Glossy & Flavorful Chicken Noodle Soup
If your idea of chicken noodle soup is a watery, sad bowl of broth with floppy noodles, this isn’t your grandma’s version (though she might beg you for a bowl). This is thick, savory, noodle-laden, leftover-hugging, “eat-it-for-a-week” kind of chicken noodles. Ideal for curling up in with a movie, battling a cold, or — yes — dominating your Thanksgiving leftovers game.
We eat this for days. On day one, it feels like “soup + dinner.” On day three, it’s “chicken noodle stew,” thick and comforting. By day five (if we’re lucky enough not to inhale it sooner), it’s downright velvet in a bowl.
Why This Version Is a Game-Changer
- Brown first, then build: Browning the chicken before adding everything gives you flavor depth—those golden bits are everything.
- Veggie sauté + toast + flour (roux vibes): You’re doing a mini mise en place of flavor. The veggies get their time, then you toast the seasonings, then you introduce the flour to thicken. It’s old-school technique, but in a fast, home-friendly way.
- Noodles in at the end: You don’t want mush — so you hold off on adding noodles until the right moment.
- Leftovers get better: The starches and flavors meld — making this even more decadent the next day (if it lasts that long).
The Real (Human) Cooking Story
I usually half all the ingredients for my little family… (because full batches are heroic but dangerous—too easy to kill a pot). First, I heated avocado oil and browned chunks of chicken breast so they had crispy, golden edges. I removed them, then tossed in celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, cooking for a few minutes until things softened.
Then I sprinkled in pepper, Sazón, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika. Let those lovely aromatics toast for about a minute (don’t burn—just coax flavor). Next came the flour—blend it in, coat everything, and let it cook briefly so you don’t taste raw flour.
Slowly, I poured in chicken broth (like making a roux), stirring so it thickened. Then I threw the chicken back in, brought it to a boil (stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t cry), then removed the chicken, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and returned it to the pot. Now the fun part — adding chicken bouillon and the homestyle Kluski noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender.
Ladle into bowls. On day one it’s rich, on day two it’s almost a chicken noodle velouté, and by day three it’s borderline casserole in liquid form (in a good way).
What You’ll Want to Know (Because I Learned the Hard Way)
- Don’t skip browning — it gives depth. If you overload the pot and just boil, you lose dimension.
- Flour timing matters — stir it in carefully so you don’t end up with lumps or raw flour taste.
- Noodles & timing — add the noodles when the broth is ready and hot, not too early, so they don’t overcook.
- Leftover tip: I love it when it’s thick. But if you want, if it gets too thick overnight, add a splash of broth when reheating.
- Thanksgiving MVP: Make this ahead in a smaller batch. Use leftover turkey instead of chicken if you like. Those noodles soaking up gravy-like flavors? Chef’s kiss.
(Mini) Foodie Factoid Because We’re Cool
Kluski noodles (also called egg noodles) are a Polish-style noodle often used in hearty, homey soups. They tend to hold up better than thin pasta in stews because their shape and “bite” make them resilient. So when your leftovers are thick and slightly gelatinous — that’s just the kluski doing its thing.
Final Thoughts & What’s Coming Next
This thick chicken noodles recipe is ideal when you want something warm, comforting, and un-pretentious—but still feels like a hug in a bowl. It’s dinner, lunch, snack, midnight snack, all wrapped into one pot.
Chicken Noodles
Ingredients
- Avocado Oil
- 1.25 lbs chicken breast
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 4 carrots chopped
- ½ large onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tbsp ground black pepper
- 1.5 tbsp Sazón seasoning
- 1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ½ stick butter
- 2-3 oz ¼ cup flour
- 64 oz chicken broth
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon
- 16 oz Homestyle Kluski noodles I use 2/3 of the bag
Instructions
- Brown chicken: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Brown chicken breasts on all sides, then remove and set aside.
- Sauté veggies: Add butter, celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until softened.
- Toast seasonings: Add pepper, Adobo, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika. Cook ~1 minute until fragrant.
- Make roux & add broth: Stir in flour thoroughly, then gradually add chicken broth, stirring constantly.
- Cook chicken: Return chicken to the pot and cook ~15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken, chop into bite-sized pieces, and return to pot.
- Add noodles & bouillon: Stir in chicken bouillon and noodles. Cook until noodles are tender.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.
- Tip: Leftovers thicken beautifully overnight—just add a splash of broth when reheating if needed.
