Chicken Noodle Soup
This chicken noodle soup is loaded with vegetables, chicken breast meat, and packed with flavor from a combination of dry and fresh herbs. One bowl of this soup will warm you from the inside out and you can eat a second bowl guilt-free!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken breast 3 or 4 chicken breasts
- 10 cups low sodium chicken stock plus more as needed
- 10 ounces pasta noodle
- 1 large onion chopped
- 5 large carrots chopped
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 3 teaspoons salt plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper plus more as needed
- Optional: parmesan rind
Instructions
- COOK VEGETABLES: In a large soup pot, heat butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celery. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables start to soften, stirring occasionally.
- ADD GARLIC AND DRIED HERBS: Stir in the minced garlic, bay leaves, thyme leaves, and any other dried herbs you'd like to add to the soup. Cook for 2 minutes.
- ADD CHICKEN AND STOCK: Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the soup starts boiling, drop the heat to a low simmer. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. If you have any parmesan rinds in the refrigerator, add to soup now. Submerge the chicken breasts into the soup. If you need more liquid to cover the chicken, add water or more stock. Cover the pot and cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken breasts are fully cooked.
- REMOVE CHICKEN: Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board or a plate to cool. While the chicken cools, keep simmering the broth on low heat. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, remove the skin (if it's still on) and shred or cut into diced pieces. Make sure to remove all pieces of bones from the meat.
- ADD PASTA NOODLE AND COOKED CHICKEN: Turn the heat up to medium high until the soup comes to a boil. Add pasta noodles and cook according to directions on the package. Stir the chicken back into the pot and adjust seasoning by adding more salt and pepper as needed.
- GARNISH WITH FRESH HERBS: Stir in chopped parsley and dill.
Notes
I like to keep the skin on the chicken breast while the soup simmers, because the skin adds more fat and richness to the stock. However, you can remove the skin before cooking the chicken breasts in the stock.
For extra flavor, you can add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, or a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a little zest!
Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. This soup will taste even better the next day, but the noodles will soak up the broth as it sits in the refrigerator. When reheating, add a splash of water or extra chicken stock.