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There’s nothing cozier than a warm bowl of this homemade chicken and stars soup on a chilly day. Made with love and a few simple shortcuts (like rotisserie chicken), a pot of easy chicken noodle soup is ready for the table in less than 45 minutes. Serve the comfort food classic with a side of buttermilk biscuits, 3-ingredient sour cream muffins, or a loaf of crusty bread!
Table of Contents
Homemade Chicken and Stars Soup
Classic comfort food from your childhood! Many of us grew up on the cans of Campbell’s chicken and stars soup, but nothing compares to the homemade version. With tender chicken meat, original star-shaped pasta, and veggies, this chicken soup recipe is a nourishing one-pot meal to keep your weeknights stress-free. Plus, you don’t have any of the artificial flavors or preservatives that you might find in the canned condensed chicken soup. Serve a warm bowl with corn muffins or buttermilk biscuits and watch your kids smile!
Chicken noodle soup was always the dish that my mom prepared for us when we were sick, so it’s no surprise that I feel compelled to do the same for my own family. But there’s no reason to wait for the next common cold to enjoy a pot of this goodness! The easy old-fashioned favorite comes together in minutes for a fresh and healthy weeknight meal. Just like Grandma’s kitchen!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pot of homemade chicken and star soup. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: to sauté the vegetables.
- Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic: savory aromatics that add classic flavor to the base of the soup.
- Thyme: fresh herbs add a bright touch and a fresh, earthy flavor. Dried thyme also works fine!
- Bay leaf: makes the soup taste like it’s been simmering on the stovetop all day long.
- Chicken broth and cold water: the base of the soup. Use homemade stock or homemade broth if available, or a high-quality store-bought brand. Start with a low-sodium variety if you don’t want your soup too salty. You’ll need the extra water to thin the broth, since the pasta cooks right in the pot and absorbs liquid as it simmers.
- Chicken: I like the convenience of a store-bought rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but you have other options as well. See my notes below for those suggestions. Diced into bite-size pieces or shredded meat is fine.
- Noodle stars: also called “stelline” or “estrellas,” you can find this pasta in grocery stores, in Target, or online at Amazon. They cook right in the broth, so you don’t even need to boil the stars in a separate pot!
- Salt and pepper: use these sparingly, as you might not need any extra salt (depending on how salty your broth is).
The Best Chicken To Use
You’ll need a total of 2 cups of cooked, shredded (or diced) chicken for this soup — more or less. There’s some flexibility there, so if you have more chicken on hand, feel free to toss it into the pot! I prefer the convenience of a store-bought rotisserie chicken when I need a meal on the table quickly, but you have some other options, too. Pick whichever works best for you and your schedule:
- Rotisserie Chicken: one store-bought rotisserie chicken should yield approximately 3 cups of shredded meat, so you’ll even have a little bit leftover.
- Whole Chicken and Homemade Broth from Scratch: make a homemade chicken noodle soup from scratch by cooking your own whole chicken (as I show you in this recipe). Use the meat and the broth from the whole chicken for this soup. You’ll need to allow plenty of extra time for that prep work.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs: Instead of cooking a whole chicken or buying a rotisserie chicken, you can boil boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs to use in this recipe. You’ll need about 1 lb. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs to equal approximately 2 cups of cooked, shredded meat. Boil the chicken in water until cooked through (about 15-18 minutes), then shred with two forks or dice before using in the soup.
How to Make Chicken and Stars Soup
Starting with cooked chicken and store-bought broth makes this homestyle chicken noodle soup quick and easy!
- Cook the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil on the stovetop until soft.
- Add the thyme, bay leaf, and broth. Bring the soup to a simmer, and cook (covered) until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the uncooked stars pasta and the chicken, and continue simmering (uncovered) until the noodles are just barely al dente, about 8 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve!
Serving Suggestions
A warm bowl of this cozy, old-fashioned chicken noodle soup goes well with any of these sides:
- House Salad with Candied Pecans, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, a Classic Caesar Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or a Wedge Salad
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, or Honey Cornbread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Bread or Cranberry Muffins
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread (No Yeast, No Knead) or Honey Beer Bread
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- A loaf of crusty Dutch Oven Bread, No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread, or French Baguette (just like you get with your soup at Panera!)
Preparation and Storage Tips
If you’d like to prepare a batch of the soup in advance, I recommend making the soup through Step 2 (do not add the noodles). Cool the broth and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer, add the noodles and chicken, and follow the rest of the recipe.
Leftover soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month; however, cooked noodles may be mushy when frozen and reheated.
How to Reheat
Warm leftovers in a covered saucepan over low heat, just until heated through. Do not overcook or you’ll end up with mushy noodles.
You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of chicken, use leftover turkey from a holiday meal.
- Swap out the stars pasta and use orzo pasta or another small shape like ditalini instead.
- Instead of cutting up fresh vegetables, add frozen mixed vegetables (such as corn, peas, and carrots) towards the end of cooking. You can pick your family’s favorites!
- Mix up the herbs and use your favorites. In addition to the thyme, good options include parsley, rosemary, sage, dill, oregano, basil, and chives.
- Soup without Vegetables: omit the veggies and just prepare the chicken soup with broth, chicken, and pasta.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Stars Soup Recipe
- Dice the vegetables into very small pieces, so that they’re about the same size as the cooked pasta. This will help them cook quickly, too!
- Don’t overcook the noodles or they will become mushy in your soup. Add them to the pot just before you’re ready to serve.
- What can I add to Chicken Noodle Soup for flavor? This recipe includes fresh herbs like thyme, as well as garlic and bay leaf for more seasoning. If you like an even stronger, richer tasting soup, feel free to add more of your favorite herbs like parsley, dill, basil, oregano, rosemary, or chives, or a spice blend like poultry seasoning.
- Taste and season as you go. The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth, and on personal preference. Add extra salt for more flavor, and feel free to increase the other herbs and seasonings as well. Start with low sodium chicken broth if you’re sensitive to sodium, since many store-bought options can be quite salty.
- A fresh parsley garnish, fresh lemon juice, or lemon zest at the end gives each bowl a pop of color and a bright touch. These are optional, though!
More Chicken Soup Recipes to Try
Chicken and Stars Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 3 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 cups chicken broth (plus extra as needed to thin the soup at the end)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- ¾ cup dry star shaped pasta (also called “stelline” or "estrellas")
- Optional garnish: fresh lemon juice; chopped fresh parsley or thyme
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add chicken broth, water, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes).
- Stir in cooked chicken and dry pasta. Simmer, uncovered, until the pasta is tender (about 8-10 minutes). Stir regularly so that the pasta doesn’t stick.
- Remove bay leaf. Season soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in extra chicken broth to thin, as necessary.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
- Dice the vegetables into very small pieces, so that they’re about the same size as the cooked pasta. This will help them cook quickly, too!
- Don’t overcook the noodles or they will become mushy in your soup. Add them to the pot just before you’re ready to serve.
- What can I add to Chicken Noodle Soup for flavor? This recipe includes fresh herbs like thyme, as well as garlic and bay leaf for more seasoning. If you like an even stronger, richer tasting soup, feel free to add more of your favorite herbs like parsley, dill, basil, oregano, rosemary, or chives, or a spice blend like poultry seasoning.
- Taste and season as you go. The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth, and on personal preference. Add extra salt for more flavor, and feel free to increase the other herbs and seasonings as well. Start with low sodium chicken broth if you’re sensitive to sodium, since many store-bought options can be quite salty.
- A fresh parsley garnish and fresh lemon juice at the end gives each bowl a pop of color and a bright touch. These are optional, though!
