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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (freezer meal)

As I write this, we are just coming out of a deep freeze in our town. It’s been six days of -40° temperatures and I can tell you that it has been a comfort soup kind of week! This homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is exactly that. bag with chopped vegetables, broth, and raw chicken on top and black crock pot of noodle soup on the bottom with text "Chicken Noodle Soup freezer meal" #freezermeal101 #chickennoodlesoup #soupsunday There isn’t much more comforting whether it be on a cold day or nursing a cold than good old-fashioned chicken noodle soup. If you have this made ahead and in the freezer, you can eat it whenever you need it.

Having it made as a freezer meal also makes it nice to give as a gift to someone you know who is sick or going through a hard time.close up of a freezer bag of chicken noodle soup

How can I spice up Chicken Noodle Soup?

If you like a bit of kick to your chicken noodle soup or just want to try something new, there are a few routes I can suggest.

  • Italian flavor twist: add seasonings such as oregano, basil, and thyme or Italian blend seasoning
  • Thai flavor twist: add some coconut milk  (1/2 cup), lime juice (1-2 Tbsp.), lemongrass, and top with fresh cilantro
  • Tex mex flavor twist: replace the carrots with cubed green or red bell peppers, add a small can of diced green chilies, and top with shredded cheese when serving. You can also serve with hot sauce. bowl of chicken noodle soup

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tsp. parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Day of cooking:

  • 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles for the day of cooking

collage of chicken noodle soup in a freezer bag, in the crockpot and in a bowlAssembly instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients except for the egg noodles in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove excess air. Seal. Label the bag with cooking directions and date.
  3. Freeze.

Cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw. Cook in crockpot on low for 4-5 hours.
  2. Take the chicken out of the liquid and cube or shred it.
  3. Put it back in the crockpot.
  4. Add the noodles.
  5. Cook another 10 minutes until noodles are tender.close up of a spoon lifting chicken noodle soup from a crockpotIf you want, you can serve the soup with soda crackers and an extra sprinkle of pepper.

What do I do with the leftovers?

Let the soup cool to room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Proceed with reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Can you freeze chicken noodle soup?

Yes, you can freeze chicken noodle soup, but you’ll want to wait until the day of serving before adding the noodles for optimal results. This ensures that your noodles aren’t mushy. 

The best method of freezing chicken noodle soup is to put the broth, seasonings, vegetables, and raw chicken in a freezer bag to store in the freezer and then add the noodles towards the end of cooking on the day of serving. 

It is possible to cook the soup and then freeze, but that can lead to overcooked vegetables and mushy texture in the noodles so is not recommended. 

If you want to make individual portions of the soup and freeze, it’s best to pre-cook the chicken.

Wanting to do meal prep to take for lunches?

Make large batches of chicken soup using pre-cooked chicken and freeze in mason jars, freezer bags, or other freezer safe containers.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep Time
5 mins
 
Course: Soup
Keyword: chicken noodle soup, soup
Servings: 6
Calories: 174 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 2 cups carrots peeled and chopped
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tsp. parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
Day of cooking:
  • 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles for day of cooking
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place all ingredients except for the egg noodles in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove excess air. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw. Cook in crockpot on low for 4-5 hours.

  2. Take out chicken and cube or shred it.
  3. Put it back in the crockpot.

  4. Add the noodles.
  5. Cook another 10 minutes until noodles are tender.

You may also like these other make-ahead soup recipes:

Vegetarian Taco Soupa spoon lifting vegetarian taco soup from a bowl

Hearty Sausage and Zucchini Soupclose up of a bowl of hearty sausage and zucchini soup

Instant Pot Tomato Soupbowl of tomato soup with the instant pot it was made in off to the side