This easy, versatile chicken noodle soup recipe is made with leftovers from a Sunday roast chicken dinner, including leftover gravy. It’s easy to tailor the recipe depending on what you have lurking in your fridge needing to be used up.
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- Making the most of your leftovers
- For this recipe, you will need…
- How to make leftover roast chicken noodle soup from scratch
- What other vegetables could I use in chicken noodle soup?
- What can I add to my chicken noodle soup for flavour?
- How to make homemade chicken stock
- Tips for making chicken noodle soup
- Pin this Leftover Roast Chicken Noodle Soup recipe for later!
- Other soup recipes you might like
Making the most of your leftovers
This recipe can be made in under half an hour using leftovers from your Sunday roast chicken dinner.
My chicken noodle soup recipe varies depending on what ingredients I have on hand. This particular one used up some of the Brussels sprouts languishing in my vegetable crisper since Christmas (how do they last so long?!). Leftover roast chicken gravy diluted with some chicken stock made the base of the soup, and I added plenty of shredded leftover roast chicken.
For this recipe, you will need…
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil
- 1 large brown or yellow onion
- 1 carrot
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- A green vegetable (sprouts, leeks, pok choi, etc.)
- 300 grams of Leftover roast chicken
- 100 grams of frozen sweetcorn
- 1.2 litres chicken stock
- 60 grams of dried spaghetti
- Shetland sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped spring onion & fresh parsley
Jump to the full, printable recipe.
How to make leftover roast chicken noodle soup from scratch
- Heat butter and sunflower oil in a large soup pot. Sauté onion for five minutes, until softened but not coloured.
- Add garlic and chopped carrot, cooking for a further two minutes.
- Add shaved Brussels sprouts or whatever leftover veg you have that needs to be used up.
- Pour over any leftover roast chicken gravy, top up with water and/or chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Add your shredded leftover roast chicken and frozen sweetcorn.
- Add dried spaghetti, broken into small sections and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
What other vegetables could I use in chicken noodle soup?
You can use up whatever you have lurking in your fridge in chicken noodle soup. It’s a very forgiving recipe, but leeks, celery, kale, sweetcorn, parsnips, turnips, swede and chard work very well.
What can I add to my chicken noodle soup for flavour?
The best chicken noodle soup is made with homemade chicken stock. Failing that, throw in another chicken stock pot.
How to make homemade chicken stock
Don’t throw out the carcass of your roast chicken once you’ve picked most of the meat off. Simply pop it on a roasting tray (along with the chicken skin and any bits that are leftover), a couple of halved carrots, a celery stick or two and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in a hot oven for 45 minutes until the edges are all browned and crispy.
Then, transfer the entire lot into a large stockpot, cover it with water and add a capful of apple cider vinegar (this helps leach the calcium out of the bones). Add some parsley stalks, a bay leaf or two and about ten peppercorns.
Simmer on low heat, uncovered, for four hours. Strain, reserving the liquid, and freeze the cooled stock until needed.
Tips for making chicken noodle soup
- Leftover chicken gravy and leftover roast chicken freeze really well. Simply defrost when needed, and whip up a batch of this soup!
- I make my chicken gravy using some of the cooking water from the vegetables I am serving with my roast chicken dinner (usually carrots and neeps).
- Any pasta can be used instead of noodles – small shapes working best. Try orzo, or those adorable little alphabet pasta shapes.
- Use a mandolin slicer to shred your Brussels sprouts – it makes short work of the task!
What are your best tips & tricks for making the most of your leftovers? Do you make the best one-pot pasta dish with leftover veg? How about the tastiest stir-fry? Let us know in the comments!
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Leftover Roast Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large brown onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 large carrot finely diced
- 100 grams Brussels sprouts finely sliced
- 1.2 litres chicken stock mixed with leftover gravy
- 300 grams leftover roast chicken coarsely shredded
- 100 grams frozen sweetcorn
- 60 grams dried spaghetti broken into small pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 spring onions chopped, to garnish
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped, to garnish
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Equipment
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large soup pot and gently sauté 1 large brown onion, chopped, over medium heat until it begins to soften. This will take about five minutes.
- Add 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 1 large carrot, diced, and cook for a further minute or so.
- Add 100 grams Brussels sprouts, finely sliced, and cook for another minute.
- Pour in 1.2 litres chicken stock mixed with any leftover chicken gravy. Bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and add 300 grams leftover roast chicken, shredded, and 100 grams frozen sweetcorn. Add more chicken stock, if needed. Season well to taste.
- Break in 60 grams dried spaghetti , broken into small pieces, and simmer for 12 minutes until the chicken is heated and the spaghetti is cooked.
- Serve with chopped spring onion, chopped parsley and plenty of crusty bread to dip.
Video
Notes
What to do with leftover chicken noodle soup
This chicken noodle soup is best eaten straight away, as the noodles tend to continue to absorb the liquid from the soup. However, leftovers and be frozen and reheated. Simply top up the liquid content with some more hot chicken stock and reheat!Nutrition
Pin this Leftover Roast Chicken Noodle Soup recipe for later!
The Food Bible by Judith Wills
Thank you so much for sharing with us.
This look so fresh and delecious
Thank you! 🙂
emmmm i like it, nice blog
Thank you! 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m also struggling for a healthier me, I’ve even start running and I can say I’m on the right track now. Nutrition is an important part of my losing weight plan, and your blog posts are a true inspiration!
Aw shucks, I’m glad I can be of some help! Good luck with the fitness & nutrition! 🙂
Fresh and healthy ingredients! I love the addition of brussel sprouts in this soup!
Thanks Alison, it’s one way to use them up, at least! 🙂
This soup looks so good, and I love recipes where I can use leftovers.
Thanks Erika, glad you like the look of it! 🙂 I detest wasting food, so this is my favourite way of cooking.
Oh my! This sounds soo delicious and easy to make, I can’t wait to try out this recipe! My family is going to love it!
Do let me know what they thought!
I do love a chicken noodle soup and this is such a fantastic way of using up the leftovers from your Sunday dinner. This looks super tasty.
Thanks Bintu! 🙂
Flavorful and delicious soup made out of leftovers sounds interesting. Soup is one of my favorite quick and easy Dinner option.
It’s one of my favourite ways to use up leftovers too. Very versatile!