Make Ahead Chicken Noodle Soup
Relax, Make Ahead Chicken Noodle Soup is here to save the day!
Make Ahead Chicken Noodle Soup is the best freezer/make ahead meal for those winter (dark at 4:30pm) nights when you’ve had a looooong day, and you face the ever familiar crisis of cluelessness about what to eat for dinner. If you’ve got a freezer stocked with this recipe, you’ll never find yourself in this situation again!
Chicken noodle soup cannot be frozen as is – the noodles would completely turn to mush and ruin the whole soup. But don’t worry, I’ll walk you through how to do it right! So head on over to your local grocery store to grab a rotisserie chicken and some fresh produce (onion, carrot, celery and parsley if you like it) so you can stock up on America’s favorite soup.
I love using shredded rotisserie chicken in recipes, it’s deliciously seasoned, moist and already prepared. All you have to do is remove it from the bones and break it apart with clean hands :0). The rest of the recipe is really simple. You’ll make a flavorful broth with fresh veggies, then add in the chicken, divide it into freezer bags and freeze.
When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it out in the microwave long enough to soften the broth so it will fit into your pot. Heat it up to boiling, stir in some egg noodles (which cook very quickly) and serve.
You can have a hot steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup in front of you within 20 minutes with almost no effort. I’d say that’s pretty awesome, and so helpful for whenever you don’t feel like cooking, or need food on the table fast that everybody loves!
Please share your feedback with me on this recipe and rate it for other readers; I’d love to know how this Make Ahead Chicken Noodle Soup has saved the day for you!
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Make Ahead Chicken Noodle Soup
- Total Time: 1 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
There’s nothing more comforting that being served a hot bowl of classic homemade chicken noodle soup. Life is busy, so be prepared all winter long with several batches of Make Ahead Chicken Noodle Soup for those early nights when you need dinner now without a lot of cooking!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 small onions, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons chicken bullion powder (or 16 bullion cubes)
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 celery ribs, sliced thin
- 4 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (about one store bought rotisserie chicken)
- 4 cups dry egg noodles
- optional: garnish with freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven set over medium heat, melt butter. Add in the minced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Pour 16 cups (4 quarts) of water into the pot, and add the salt, bullion, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chicken. Let cool uncovered at least one hour. Ladle into two gallon size zipper-lock baggies, date and freeze.
- When it’s time to serve: Thaw one bag in the microwave long enough so the contents can be broken up and fit into a pot. Set the pot to high heat and stir occasionally until the soup comes to a boil. Add 2 cups dry egg noodles and boil according to package directions (usually about 7 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in freshly chopped parsley if using. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
Directions to skip freezing and serve right away: follow recipe through step 1. Once the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, bring the soup back up to a rolling boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions (usually about 7 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in shredded chicken and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle freshly minced parsley on top if desired and serve. Recipe can be halved if desired to feed 6 people instead of 12.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 1328 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.3 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 16.3 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
Wow, a yummy noodle soup. Can I add here Beans?
Thank you! Yes, you could add beans; I would recommend white beans like Cannellini beans :0)
wow, its look so delicious and yummy. i just want to taste it. its really looking so appetizing , mouth watering and its easy to make at home. its the best recipe that everyone loves to it. thanks for sharing this amazing article and delicious recipe of chicken noodle soup.