Rotisserie chicken noodle soup is an easy, one pot meal that's soothing, comforting, and made with simple ingredients. Perfect for sick days, winter weather, and weeknight dinners!
This classic chicken noodle soup recipe couldn't be easier to prepare, thanks to the help of a shredded rotisserie chicken. It has a mild, soothing flavor, perfect for when you're feeling under the weather. Plus, it's filled with nutritious ingredients like celery, carrots, onion, and chicken broth.
All you need to do is shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken, sauté your veggies in a stock pot, then add your broth, seasonings, and pasta. This chicken soup is ready in 30 minutes or less and is prepared in a single pot.
Plus, this recipe can be easily modified to be freezer friendly. Keep your favorite chicken noodle soup on hand for sick days, future quick dinners, or cold winter days when you don't feel like cooking.
Ingredients and substitutions
Rotisserie chicken - For this recipe, you'll need one cooked rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chicken can be substituted with 16 ounces of any cooked, lightly seasoned, leftover chicken or turkey (great for Thanksgiving leftovers!).
Celery, onion, and carrot - Also known as mirepoix, this combination of veggies is a staple in cooking, and adds the perfect flavor to your chicken soup.
Pasta - I prefer orecchiette, which is a small ear-shaped pasta. They hold broth like a little bowl and fit easily on a spoon without sliding off. Any small pasta, like orzo, ditalini, or small shells, would work well. Or, use a thin egg noodle for a classic noodle soup experience.
Chicken broth - Can be substituted with vegetable broth if desired. I do not recommend using a low-sodium broth for this recipe, because much of the flavor comes from the broth. If using a low-sodium broth, I recommend doubling the herbs listed to make up for the lost flavor.
Seasoning - Thyme, basil, salt, and pepper add depth of flavor to your soup. Italian seasoning can be used in place of the thyme and basil if you keep this blend on hand.
Best type of pasta for soup
I recommend using your favorite type of pasta or noodle for your chicken noodle soup. Here are my favorites:
Orecchiette is my favorite pasta shape for broth based soups. It acts as a little bowl to hold additional broth, and fits easily on a spoon without slipping off.
Ditalini looks like a short tube, or a thimble, and makes a great pasta for soups.
Orzo is a rice shaped pasta - if you enjoy rice soups you will likely enjoy orzo too. Plus, it's small and very easy to eat.
Macaroni is easy to find - you may already have a box in the cabinet. Macaroni works great for an impromptu chicken noodle soup!
Thin or medium egg noodles are a classic choice for chicken noodle soups. If you grew up on canned or boxed chicken noodle soup, this may bring back a bit of nostalgia for you.
These are just a few of my favorite pasta options for rotisserie chicken noodle soup. Literally any size or shape of pasta can work in chicken noodle soup.
But, keep in mind the size of pasta in comparison to the size of your spoon. Will this pasta be easy to eat in a soup? When in doubt, smaller, shorter pasta is the best choice.
Freezing and reheating
This soup can easily be modified into a freezer friendly meal. I do not recommend freezing cooked pasta, as it can easily become gummy when thawed.
However, your soup base - veggies, broth, seasoning, and chicken - can be frozen in an airtight, freezer safe container or bag for up to 4 to 6 months.
To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator the night beforehand. Pour into a stock pot, bring to a simmer, add your pasta, and cook to al dente. Your soup is ready to serve!
Or, reheat your soup base and add cooked pasta just before serving.
How long does homemade soup last?
Homemade soup lasts about 3 to 5 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. If you're refrigerating leftover soup that includes pasta, it will continue to absorb liquid and get soggy the longer it sits. Soup with pasta will likely only last 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator before degrading in quality.
If you are planning to have leftovers, I recommend cooking your pasta separately (directions for this are included in the recipe card). Then, add the pasta just before serving. The soup base and pasta are stored separately, so your pasta doesn't soak up the broth and get soggy.
What to serve with chicken noodle soup
Rotisserie chicken noodle soup can make a hearty meal on its own. To stretch it even further, try serving your soup with these side dishes:
- Buttery stovetop biscuits
- Saltine crackers
- Freezer garlic bread
- Garlic butter croutons
- Fresh fruit
- Winter chopped salad
- Kale cranberry salad
- Cheese quesadilla
More recipes
Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 48 ounces chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces orecchiette, uncooked
- 16 ounces water, optional*
Instructions
- Separate meat from rotisserie chicken, discarding bones and skin. Chop cooked chicken into bite size pieces and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add chopped celery, carrot, and onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to lightly brown and onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add chicken broth, chopped rotisserie chicken, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook pasta in soup: To your soup base, add 16 ounces of water* and pasta. Bring to a simmer and cook pasta to al dente according to pasta's package directions.Cook pasta separately: Bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente according to pasta's package directions. Drain, then add pasta to each bowl of soup before serving. Serve soup warm, optionally with bread, crackers, or a side salad.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken can be substituted with 16 ounces of cooked, lightly seasoned chicken.
- Homemade soup will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days without pasta, or 1 to 2 days with pasta. Pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits and will degrade quickly.
- Cook pasta separately if you'd like to freeze remaining soup base for later (pasta does not freeze well), or to serve leftovers throughout the week (pasta will absorb broth and get soggy as it sits).
- Soup base (without pasta) can be frozen for 4 to 6 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Pour soup into a stock pot along with dry pasta, bring to a simmer, and cook pasta to al dente.
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