I’ve just recently discovered that you can use a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store’s deli to make chicken broth. I’ve got a thing about handling whole raw chickens (feel like they might squawk at me) so this method works out really well for those who are a little wimpy like me. I’m not sure why I never realized how much goodness you could get out of the leftovers of a picked rotisserie before, and now I’m feeling bad that I’ve wasted them for so long!
That browned skin on the rotisserie makes for a really rich flavorful broth and you’ll find that making your own chicken broth is very simple thing to do. It can just simmer away on the stove while you get a bunch of other things checked off you to do list. The only slightly complicated part is straining the broth, and I would recommend using this type of strainer to make the job easier. If you don’t have a strainer you can set over your pot, you may need an extra set of hands to hold the strainer while you pour.
I like to use frozen egg noodles in my chicken noodle soup. I’ve made my own homemade egg noodles before and these are honestly just as good and so convenient to just pull out of the freezer whenever you need them.
I’m choosing not to notice the fact that it’s just now dipping down into the 70’s this week, and I’m sharing cozy wintery things like Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup as if I could really use something to warm me up after coming in from the bitter cold. So if you really are chilled to the bone, or even if you just wish you were, I hope you can snuggle up to a nice warm bowl of chicken noodle soup very soon. It’s good for the soul and easy too!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
How to make your own homemade chicken noodle soup using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store deli.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, fully cooked
- 1/3 of an onion
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- Reserved chicken
- 8 ounces of Reame’s frozen egg noodles
- addition salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from bones, and set aside. Add remaining parts of the chicken (bones, skin, juices, etc) to a large pot and cover with water. I used about 3 quarts of water.
- Add 1/3 of an onion, 2 stalks of celery (leaves are good) and a bay leaf. Add some salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and some black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil uncovered, and allow to simmer gently for 1-2 hours.
- Remove the bones, skin, vegetables and bay leaf. Pour the broth trough a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Then pour it back into the pot and return to the heat. I added three more cups of water to my broth at this point, and the amount will depend on how much flavor you like, and how concentrated your broth is.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots and simmer gently on medium heat until they are tender (about 30 minutes).
- In the meantime, cut your reserved chicken into bite size pieces and add it to the pot.
- Add the frozen noodles, and simmer and stir occasionally for at least 20 more minutes. Taste the soup for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 258
- Sugar: 2.6g
- Sodium: 623mg
- Fat: 9.1g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 107mg
Disclaimer: the links in this post for the strainer are Amazon affiliate links.
Can’t remember the last time I made chicken noodle soup. Thanks for reminding me how delicious, hearty and comforting it is – definitely a recipe I will be making this week!
i need someone to make me this. i have a bad cold today and dont feel like doing much. but i want this soup!
I LOVE homemade chicken noodle soup!! And you version looks SO delicious! Pinned!
Love chicken noodle Julie, especially this quick version. It’s my go to most days.
This recipe is such a great idea! I can’t wait to try it this weekend.
Hope you love it Julie!
These look delightful! My mouth is watering just looking at the pictures. Great job!
Hi forgive me for asking but I’m in UK what are those round items on the top of the soup
No problem Jon! Those are called Oyster crackers… a plain salty cracker often served here with soups, chowders, and chili’s.
Wow its gonna that some work to get those. …… happy holidays
Can you freeze both the broth itself and the put together soup? If so for how long and how would you recommend storing and reheating? Thanks so much in advance – I am in a winter sleet wonderland now so soup is on my mind for sure…
Yes, you can freeze them either way. I would recommend letting the broth/soup cool, and then place a gallon size Zip-loc bag into a bowl so it won’t tip, fill, close, and lay flat to freeze. You may want to double bag just in case. I would recommend freezing for up to 3 months. To thaw, place it in the fridge over night and reheat in a pan on the stovetop over medium low heat. Sometimes I’ve noticed that soups are thicker after they have been frozen and reheated, so you may want to add a little more broth as needed to thin out. Hope this helps. Enjoy and stay cozy!
This recipe was sooooo delicious!!! Best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had!
I’m so glad you loved it too Jeanni! I love soup season :0)
Ran across this today and had the rotisserie chicken in the fridge… Great recipe!! Family loved it. I will never throw away the left over chicken again. Thank you
Glad you all loved it Jeff!
I do not have the frozen noodles. Should I prepare the dried pasta before adding to the soup or just have them cook in the broth?
Lee, I think it should be fine to just have them cook in the broth. As long as you have it boiling a bit so the noodles can move around, they shouldn’t stick together.
Hi.
I made this last night and it was fabulous!
However, I added 2 sprigs of rosemary and used extra wide noodles. (I won’t do that again!)
I felt as if I needed to add some more broth so I mixed up some from bouillon and added it, but that just means MORE SOUP! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. So easy and delicious!
I’ve made chicken noodle soup a few different ways and this is by far my favorite recipe! I won’t be trying another recipe for that matter! Soooooooo delicious! I’m making it again tomorrow and I will share a pic on instagram!
Thanks Andrea! Loved the pic!
Thanks April!
Just made this soup for a sick boyfriend. He loved it! The taste of the broth with the rotisserie chicken is amazing. I had never heard of the frozen egg noodles but will use them from now on. Thanks for the recipe!!
I love them too! There really is nothing like homemade soup when you are sick.
My daughter calls this my “magic” chicken noodle soup. I’ve made it for a few friends when they were sick and now it’s a permanent part of the winter rotation! Thanks for the recipe! Best soup I’ve ever tasted and a great way to repurpose rotisserie chicken!
I’m so glad you love it! Thank you Kristen!
Julie,
I’m new to cooking….. for the stalks of celery- do I leave them connected as a bunch and rinse to my best abilities or do I cut off the end where the ribs are connected and rinse each individual rib? and did you use the veggies again after straining or did you use fresh, crisp ones for the actual soup? Also, do you know if a bay leave gets stale? I’ve had a couple in a baggy in my pantry for a few years…. oops. And Lastly, how much reserved chicken do you add? we have about 1-1.5 cups leftover…..
Thanks,
Dana
Hi Dana, thanks for your questions. You can rinse the celery after you have separated the individual stalks. Yes, you will discard the onions and celery used to make the broth, and then add more for the actual soup. I’m not sure about how long the bay leaves last in the pantry, but I think they should be just fine. You can use as much chicken as you like, 1 1/2 cups should be fine. I hope you enjoy!
Finally! A chicken soup recipe that I absolutely love! I would love to make soup for sick friends but can’t trust my recipes! I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times and I love it so much, we have it amongst once a week! Those noodles and the taste of rotisserie chicken is the best!! I saute mushrooms and also throw in some fresh spinach. This is so good! Also the best ever pumpkin muffins! We love those too! Thank you!
I absolutely love this recipe. I used the leftovers of a rotisserie chicken – latin flavor and the recipe turned out fantastic. I added more carrots, onion and celery (approx 1/2 cup of each). I skipped the noodles and did not add extra water but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Also added chopped parsley before serving. Yummy! Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe.
Sounds great! So glad you enjoyed.
Do you have to use egg noodles