Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

Rotisserie Chicken Soup is part of the No Recipe Required series, a collection of quick and easy dishes that are more of an idea than a recipe.

Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe

1. A rotisserie chicken, obviously. Or, if you want to make a very large pot of soup, 2 rotisserie chickens. As you'll see, this recipe scales up or down as easily as you please.
2. An onion, a few cloves of garlic, a bell pepper, and some carrots (or any veggies you like!)
3. Tomatoes and fresh parsley
4. Olive oil, or vegetable or canola oil
5. Some grainy mustard - just a tablespoon adds a nice burst of flavor. Scroll down for more flavor boosting ideas!
6. Dried herbs, a pinch of sugar, salt and fresh ground pepper
7. Chicken broth or Better Than Bouillon chicken soup base + water
8. Noodles - I prefer using wide cut egg noodles, packaged or homemade
9. Some lemon juice or vinegar

Additions and substitutions

This is one of those recipes for which you can make an endless number of additions and substitutions. The basic formula is the same: cook some onions, garlic, herbs, and veggies in a bit of oil. Add some broth and simmer until the veggies are crisp tender, then add chicken and noodles.

But most of the ingredients can be swapped out with whatever you like and whatever you have. For example...

• Use any kind of veggies you like here. Chop them into relatively uniform sizes and be mindful as to how long different veggies take to cook. For example, potatoes or butternut squash will take a lot longer to cook than zucchini or peas. If using vegetables that have different cook times, just add the longer cooking veggies to the liquid first and the shorter cooking ones later.
• Use rice instead of noodles. I prefer to cook the rice in a separate pan then add it at the end. This ensures that the rice is cooked to the desired texture without overcooking or undercooking the veggies in the soup.
• Use quinoa, couscous, farro, or pearl barley instead of noodles. As with rice, I prefer to cook other grains in a separate pan and then add them at the end. Pearl Barley, for example, can take 40 minutes to cook. If you cooked it in the same pot as the veggies, the veggies will be quite over cooked by the time the barley is done.
• Or, go a totally different direction and substitute cooked lentils or beans for the grains or noodles.
• For me, garlic and onions are non negotiable, but if you don't want them in there, then leave them out. I have a friend who is super sensitive to both garlic and onions and so, when cooking for her, I often substitute chopped fennel and it's delicious.
• If you like a soupy kind of soup, add more broth. If you prefer a thicker soup, add less. Speaking of broth…

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Add some oil and chopped onion to a saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook until the onions are soft and starting to look translucent.

Add the chopped carrots and bell pepper and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring the veggies around in the oil to coat.

Add some dried herbs, a pinch of sugar, some grainy mustard, and a few cloves of chopped garlic. Cook, stirring for a minute or two.

Add a few cups of chicken broth (or Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base mixed with water). Bring the liquid to a boil and maintain a gentle simmer until the veggies are crisp tender.

Add the shredded rotisserie chicken, noodles, and some chopped tomatoes. Cook just until the noodles are al dente - firm, but tender, with a slight chewiness and not mushy.

Stir in about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or vinegar. Taste, and add salt and pepper if necessary. If the broth you used is very salty, you may not need additional salt.

Top warm bowls of soup with a handful of chopped fresh herbs and some shredded parmesan if you like.

A few more riffs for not-so-basic chicken soup

Toss in some caramelized mushrooms. Yes, sliced mushrooms can be boiled in the broth, but they have so much more flavor when sautéed in a skillet with some butter and oil until they are golden brown and caramelized. So, when I want to add them to this soup, I caramelize them in a separate pan and then toss them into the soup along with the chicken.

Add some cooked bacon or Italian sausage. If starting with raw bacon or sausage, add it to the garlic and onions to cook it before adding the other ingredients.

Make vegan "chicken" soup by using one of the many vegan chicken substitutes available in most supermarket freezers.

Add some richness and flavor by topping bowls of chicken soup with a drizzle of olive oil and some shredded parmesan cheese. Also delicious are sautéed breadcrumbs or croutons.

Add some smoky chili flavor with a drizzle of Aleppo pepper oil. I pretty much always have a jar of this chili oil on my countertop because it's one of the easiest and most delicious ways I know to add a burst of chili flavor to anything.

What to serve with chicken soup

Two of the my favorite things to serve with any kind of soup are flaky buttermilk biscuits and buttery dinner rolls. But, a loaf of crusty bread, cornbread, or crackers are also the perfect accompaniment to warm bowls of soup.

Or, go for a classic soup and salad route combination and pair this soup with a tossed salad or a classic Israeli Salad.

And don't forget dessert! I like to pair cozy bowls of chicken soup with equally comforting desserts like gigantic gooey chocolate chip pecan cookies or warm apple cobbler.

Whatever you choose to serve with your chicken soup, this simple method is sure to become one of your favorite tricks to getting a healthy, delicious meal on the table in no time flat. 

More quick recipes that start with rotisserie chicken

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to leave a comment and rate it!