Chicken Soup Without Noodles
Chicken slow simmered in a pot with carrots, celery, onions, and spices to create a homemade chicken soup that will stave off that Winter chill!
Winter has been wearing us out recently. So, Kim decided to make a homemade chicken soup to help us feel better.
She used chicken breast, carrots, celery, onions, and some carefully selected spices to make a soup that was perfect for keeping us warm.
We left out the noodles because, once stored, they get way too soggy to eat the next day. Enough talk, let’s get started!
Oh, if you want to to make a chicken soup in your pressure cooker, then try our Instant Pot chicken noodle soup. Just leave out the noodles.
How to make homemade chicken soup?
First, start by prepping the vegetables. You know, slice the carrots and celery, dice the onions, and mince the garlic.
Next, place your pot over low-medium heat and add the oil. Let it warm up a little before adding in the carrots, celery, and onion.
Now, go ahead and let the veggies cook for about 7 minutes. Toss in the garlic and let everything cook for another 30 seconds.
After that, add in the bay leaves, broth, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Give the ingredients a quick stir.
Then, increase the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for 60-90 minutes.
When the timer goes off, remove the chicken, sprigs of thyme, and bay leaves from the soup.
Afterward, shred the chicken using 2 forks and discard the bay leaves and thyme.
Last, place the chicken back into the soup along with parsley and stir everything. Turn off the heat because the homemade chicken soup is done!
That’s it, the recipe is finished. Kim and I hope you enjoy the soup and we wish you all the best 🙂
Looking for a heartier soup? Then check out our chicken potato soup!
Recipe Tips:
- For a quicker cook time, consider using pre-cooked, canned or rotisserie chicken. Also, cutting the chicken breast into smaller pieces (or using tenders) before adding it to the pot will help reduce some of the cook time.
- You can add noodles into the soup. Simply add them to the pot about twenty (20) minutes before the soup is done.
- Just an F.Y.I., you don’t have to use a Dutch oven for the recipe. Any pot will work as log as it’s large enough to hold all the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil, or unsalted butter
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs, or ¼ teaspoon dried
- Salt and pepper
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat two tablespoons of olive oil or butter over low-medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook the vegetables for 7 to 8 minutes until they begin to soften and the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.2 tablespoon cooking oil3 large carrots2 celery stalks1 large white onion3 garlic cloves
- Next, add the bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, broth, and chicken breast. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the chicken is cooked through and easily shreds with a fork.2 bay leaves3 fresh thyme sprigsSalt and pepper8 cups low-sodium chicken broth1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Remove the chicken breast to a waiting plate and use two forks to shred. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, then return the shredded chicken to the pot along with the fresh parsley. Stir to combine.¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- Serve hot. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Great flavor! Big hit with the husband. Easy to make.
Thank you Emily! We’re glad everyone enjoyed the soup. Have a lovely day 🙂
Great taste easy to make
Thank you, Kay! Have a wonderful day! 🙂
Are you supposed to cover it for the 1.5 hours of simmering? It’s all going to boil away if you don’t, right?
Good morning Katie, thank you for question. No, you don’t have to cover it. We’ve never had all the liquid boil away while the soup simmered. Now, if you let the soup cook on a roiling boil for that long, then sure, it could be a problem. With that being said, if you feel the need to cover it, do so. However, it’s not necessary. Thanks again for asking your question, have a lovely day 🙂
This looks so delicious and easy! I’m going to add cauliflower rice to make it chicken and rice soup!
Thanks so much, Trish! We hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful week! 😊
I have a question. I wanna make some chicken soup. But I forgot to buy the chicken broth. What do I do now?
Well, it’s not the end of the world, but the solution is time consuming. If you have 16 ounces of raw meat (beef, fish, or poultry), carrots, onions, celery, and multiple spices (garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, basil, etc.) then you can make your own broth/stock. We don’t recipe for because most people don’t want to go through the trouble. Who can blame them?
All you need to do is simmer the meat, veggies, and spices in 2-3 cups of water (salt to taste) for a few hours. Pull the meat aside when the broth is done. You can use the meat in your soup. Let the broth cool and filter out the veggies and transfer the liquid to a sealed container.
It will hold in your fridge for 3-5 days. Or you can go to store and grab broth because it’s easier. Thank you for asking your question and have a lovely day 🙂
This sounds delicious and I’m going to try it but I would like to do it in an instant pot. Do you have recommendations for using an instant pot. I would saute the vegetables first in the pot and I’ve made many soups in an instant pot but I just want to get your idea about how long to cook it.
Thank you
Hi Cathy!
We have an Instant Pot chicken noodle soup recipe that is almost identical to the stovetop chicken soup without noodles. The Instant Pot soup uses less broth and a little less chicken. You may find the instructions helpful, though. 🙂 Just skip the step where the noodles are added and it’s pretty similar. The seasonings can be adjusted to your liking in either recipe. Hope that helps! 🙂
Would adding sliced cabbage add to the soup, replacing noodles work?
Good Morning Elizabeth, that’s a good question. We’ve never tried it before, but I’m confident it should work. Have a great day 🙂
I love this recipe it is so easy and its wonderful. I make this all the time. Thanks so much for the great and easy recipe. I usually double it and freeze some and it comes out great. I love that there is no noodles it’s great for the no carb diet. Thanks again. Deb
How long should it cook for if I add cooked rotisserie chicken? Thank you!
Hi Vicky!
I’d bring the broth to a simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes to give the veggies and seasoning a chance to impart some flavor. Leave it a little longer for a stronger flavor. Then, stir in the rotisserie chicken just long enough to heat it through. Maybe another 5 minutes or so. Have a great weekend!
This was easy and was so delicious!
Thank you Candace! We’re glad you liked the soup. Thank for again for coming back to comment on the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
This recipe is so good and easy to make
Thank you for helping me with my low carb journey.
Good Morning Rachelle, that’s wonderful! Kim and I are happy you like the soup and we wish you all the best on your low carb adventure. Thank you for dropping by and have a lovely day 🙂