Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

Rotisserie chicken noodle soup is the ultimate comfort meal, made with tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and noodles in a cozy broth. It’s quick to throw together with a store-bought rotisserie chicken, making it perfect for busy nights. A bowl of this soup warms you up, soothes colds, and keeps everyone satisfied.

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup or this One Pot Lasagna Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The broth comes out rich and full of flavor every time, the chicken stays tender, and the noodles hold their bite instead of turning mushy. It’s simple, reliable, and the kind of chicken soup you’ll keep coming back to whenever you need comfort in a bowl.

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Ingredient List

For the Base:

• 1 rotisserie chicken (about 2–2½ lbs), cooked—bones optional (you can use thigh and wing bones for extra flavor)
• 12 cups chicken broth (or a mix of broth and water)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for stovetop cooking)

Vegetables:

• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 4–5 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, diced

Seasonings:

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper (adjust to taste)

Pasta & Thickening:

• 2 cups dry pasta (rotini, short pasta, or wide egg noodles)
• ¼ cup cornstarch (or arrowroot powder, for thickening)

Substitution Notes:

• No rotisserie chicken? Just roast your own chicken pieces
• Got fresh herbs? Use way more – like triple the amount
• Gluten issues? Rice noodles work fine, use arrowroot instead of cornstarch

Why These Ingredients Work

That rotisserie chicken is already seasoned and cooked perfectly. When you throw those bones in your pot, all that flavor comes out. Way better than starting with raw chicken that tastes like nothing.

My mom always said cornstarch makes soup “stick to your ribs.” She was right. It thickens everything up so you’re not drinking flavored water with some vegetables floating around.

I use dried herbs because they actually work better here. They get time to really blend in during the cooking. Fresh herbs are great but save your money – dried works perfect for this.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Big pot. Sharp knife. Cutting board. That’s basically it. I use my old Dutch oven that’s probably older than my kids. Works fine.

If you want to use the chicken bones but hate fishing them out later, tie them up in some cheesecloth. Or just pick them out at the end. Whatever works.

How To Make Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Your Ingredients

Strip all the meat off that chicken. I just use my hands – faster than a knife. Shred it into bite-sized pieces. Keep some bones if you want, especially the big meaty ones. Chop up your vegetables however you like them. I cut carrots thick because my kids complain if they’re too small.

Build Your Flavor Base

Heat oil in your big pot. Dump in all those chopped vegetables. Let them cook until they smell good and get a little soft. Takes about 8 minutes. Don’t walk away – they’ll burn. Stir them around every couple minutes.

Add Broth and Seasonings

Pour in your broth. Add the chicken meat, bones if you saved them, and all your seasonings. Bring it to a hard boil. You want it really bubbling.

Simmer and Develop Flavors

Turn the heat down so it’s just gently bubbling. Let it cook like this for about 15 minutes. This is when all the flavors get friendly with each other. Your kitchen will smell incredible. My dog always camps out in the kitchen during this part.

Thicken the Broth

Mix that cornstarch with some cold water in a bowl. Whisk it smooth – no lumps allowed. Pour it into your soup while stirring. Watch it get thick almost immediately. Keep it simmering for a few more minutes.

Cook the Pasta

Add your pasta right to the soup. Cook it until it’s done but not mushy. Different pasta takes different amounts of time, so taste it to check. Keep stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Final Touches

Fish out that bay leaf before someone bites it – learned that the hard way. Pull out any bones you threw in. Taste it and add more salt and pepper if it needs it. Serve it hot.

You Must Know

Do NOT overcook the pasta. I repeat, do not overcook the pasta. It will turn into mush and ruin everything. Add the pasta when you’re almost ready to eat. If you make this ahead, cook the pasta separate and add it to each bowl when serving.

Personal Secret: I keep a cup of hot broth on the side before adding pasta. When the soup gets thick from sitting around, I use this to thin it back out. Saves so many batches.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Use those bones! I know it seems gross but they make the soup taste like you cooked all day. Just tie them in cheesecloth if you’re squeamish.

Check the bottom of that chicken container – there’s usually good drippings in there. Pour those in too.

Cook pasta just barely done. It keeps cooking in the hot soup.

Don’t boil hard once you add cornstarch or your soup gets weird and cloudy.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Want cream soup? Add heavy cream at the very end. Not too much or it gets weird.

Like spice? Red pepper flakes or hot sauce work. Start with a little.

More vegetables? Potatoes, green beans, corn all work. Add them with the other vegetables.

Fresh herbs on top are nice. Parsley, dill, whatever you have.

Lemon juice right before serving makes everything brighter.

Make-Ahead Options

Make everything but the pasta ahead. Keeps in the fridge 3 days easy. Heat it up and add fresh pasta when you want to eat.

Freezes great without pasta for months. I always make extra and freeze half. Future me loves past me for this.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

This recipe is forgiving. More vegetables? Fine. Less chicken? Still good. Don’t stress about exact amounts.

Watch out for bones if you have little kids. Even with cheesecloth, sometimes small pieces get through.

Better broth makes better soup. The cheap stuff works but if you can afford it, get the good stuff.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with crusty bread, crackers, or grilled cheese. This is comfort food – make it comfortable.

I put extra pepper on top and sometimes drizzle olive oil. Makes it look fancier.

Big bowls. Don’t serve this in tiny bowls – people need proper portions of comfort food.

How to Store Your Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

Leftovers keep 4-5 days in the fridge. Gets thick when cold – totally normal.

Reheat slowly on the stove, adding broth or water to thin it. Microwave works for single servings.

Freeze without pasta for up to 3 months. Add fresh pasta when you reheat.

I freeze in single containers for work lunches. Just reheat and eat.

Allergy Information

Has wheat from pasta. Maybe celery issues for some people. Use gluten-free pasta and arrowroot powder for gluten-free version. No dairy unless you add cream. For low sodium, use low-sodium broth.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use leftover turkey instead of chicken?

Yeah, works great. Same exact method.

My soup is too thin – help?

Make more cornstarch slurry. Mix cornstarch with cold water, stir it in, let it bubble for a few minutes.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Sure. Everything but pasta and cornstarch in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low. Add cornstarch slurry and pasta last 30 minutes.

The pasta ate all my broth!

Add more broth until it looks right. This is why I keep extra around. Next time add pasta right before eating.

Fresh herbs instead of dried?

Use way more fresh – like triple. Add them near the end so they don’t get weird.

Are chicken bones safe?

Yes but remove them all before serving. Check carefully especially for kids.

💬 Made this soup? Tell me how it turned out! Did you change anything? I love hearing what people do differently.