How to Make the Cracker Barrel Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe at Home
Winter has settled in with snowstorms, below-zero temps, and high winds. But where winter goes, cold and flu season follows, so we’re all reaching for a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Our favorite version of this classic comfort food is Cracker Barrel’s homemade style, but when we’re sick, we’d rather stay at home. Can you make the Cracker Barrel chicken noodle soup recipe at home? Yes! This easy recipe is the perfect cure for the winter cold – twice over.
Comforting and Packed with Hearty Flavors, this Soup is the Perfect Winter Dish
The Cracker Barrel chicken noodle soup recipe is simple to make. With easy-to-find ingredients, it’s a no-stress dinner for when you’re feeling under the weather. There’s a reason chicken soup has been around for 7,000 years. You’ll want to keep this recipe in your back pocket all winter.
Ingredients For the soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (or leftover cooked chicken)
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 1 cup celery, cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 8 oz wide egg noodles
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Directions for Cooking:
- Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until tender, translucent, and aromatic – about five minutes.
- Add shredded chicken, broth, carrots, celery, thyme, salt and pepper, and bay leaf.
- Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the noodles and cook until done.
- Dish into bowls, garnish with parsley and serve.
A big bowl of chicken noodle soup is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite holiday movie. Enjoy this meal in your pajamas and underneath a stack of blankets for the ultimate cozy afternoon – it’ll get you back on your feet in no time.
Too Sick to Watch the Pot? We have Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Variations
The Cracker Barrel chicken noodle soup recipe is already super easy to make, but if you don’t have the energy to make sure things don’t boil over or stir occasionally, we have the perfect solution. The Instant Pot version takes just 30 minutes. If you’re old-fashioned, like the Cracker Barrel classics, the crockpot recipe will ensure you can have a bowl of soup all day long.
For the Instant Pot
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté to heat the oil. Once hot, sauté the onion and garlic as before – about five minutes.
- Cancel the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure the garlic and onion aren’t stuck.
- Add the remaining broth and additional ingredients. Close the lid and seal the pressure valve.
- Set the Instant Pot to the Soup setting and cook for 7 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, release the steam on the natural cycle, for about 10 minutes.
- Add noodles and set the pot on the sauté setting. Cook for 6 minutes, uncovered, or until the noodles are cooked.
- Serve
For the Slow Cooker:
- Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Thirty minutes before the soup is ready, add egg noodles. Cook on low, covered, until al dente.
- Serve.
Can comfort foods be healthy?
The Cracker Barrel chicken noodle soup recipe is a nutritious option whether you’re sick or not. This chicken noodle soup is packed with good-for-you ingredients that are essential for getting you back on your feet when you’re feeling under the weather. Chicken broth keeps you hydrated, the carbohydrates in noodles help you feel full, and the veggies are packed with antioxidants necessary for recovery.
Nutritional facts
When dividing this recipe into six servings, each bowl of soup is only about 377 calories per serving. Though that doesn’t seem like much, when you’re sick and struggling to eat, every little bit counts. Let’s break it down:
- Carbs: 32g
- Fat: 14g
- Protein: 24g
- Sodium: 1,193mg
- Sugar: 4g
That’s the perfect recipe for nutrition. But when recovering from sickness, good food isn’t just about the numbers. It’s also about how food aids and improves your body’s function – and this soup is invigorating.
Chicken soup really DOES make you feel better
Eating chicken soup when you’re sick isn’t just a myth. It’s packed with essential ingredients to keep you healthy.
Chicken Broth
Chicken broth contains healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Bone broths, like chicken broth, are rich in collagen, gelatin, and glycine, which protect the stomach lining and regulate the immune system – both of which need rest and repair during a bout of sickness.
When you’re sick, staying hydrated is vital. Soup broth is an excellent way to maintain your body’s fluid levels. This can thin mucus, making it easier for your sinuses to drain.
Chicken
The high levels of protein found in soups like this one ensure the maximum function and growth of immune cells. A robust immune system helps your body fight the common cold and flu.
Vegetables
The vegetables in chicken noodle soup contain fiber, micronutrients, and antioxidants. Garlic and onions contain organosulfides which detect bacteria in your body. Carrots are high in vitamin A, which protects the mucous membranes that act as a barrier against infection.
Noodles
Carbohydrates are your body’s primary fuel source, so the noodles provide your body with immediate energy, boosting its fight against infection.
The Cracker Barrel chicken noodle soup recipe does wonders for your body – especially when you’re not at your greatest. All these good-for-you ingredients make this soup an excellent choice on sick days or as an immunity-boosting preventative. Who knew such a simple recipe could do so much?
The perfect soup for a cozy winter afternoon, add this recipe to your list of favorites
If you’re looking for winter’s best soup, search no further. With only 12 ingredients, this recipe is the perfect comfort food on a cold day. The quick prep time or an all-day simmer with the crockpot variation means you can have a quick boost of energy whenever you need it. Plus, it’s the perfect cold and flu cure, and that makes the Cracker Barrel chicken noodle soup recipe our new favorite.
You can also read:
- How to Make the Cracker Barrel Vegetable Soup Recipe At Home
- How to Make the Souplantation Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe at Home
- How to Make the Paula Deen Clam Chowder Soup Recipe at Home
- How to Make PF Changs Hot and Sour Soup Recipe at Home
- How to Make The Weight Watchers Butternut Squash Soup Recipe