Chicken Noodle Soup
This soup is the perfect cure for cold and flu season with its cozy, comforting flavor from a mix of fresh vegetables, herbs, hearty pieces of chicken and soft egg noodles.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (40 minutes if you bake the chicken vs. using a rotisserie chicken)
Total Time: 35 minutes (1 hour if you bake the chicken)
Yield: 8 1-cup servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ medium yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
5 cups of unsalted chicken broth (I prefer to use unsalted to better control the seasonings in the soup but you can certainly use salted and seasoned broth or stock. If you’re using seasoned broth, start with 1 teaspoon of additional salt then add more as needed to taste)
5 cups of water
4 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
I like to use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but if you decide to make your own chicken, start at this step. Season 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts to taste (I like to do salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika) then bake at 400 °F for 30 minutes or until chicken has reached an internal temp of 165 °F. Once cooled enough to touch, shred chicken and set aside. If you’re using rotisserie chicken, start at step 2.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add olive oil and butter. Heat over medium-low for a minute, then add diced onion, carrots and celery. Sautee for 5-7 minutes until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent.
Add garlic and fresh herbs, cook down for another minute or two until garlic is fragrant.
Add broth and water to the pot, then add egg noodles and turn heat up to medium-high. Bring pot to a boil to cook the noodles until al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Once noodles are cooked, turn heat back down to medium-low and add shredded chicken, salt, pepper, chili flakes and lemon juice to the pot.
Stir everything together and cook for another 1-2 minutes to heat the chicken through and bring all the flavors together.
Serve in a soup bowl with a garnish of fresh parsley, a slice of toasted bread or crackers and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
To store the soup, transfer leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days or freeze for up to three months.
This recipe calls for fresh lemon juice which might seem odd, but I highly recommend including it! It brightens up the soup flavor but does not make it taste “lemon-y”.
I sometimes add an additional 1/2 cup of vegetables to this soup. If you’d like to add more variety, a few of my favorites are mushrooms, corn, and peas.
For the broth, I like to use unsalted chicken bone broth for extra nutrients and to control the seasoning and amount of sodium, but any chicken broth or stock would work- you may need to adjust the seasonings to taste accordingly. You could also add 1-2 cubes of chicken bouillon; it’s dependent on your flavor preferences so feel free to adjust to taste!
Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~285 kcal
Protein: ~18 g
Total Fat: ~10 g
Carbohydrates: ~30 g