Does Chicken Noodle Soup Go Bad? – Full Analysis

Does Chicken Noodle Soup Go Bad? – Full Analysis

Chicken noodle soup can be made fresh or from a can. Depending on the origins of how it was made, the shelf life of the chicken noodle soup can vary. 

Does chicken noodle soup go bad? Yes, chicken noodle soup does go bad, and depending on the type of soup you have, it might last anywhere from five days to 2-5 years. Chicken noodle soup that comes in a can will last from 2-5 years if stored well and never dented or punctured. But chicken soup from a restaurant will last about two to three days. It goes bad quickly because it has no preservatives, and the noodles will begin to disintegrate. 

when Chicken Noodle Soup goes bad

Chicken soup from the grocery store can last about 1 to 2 weeks, and homemade chicken soup lasts about five days. But if you put the homemade chicken soup in the freezer, it can last for two months.

How Long Does Chicken Noodle Soup Last?

Canned: There are so many types of chicken noodle soups that come in a can, it is difficult to know how many brands offer this type of soup. Canned soups are usually safe to eat for two years before they begin to lose their flavor. But losing flavor does not mean that they are not edible after two years. If the can of chicken noodle soup is protected and sheltered, it can last up to five years.

Restaurant: Chicken noodle soups and most other soups made in restaurants don’t have any preservatives in them, so they don’t last as long as canned or grocery store soups. If you have chicken noodle soup from a restaurant and place it in the fridge, it will last about two days. After the first two days, the noodles will become bloated and fall apart.

Grocery store: Some grocery stores have sections in the store where they sell freshly made food. If a grocery store makes chicken soup, it will usually last one to two weeks, depending on how many preservatives are in the soup. Also, grocery store soup tends to have more salt than a restaurant or homemade soup, and the salt makes it last longer.

Homemade: Besides the chicken noodle soup in a restaurant, homemade chicken soup is one of the best types of soup that you can get. It is a shame that it does not last long. A chicken noodle soup that is made at home will last about five days. However, if you decide to separate the soup into freezer-safe containers they last up to 4-6 months in the freezer. Learn more about freezing chicken noodle soup.

How Long Does Chicken Noodle Soup Last? Shelf Life [Chart]

Item Length of time
Homemade chicken noodle soup 5 days
Homemade chicken noodle soup 2 months
Chicken noodle soup, restaurant 2-3 days
Chicken noodle soup, grocery store 1 week 
Chicken noodle soup, canned, unopened 2-5 years
Chicken noodle soup, canned, open 24 hours

How to Know if Chicken Noodle Soup Has Gone Bad?

Smell: Because chicken noodle soup has chicken as part of its ingredients, and as chicken broth is part of the broth, it will have an old meat smell when it turns old. If you smell that the chicken soup you’re about to eat is off-putting or it has a stronger smell than it had when you bought it, don’t eat it.

Some people won’t be able to smell if the soup is spoiled when it is cold. If you suspect that your soup is old, warm ½ a cup up, and you will be able to smell and taste it. 

Bloated noodles: This happens to grocery store soup, restaurant soup, and freshly-made soup more than it happens to can soup. If the chicken soup, or any soup with noodles, has bloated noodles, the soup has been sitting too long, and the noodles will disintegrate when you put them in your mouth. 

Mold: Mold takes a while to form in soup, but it still can grow. It floats on the top of the soup’s surface. Mold usually develops after a week. The mold will look similar to bread mold as it will be green and have a white rim around its edges.

How to Store Chicken Noodle Soup

If you open up a can of chicken noodle soup and you cannot finish it, eat it within 24 hours. Chicken noodle soup that comes from a can should not sit in the refrigerator. So place it in a Tupperware container and lid for your next meal.

When you buy chicken noodle soup from a grocery store or a restaurant, all you need to leave is leave it in the container it came in. It has to be eaten soon, so there is no need to store it away.

Freshly made homemade chicken noodle soup needs to be in a large Tupperware container. But, if you do not have a large Tupperware container, you can leave it in the pot it was cooked in with the lid on top. Do not leave any metal spoons or ladles inside the pot.

Tip for Longer-Lasting Homemade Chicken Soup

As referred to above, you can freeze homemade chicken noodle soup in individual servings and store them in a freezer-safe container. It is best to do this right when the Noodle soup has cooled down from cooking.

When you fill-up the containers with the soup, do not fill it up to the top. Leave a little extra room because liquids become larger when they freeze. A container of soup that has been filled to the brim will burst in a few hours because there is no room for the solidifying soup to expand.

Conclusion

  • A can of chicken noodle soup is still edible up to its expiration date, which is about two years away from the day it was manufactured. But if it is not dented and has not gone through too many temperature fluctuations, it can last for five years.
  • Chicken noodle soup from a restaurant doesn’t have any preservatives like the can version so it will last two days.
  • Chicken noodle soups that come from a grocery store that is made in the store will last about a week.
  • Homemade chicken noodle soup will last five days in the fridge, but it will last two months if stored in the freezer.
  • If any type of chicken noodle soup has been sitting in the fridge for too long, it can grow mold on the soup’s surface and the chicken and the noodles.
  • Canned chicken noodle soup is meant to be eaten soon after it is opened, so try to eat it at your next meal if you cannot finish the whole can.
  • If you freeze homemade chicken noodle soup, leave extra space, so the solidifying liquid has an area to expand too.
  • When you bring home a restaurant or grocery store soup, just leave them in their container.