Name: Kid-friendly Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 cups water; 4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken soup base (or 4 chicken bouillon cubes); 1 large uncooked chicken breast (about ½ lb, cut into 1 inch pieces); 8 oz (2 cups) whole wheat rotini noodles (uncooked) - use gluten-free if needed; 1 (12-oz ) bag of frozen vegetable medley (carrots, corn, peas, green beans); Salt and pepper, to taste; Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

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Looking for a great kid-friendly soup recipe? Make this easy Chicken Noodle Vegetable Soup for kids! This soup comes together in under 20 minutes and requires minimal prep and chopping! Perfect for feeding our hungry littles and a great soup recipe for picky toddlers and kids. 🙂

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If your kids LOVE soup, then this is a great recipe to keep on hand so you can quickly make some dinner for them.

If your kids are picky eaters and are hesitant about soup and all the different floating bits that can seem so intimidating, then this soup is a great one to start with.

High Chair Chronicles is all about overcoming picky eating, and in our experience, soup is one of the most challenging foods for picky eaters because it has so many different pieces and textures in it.

This is definitely not one of those soups where you simmer it on the stove for hours and proudly proclaim that you make the best chicken noodle soup ever. But this *is* my go-to soup when I need to make a meal for my son quickly!

Here's what you need to make this soup:

8 cups water
4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base (or 4 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 large uncooked chicken breast (about ½ lb, cut into 1 inch pieces)
Salt & pepper (to taste - you might not need salt depending on how much sodium your bouillon has)
2 cups (8 oz) whole wheat rotini noodles (uncooked) or any other uncooked pasta
1 (12-oz) bag of frozen vegetable medley (carrots, corn, peas, green beans)

Optional ingredients:

Juice of ½ fresh lemon - this adds a nice tang to the broth!
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped - this adds fresh flavor, but skip it if your kids don't like unidentifiable green bits in their soup!

Notes about the chicken broth for chicken noodle soup

You've got 3 options for how to make the broth for this chicken soup. Basically, you'll need 8 cups of liquid to make this soup, but using 8 cups of broth is (1) expensive and (2) possibly very high in sodium, depending on what kind you use. So here's what I recommend:

Use 4 cups water + 4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth (or chicken bone broth for extra nutrients)
Use 8 cups water + 4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon "Roasted Chicken" soup base
Use 8 cups water + 4 chicken bouillon cubes

And as long as you've got a tasty broth, you have a tasty soup! I recommend using Better than Bullion "Roasted Chicken" soup base because it's the most budget-friendly option, and all their soup bases taste SO GOOD!

Here's how to make this soup:

Step 1: In a large soup pot, combine the water and bouillon cubes (or chicken broth) and raw chicken pieces. Bring to a boil and let cook for about 2 minutes.

Step 2: Remove the chicken pieces onto a plate or a non-plastic cutting board and use two forks to shred into smaller pieces.

Step 3: Return cooked chicken back to pot and add the noodles to the water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 3-4 minutes (the noodles won't be fully cooked yet).

Step 4: Add the frozen vegetables, stir, and continue to cook until the pasta and vegetables are fully cooked. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking.

Optional step: Squeeze a half of fresh lemon (don't get any lemon seeds into the soup, use this lemon squeezer) and stir in a few tablespoons of fresh herbs when you remove the soup from the heat.

Super simple!

Tips for making this soup

Here are a few other ideas for this soup:

→ Time saving tip: start boiling the water and then start chopping the chicken breast to make this soup even faster with zero extra prep time.

→ You can keep chopped uncooked chicken breast frozen in small freezer bags so you can make this soup at ANY time. You will need to boil it a little longer - make sure the chicken cooks to at least 165F.

→ Is your kid picky about any vegetable in the veggie mix? Skip that vegetable! My son sometimes refuses to eat carrots, so I give him a break by using a mix of frozen peas and frozen corn, and sometimes add a few carrots just to expose him to carrots regularly

→ Got leftover cooked pasta in the fridge? Cook the veggies in the broth and stir in the cooked pasta at the end to heat it up.

→ Got leftover cooked chicken breast? Cook the veggies and the pasta and then stir in the chicken.

You might be interested in: Instant Pot recipes for picky eaters

Other easy toddler recipes you will love:

Picky eater resources:

Yield: 8 cups

Kid-friendly Chicken Noodle Soup

A super easy, kid-friendly Chicken Noodle Vegetable soup recipe with minimal prep and chopping that is ready in under 20 minutes!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

8 cups water
4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken soup base (or 4 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 large uncooked chicken breast (about ½ lb, cut into 1 inch pieces)
8 oz (2 cups) whole wheat rotini noodles (uncooked) - use gluten-free if needed
1 (12-oz ) bag of frozen vegetable medley (carrots, corn, peas, green beans)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

In a large stock pot combine the water, chicken broth paste or cubes, and uncooked chicken. Bring to a boil and let cook for about 2 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
Remove the chicken pieces onto a plate or non-plastic cutting board and use two forks to shred into smaller pieces.
Return cooked chicken back to pot. Add the noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the frozen vegetables, and cook until the pasta and vegetables are fully cooked.
Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, if needed. Optional: stir in fresh lemon juice and/or fresh parsley.

Notes

You have the option of using 4 cups water and 4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth or chicken bone broth instead of the bouillon, but I highly recommend the Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, it's the most budget-friendly and tasty!
You can chop the chicken while starting to bring the liquid to a boil - this will save you on prep time!
Stir in a little olive oil if you are worried about your child not getting enough calories
Read the blog post above for tips for making this soup with cooked pasta, cooked chicken, or frozen chicken

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 509mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 15g

The nutritional information provided is just an estimate and will vary based on the actual ingredients you use. If you are tracking nutrition for yourself or your child, check with a nutritionist, dietitian, or pediatrician about whether this recipe is right for you or your child.