frozen soup, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight or add more reheating time.

More Recipes

• Rotisserie chicken noodle soup
• My grandma's secret beef lasagna
• My grandma's famous turnip greens
• Grandma old fashioned sweet potato pie
• Grandma old fashioned apple pie