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This chicken noodle soup with kale is a 30-minute, one-pot dinner made with rotisserie chicken and wide egg noodles.
Plenty of chicken noodle soup recipes start by simmering a whole bird, which adds an hour of extra cooking time. This one starts with a grocery store rotisserie chicken and is on the table in 30 minutes, with the kale going in at the very end so it softens to exactly your preference instead of cooking down to nothing. You get wide egg noodles cooked right in the broth, softened carrots, and enough soup for six generous bowls from one pot.
Why You’ll Love This Soup
- Weeknight fast: the rotisserie chicken is already cooked and seasoned, so the only real cooking is softening the vegetables and the noodles.
- One pot, no draining: the noodles cook straight in the broth.
- Big batch: ten cups of broth makes six servings, with leftovers for lunches or a friend who’s under the weather.
Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at what goes in. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Avocado oil: or any neutral oil, including olive oil.
- Vegetables: onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Fresh or frozen pre-chopped both work.
- Kale: more on which kind below.
- Chicken broth: low-sodium, homemade if you have it.
- Herbs and spices: fresh dill, dried oregano, salt and black pepper.
- Wide egg noodles: they go in dry, no precooking.
- Rotisserie chicken: any cooked chicken works. If you only have raw chicken, cook it in the air fryer first.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup
All you need is a large Dutch oven or stockpot, a knife and a cutting board.
- Sauté the vegetables: Warm the oil in your pot over medium heat, then toss in the onion, celery and carrots. Give them a stir every so often for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion turns translucent. Hold the garlic back until the last 30 seconds, because it burns much faster than everything else.
- Add the broth and seasonings: Pour in the broth, stir in the dill, salt, oregano and pepper, and bring everything up to a boil. Let it bubble for 5 to 6 minutes, just long enough for the carrots to soften.
- Cook the noodles right in the pot: Drop the dry egg noodles straight into the boiling broth, no separate pot needed. After 6 to 7 minutes they should be almost tender, with just a little bite left. Using a different noodle? Go by its package time instead.
- Stir in the chicken and kale: Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chicken and kale. Everything just needs to warm through, and the kale is done once it turns bright green (more on that below). A sprinkle of fresh parsley or thyme on top is a nice finish.
Which Kale to Use and When to Add It
Curly kale and lacinato (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale) both work here. I used curly simply because it is easier to find in my area. Strip the leaves off the tough center stems and slice them into thin ribbons so they soften quickly. A bag of pre-chopped kale is a fine shortcut; just pull out any thick stem pieces.
The kale goes in last, with the chicken, once the heat is turned down. Added with the carrots, it would cook down to dull, limp shreds. It’s ready when it turns bright green and the leaves relax but still hold their shape. This takes just 2-3 minutes.
What to Serve With It
Warm, crusty bread is the classic. For something heartier, try this Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, or add a Cranberry Apple Kale Salad on the side. Have rotisserie chicken left over? Use it in this Chicken and Spinach Pasta.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: up to 5 days in an airtight container. It gets even better as it sits.
- Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer bags or containers with the noodles.
- Reheat: microwave in 30-second bursts, or warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Tips and Swaps
- Any cooked chicken: breasts, thighs or leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. More rotisserie chicken to use up? Try this Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie.
- Butter: can replace the avocado oil.
- Spinach: can stand in for the kale, follow the same steps.
Chicken Noodle Soup FAQs
Classic chicken noodle soup uses wide egg noodles, which is what I use here. They hold their shape in the broth instead of falling apart. Short pastas like elbows, orzo, farfalle or orecchiette also work, as do broken fettuccine or lasagna noodles.
Homemade chicken stock gives the best flavor. Store-bought broth is usually high in sodium, so I use low-sodium. If you use regular broth, taste before adding any salt.
Yes. Barilla gluten-free elbows or penne work with the same cooking time. Just watch them closely, since gluten-free pasta goes soft quickly if overcooked.
More Soup Recipes
Simple Chicken Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- ½ medium onion , diced
- 3 celery sticks , chopped
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp fresh dill , chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp dry oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 cups wide egg noodles, dry
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken , diced
- 2 cups shredded kale
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and saute until the onion is translucent (about 3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds more.
- Pour in the chicken broth, add the dill, salt, oregano, and black pepper and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-6 minutes, or until the carrots are softened.
- Add the egg noodles and cook until almost tender, about 6-7 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the diced chicken and shredded kale. Stir until everything is heated through and the kale is bright green and softened, 2-3 minutes.
Notes
- Freezing: freeze the soup, noodles and all, in freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months.
- Kale: curly or lacinato both work. Remove the stems and slice the leaves into thin ribbons. Spinach can be used instead and goes in at the same point.
- If you make this soup, please leave a star rating and a comment below!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
