Description
This Easy Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup is a comforting and hearty dish perfect for chilly days or when you’re craving a classic, homemade soup. Using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken saves time while delivering rich flavor, combined with fresh vegetables, herbs, and tender pasta. You can prepare it either on the stovetop or in a slow cooker for convenience. This soup is wholesome, satisfying, and ideal for a family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 rotisserie chicken (fully cooked, approx. 2 1/2 pounds, still on bone, optional)
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 4-5 carrots, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Pasta & Thickener
- 2 cups dry pasta (your choice, e.g., egg noodles or small shells)
- 1/4 cup corn starch (or arrowroot powder)
Additional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for stovetop cooking)
Instructions
- Prep the Ingredients: Chop the celery, carrots, and onion into bite-sized pieces. Remove the chicken breast meat from the rotisserie chicken and shred if desired. Keep the carcass and bones for flavoring the soup.
- Sauté Vegetables (Stovetop Method): Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the chopped celery, carrots, and onion, sautéing until the onions become translucent and vegetables soften slightly.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth and add garlic powder, dried parsley, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, sea salt, cracked pepper, and the entire rotisserie chicken including the bones. If preferred, place smaller bones in a cheesecloth bag to avoid small bone pieces in soup.
- Simmer the Soup: Reduce heat to medium and bring the soup to a low boil. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Use tongs to remove the chicken carcass and bones carefully.
- Cook the Pasta: Add the dry pasta to the soup and cook for 10-15 minutes until pasta is al dente.
- Thicken the Soup: Pour 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the hot soup into a small bowl and whisk in the corn starch until it dissolves completely. Return this mixture to the pot and stir fully to thicken the soup slightly.
- Serve and Store: Enjoy the soup hot. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Slow Cooker Option – Prep: Add all ingredients except the pasta and corn starch into the slow cooker.
- Slow Cooker Cooking: Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Remove the chicken bones before adding the dry pasta.
- Add Pasta & Thicken in Slow Cooker: Stir in the dry pasta and cook until al dente—this usually takes 15-20 minutes but may vary. Whisk corn starch into a small bowl with soup liquid, then add back into the slow cooker to thicken and stir well.
- Serve and Store (Slow Cooker): Serve hot and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- You can use any small pasta shape such as egg noodles, shells, or elbows for best results.
- For bone removal, using tongs or a slotted spoon is helpful to avoid broken bones in the soup.
- Substitute arrowroot powder for corn starch for a gluten-free alternative.
- Soup thickening is optional; omit the corn starch for a lighter broth.
- Leftovers last 3-4 days refrigerated and reheat well.
- For vegetarian adaptation, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth with plant-based protein alternatives.
