This cozy homemade chicken macaroni soup is like a warm hug in a bowl. This easy and delicious recipe uses a whole chicken and we make the chicken stock from scratch, so there is no need to add a bouillon cube or store bought chicken stock.
TL;DR
- What is chicken macaroni soup? A comforting homemade chicken soup made with tender shredded chicken, elbow macaroni, carrots, celery, leeks, and a flavorful broth prepared from scratch.
- What makes this recipe different? Instead of using store-bought broth, we gently poach a whole chicken with fresh herbs and aromatics to create our own chicken stock. The result is a rich, flavorful soup without bouillon cubes.
- The secret to perfect macaroni: Cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls before serving. This keeps the macaroni from absorbing too much broth and becoming mushy, especially when storing leftovers.
- Prep time: 15 minutes, plus approximately 2 hours of simmering and time to cook the pasta.
- Best for: Family dinners, cold weather, meal prep, and using leftover chicken.
- Can you freeze it? Yes! Freeze the chicken soup without the macaroni and add freshly cooked pasta when reheating.
- Can you make it gluten-free? Absolutely. Substitute your favorite gluten-free elbow macaroni, cooked separately according to package directions. You are making the broth from scratch so there are no surprise additives that could contain gluten.
Whenever someone starts to get the sniffles in my family, I make this homemade chicken soup. It is the perfect recipe for rainy days and a complete meal to enjoy all season long.
The ultimate comfort food, just like Grandma would make.
What noodle to use for chicken noodle soup?
I love to use these elbow macaroni for the soup because they nestle perfectly in the spoon along with the chicken and vegetables, making for the perfect bite each time. If you use a pasta that is too large, you can't fit everything on the spoon together and it doesn't eat as well in my opinion. Here are some other small pastas I like to use for soup:
- Ditalini
- Orzo
- Mini wheels
- Small shells
- stars (did you know chicken pastina soup is called Italian Penicillin?)
- Rice can be used for a gluten-free alternative
Equipment needed:
A big stockpot - great for making big batches of soup. I use my Le Creuset Marseille Blue 16QT the most. It is the perfect size for making freezer soups as well.
A large cutting board that doesn't slide on your counter - making "la mise en place" much easier. I put rubber rings underneath it to secure it from slipping.
(This post contains affiliate links - if you purchase from the links I have share I receive a small commission - at no cost to you! Thank you for supporting my small business. )
Does Chicken Noodle soup really help a cold?
My Grandmaman would swear by it and, apparently, there is some science behind it too.
- The hot steam from the bowl alleviates congestion and gets mucus moving
- the carrots, onions, leeks and celery provide vitamins A and C for cold fighting
- The garlic has antimicrobial and antiviral properties
- The chicken (and importantly, the chicken fat from the skin) offer nourishing protein and help alleviate a stuffy nose.
My Grandmaman's chicken macaroni soup recipe was so cozy and comforting.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs). If you can't find a whole chicken, I suggest buying bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and thighs for the soup. The chicken skin gives off essential flavor and nutrients for this soup
- 18 cups of water (make sure there is enough water to cover the chicken fully)
- Aromatics for the stock(2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 sprigs rosemary, 2 sprigs thyme and 1 star anise)
- 2 teaspoons of Fleur de sel
- 1.5 cups of chopped carrots
- 1.5 cups of chopped celery
- 3 cups of chopped leeks
- 1.5 cups of dry macaroni
How to make chicken broth from scratch
- Fill a stock pot with the water.
- Add in your whole chicken, directly into the cold water with the aromatics.
- Turn the heat on to medium high and bring to a simmer. Then bring the heat to medium.
- Simmer for 1.5 hours in a stockpot over medium heat until the chicken is fully poached and you have a flavorful broth.
- Gently remove the chicken from the broth and then strain for a clear bouillon.
- Carve the poached chicken and cut into little pieces.(I couldn't resist eating a few pieces when I was cooking - it is sooo tasty) Add back into the broth
- Add in the chopped carrots, the celery and the leeks.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add another pinch of salt to taste.
- Meanwhile, cook your favorite pasta in a separate pot. (always cook the pasta in a separate pot so that the pasta doesn't sit in the soup and get all mushy!) I like elbow macaroni, it is the perfect ratio of pasta for every bite!
- Serve once the pasta is al dente. Ladle some pasta in the bottom of each bowl and then top with the chicken soup.
- Serve with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan.
- Voilà A big pot of nourishing, homemade from scratch chicken noodle soup that is like a hug in a bowl to last you through the week. Bon Appétit!
Seasoning:
Always adjust seasoning to your personal preference. I prefer to go light on the salt and then add a little pinch of flaky sea salt to my bowl when serving. You can also top with red chili flakes or black pepper. A little bit of sriracha is delicious in this soup as well!
I love to use different herbs to vary the seasonings. This recipe calls for parsley but dill is also a family favorite!
Variations:
Rotisserie Chicken : You can use a rotisserie chicken for this soup. First, remove most of the meat and set aside. Then boil the chicken bones in the water as per the instructions to create the stock. Follow the instructions in the recipe card.
Can I freeze leftover Chicken Noodle Soup?
Absolutely, however I always recommend cooking the pasta separately for exactly this purpose. The pasta will get all mushy if you leave it in the liquid to freeze. It is much better to freeze the soup (without the pasta) and then add the pasta, fresh, at each serving.
Other cozy Soup Recipes you will enjoy
Also, I have a collection of my favorite 15 French Soup Recipes here.
Soup Sunday Challenge - 4 weeks of live cooking demonstrations, every January!
What is your favorite soup? I love to hear from you!
FAQS
Yes, absolutely. Simply shred the chicken and add it toward the end of cooking to gently warm through while keeping it tender and juicy.
Small pasta shapes like macaroni, ditalini, or small shells work beautifully, as they fit perfectly on the spoon and blend seamlessly with the broth.
Simmering the chicken slowly with onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaf creates a rich, comforting broth that tastes as though it has been cooking all day.
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 5) and I run a marketing firm and a non-profit in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this Washington Post Article. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
I share our home cooking on Instagram, pinterest and tiktok. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive my new recipes and have advance access to cooking classes. I look forward to cooking with you!
(This post contains affiliate links - if you purchase from the links I have share I receive a small commission - at no cost to you! Thank you for supporting my business. )
Print
Homemade Chicken Macaroni Soup from scratch
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soup
Description
This cozy homemade chicken macaroni soup is like a warm hug in a bowl. This easy recipe uses a whole chicken to make the broth from scratch, just like grandma's recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs). If you can't find a whole chicken, I suggest buying bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and thighs for the soup. The chicken skin gives off essential flavor and nutrients for this soup.
- 18 cups of water (make sure there is enough water to cover the chicken fully)
- Aromatics (2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 sprigs rosemary, 2 sprigs thyme and 1 star anise)
- 2 teaspoons of Fleur de sel
- 1.5 cups of chopped carrots
- 1.5 cups of chopped celery
- 3 cups of chopped leeks
- 1.5 cups of dry macaroni
Instructions
- Fill a stock pot with the water.
- Add in your whole chicken, directly into the cold water with the aromatics.
- Turn the heat on to medium high and bring to a simmer. Then bring the heat to medium.
- Simmer for 1.5 hours in a stockpot over medium heat until the chicken is fully poached and you have a flavorful broth.
- Gently remove the chicken from the broth and then strain for a clear bouillon.
- Carve the poached chicken and cut into little pieces.(I couldn't resist eating a few pieces when I was cooking - it is sooo tasty) Add back into the broth
- Add in the chopped carrots, the celery and the leeks.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add another pinch of salt to taste.
- Meanwhile, cook your favorite pasta in a separate pot. (always cook the pasta in a separate pot so that the pasta doesn't sit in the soup and get all mushy!) I like elbow macaroni.
- Serve once the pasta is al dente. Ladle some pasta in the bottom of each bowl and then top with the chicken soup.
- Serve with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan.
- Voilà A big pot of nourishing, homemade from scratch chicken noodle soup that is like a hug in a bowl to last you through the week. Bon Appétit!
Notes
Variations:
Rotisserie Chicken : You can use a rotisserie chicken for this soup. First, remove most of the meat and set aside. Then boil the chicken bones in the water as per the instructions to create the stock. Follow the instructions in the recipe card.
Can I freeze leftover Chicken Noodle Soup?
Absolutely, however I always recommend cooking the pasta separately for exactly this purpose. The pasta will get all mushy if you leave it in the liquid to freeze. It is much better to freeze the soup (without the pasta) and then add the pasta, fresh, at each serving.
Jennifer Oliver-Rose says
I am very excited to try this recipe. I have made many of your recipes, they are fabulous.
If I use just chicken thighs, does the amount of water and cooking time change.
Merci!
Natalie says
How much pasta do you cook if you are using elbow macaroni? I don't see it in the recipe. On another note, I've made 5 of your recipes now and they were ALL delicious. My family has been very happy! 🙂
Anina Belle Giannini says
Thank you for catching! I appreciate you! I use about 1.5 cups of pasta for the soup. I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes
Patrick john says
"So delicious!" This chicken macaroni soup is the epitome of comfort in a bowl tender poached chicken, homemade broth cooked from scratch, perfectly al dente macaroni, and nutritious vegetables combine to create a comforting and calming hug-in-a-bowl experience.