Description
A comforting homemade chicken noodle soup made with fresh vegetables, tender shredded chicken, and wide egg noodles simmered in a flavorful broth, perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 medium carrots
- 3 medium stalks celery
- 3 cloves garlic
Cooking Fats and Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 medium bunch fresh parsley or dill
- 1/2 large lemon (optional)
Broth and Protein
- 2 (32-ounce) cartons low-sodium chicken broth (about 8 cups)
- 1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) rotisserie chicken, or about 1 pound cooked, boneless chicken
Pasta
- 6 ounces dried extra-wide egg noodles (about 3 1/4 cups)
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Dice the onion, peel and slice the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds, cut celery into 1/2-inch pieces, and mince the garlic. Place all prepared vegetables into a large bowl.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat the butter or olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add Broth and Herbs: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth, then add fresh thyme sprigs and dried bay leaves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil.
- Shred Chicken: While broth heats, shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken or cooked boneless chicken into bite-sized pieces, measuring about 3 cups.
- Cook Noodles and Chicken: Add shredded chicken and dried egg noodles to the boiling soup. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until noodles are just shy of al dente.
- Prepare Herbs and Adjust Seasoning: Finely chop parsley or dill until you have about 1/4 cup. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the soup. Taste and add more kosher salt if needed.
- Finish Soup: Stir in chopped parsley or dill. If using, squeeze juice from half a large lemon (approximately 2 tablespoons) into the soup and mix well. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use either unsalted butter or olive oil based on preference or dietary needs.
- For a richer flavor, homemade chicken broth can replace low-sodium cartons.
- If fresh herbs aren't available, substitute with 1 teaspoon dried parsley or dill, added earlier in cooking.
- Extra-wide egg noodles can be substituted with any wide pasta, but cooking times may adjust.
- Add lemon juice gradually to suit taste; it brightens the soup but is optional.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free noodles and ensure broth is gluten-free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 2/3 cups
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
