Costco’s popular Kirkland Signature Chicken Noodle Soup is a pantry staple for many. With its comforting flavor and generous portions, it’s easy to see why this soup is a favorite during cold and flu season. But with its perishable nature, it’s important to pay attention to storage and expiration to enjoy it safely.
In this detailed guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the shelf life of Costco’s chicken noodle soup, including:
- How the ingredients and preparation impact freshness
- Proper storage temperatures and techniques
- Signs of spoilage to watch for
- Freezing and thawing instructions
- Frequently asked questions
Plus plenty of tips to maximize the soup’s longevity and avoid food waste. Let’s dig in!
Understanding the Shelf Life
In general, Costco’s refrigerated chicken noodle soup will stay fresh for 3-4 days past the purchase date if stored properly in the fridge. This window can vary slightly depending on the ingredients and preparation.
Unlike canned soups, this fresh soup has a relatively short shelf life. That’s because it contains perishable ingredients like cooked chicken and vegetables that can spoil quickly without the right storage. Pay close attention to the use-by date on the package and don’t consume past it.
Factors That Impact Freshness
Several key factors work together to determine how long the chicken noodle soup stays fresh. Being aware of these can help you make the soup last as long as possible.
Ingredient Quality
Higher quality fresh ingredients like the chicken carrots, celery, and onions will naturally last longer. Inspect the vegetables at purchase – crisp, not wilted is best. The chicken should look freshly cooked and moist, not dry or stringy.
Preparation Methods
Proper cooking is important to reduce bacteria. The chicken must reach 165°F internally, the vegetables cooked through. Good sanitation during prep also prevents contamination.
Storage Temperature
This is the most crucial factor! Refrigerate the soup at 40°F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to monitor the temp. Even brief temperature fluctuations shorten shelf life.
Packaging
The container type affects exposure to air and bacteria An airtight plastic tub keeps soup fresher than a lightly sealed plastic bag,
Signs of Spoilage
Rely on your senses to check for signs of spoilage before eating the soup.
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Appearance – Mold, sliminess, separation of liquid, discoloration
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Smell – Sour, unpleasant, or ammonia-like odor
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Taste – Off flavors like sourness or acidity mean spoilage
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Texture – Excessive thickening of broth may indicate spoilage
When in doubt, throw it out! Don’t risk getting sick from spoiled soup.
Freezing and Thawing
Freezing portions of the soup is a great way to extend the shelf life from days to months. Here are some best practices:
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Allow soup to cool completely before freezing to avoid temperature spikes.
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Portion into airtight freezer bags or containers leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
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Label bags with date and contents.
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Freeze at 0°F or below.
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Once thawed, consume within 3-4 days.
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Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, not at room temp.
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Reheat thoroughly until piping hot, at least 165°F.
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Do not refreeze after thawing.
FAQs
Let’s review some common questions about the chicken noodle soup’s shelf life.
How can I tell if the soup has spoiled?
Rely on your senses. Signs include foul smell, mold, texture changes, discoloration, or sour taste. When in doubt, throw it out.
Does freezing affect the taste?
Freezing generally won’t affect taste if thawed and handled properly. Some texture changes are possible.
Can I eat it after the use-by date?
It’s risky to eat past the use-by date, even if the soup looks okay. Use-by dates indicate peak freshness.
How many times can I reheat the soup?
Only reheat thawed soup once; repeated reheating breeds bacteria. Bring to 165°F.
How do I thaw the soup safely?
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, not at room temperature. This prevents bacterial growth.
What if the soup was left out overnight?
If left over 2 hours at room temp, discard it. Bacteria multiply quickly in the danger zone of 40-140°F.
Can I freeze soup in the original container?
Yes, but an airtight freezer bag is better to prevent freezer burn. Remove as much air as possible.
How long does thawed soup last in the fridge?
Use thawed soup within 3-4 days for best quality and safety. Use senses to spot spoilage.
Does refrigerator temperature matter?
Yes! Store soup on a lower shelf in the back, where the temperature is most constant at 40°F or below.
Can I store it on the refrigerator door?
Avoid the door, where the temperature fluctuates. Use the back of the bottom shelf instead.
The Bottom Line
The shelf life of Costco’s chicken noodle soup comes down to proper storage and handling. Refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below and check for spoilage before eating. Portion and freeze extras to extend the lifespan from days to months. With some simple precautions, you can safely enjoy this cozy soup throughout cold season and beyond!
Two Options for Noodles
Ie: How to avoid soggy noodles in leftover chicken noodle soup
There are two really good options for adding noodles to this soup. The recipe card below is written in the traditional way, however based on how you are planning to serve the soup and how much you will be saving, you might want to use the alternate method.
For the traditional method for making chicken noodle soup you will cook the vegetables and chicken in the broth, then add the noodle to cook at the end.
- Pros– The benefit of this method is that the noodles become extra flavorful as they soak up the rich flavors of the broth as they cook.
- Cons– The downside of this method is if you have a lot of leftovers you are planning to save, the noodles can get more and more soft and have a more “mushy” texture when serving subsequent days.
Use the traditional method when you plan to immediately eat most or all of the chicken noodle soup, resulting in little to no leftovers to save for later.
The second method for adding the noodles to the soup is to complete the soup without adding noodles. (Skip adding noodles to the soup in step 4.)
Make the noodles separately from the soup per the package directions.
As you serve the soup you can stir in the desired amount of noodles to just the amount of soup you want to serve.
Then when storing leftovers, store the soup and noodles separately, and recombine when ready to serve and heat again.
- Pros- When not eating all of the soup immediately, this method allows the noodles to remain at the best texture, no matter how long the soup is saved.
- Cons- The noodles are slightly less flavorful since they are cooked in water and not the flavorful broth of the soup.
Use this optional method when you are making soup and plan to keep a decent amount of the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer for later.
This recipe is much quicker than many chicken noodle soup recipes out there, but there still are a few extra things you can do to make this recipe even faster when you know you will be in a time crunch.
- Use Pre-cut veggies- Vegetables can be chopped up to 48 hours in advance to cut down on prep time. Also, many grocery stores offer pre-cut veggies in the fresh produce section.
- Use Freezer Method- See details below- this allows you to prepare part of the soup and just finish it right as you are ready to serve.
This soup can be easily modified to meet a variety of different dietary needs. See notes below for instructions on each.
- Dairy Free- This recipe is naturally dairy free. Make sure to check any store bought ingredients to ensure compliance.
- Gluten Free- This recipe can be made gluten free by using gluten free noodles. Also ensure that the rotisserie chicken, and any other store bought ingredients are compliant.
- Low Carb- This recipe can be made low carb by substituting pre-cooked spaghetti squash for noodles. You will also need to omit the cornstarch so the soup will have a more thin broth when using this modification.
Using the Whole Chicken
This recipe is unique in that it uses a whole rotisserie chicken. Most recipes will use shredded chicken breast, thighs, or occasionally a whole uncooked chicken.
Using the rotisserie chicken gives us a few advantages:
- Fast– Speeds up the time to make the soup start to finish for a quick chicken noodle soup recipe!
- Flavor– Rotisserie chicken is already deliciously seasoned which will pass an extra level of flavor to the soup.
- Tender– The chicken is cooked low and slow for an incredibly tender, juicy quality that we get to pass on to our soup with out all the waiting for it to cook!
- Easier– Since the rotisserie chicken is already done, we have a head start on all of the things above which just makes cooking this dish AND getting the best flavor and texture far more easy than alternate recipes.
When buying a rotisserie chicken for this soup, the main thing you want to ensure is that you are getting an original flavor rotisserie chicken.
Most stores including Sam’s and Costco carry an abundance of these. Other grocery stores carry original flavor along with other flavors like BBQ, lemon, and others. These flavors may not work well with the flavor of the soup.
You can buy your rotisserie chicken at any grocery store. I tend to lean towards the ones at the warehouse stores just because they are usually a little bigger so I get more meat from them. Any precooked original flavor rotisserie chicken will work though.
My last note on the rotisserie chicken is that in making soup this way you need to be VERY careful in transferring the whole chicken in and out of the soup. It will be VERY hot and a little heavy as well. I generally try to lift and transfer it with tongs to have a good grip.
One of my favorite parts about this soup is that the broth is slightly thickened. It gives the soup a little more substance, holds the flavor better, and works wonders if you are nursing a cold or the flu!
We use cornstarch to thicken the soup. To do this step correctly it is important that you first mix the cornstarch with the 1/4 cup of water.
This is called creating a slurry. What it does is dissolves the cornstarch evenly so that it will combine with the soup without forming lumps and thicken evenly. No one wants lumpy soup!