- Calories
- 260
- Protein
- 30g
- Fiber
- 3g
- Sat. fat
- 2g
- Sodium
- 560mg
- Added sugar
- 3g
What this recipe does for you.
Chicken noodle soup that tastes clear and comforting instead of greasy and flat: chicken poached in a well-seasoned broth with carrot, celery and dill, noodles cooked separately. 30g protein a bowl.
Why this works
Every recipe on this site ships with an explanation of the technique decisions, why sear then braise, why the acid goes in at the end, why the fat renders before the aromatics. The method below is those decisions, in order.
Ingredients
Serves 5- 1.25 lbbone-in chicken thighs · skin removed
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1onion · diced
- 3carrots · sliced
- 3 stalkscelery · sliced
- 3 clovesgarlic · minced
- 8 cupschicken broth · low-sodium
- 1bay leaf
- 2 cupsegg noodles · cooked separately
- 2 tbspfresh dill · chopped
- 1lemon · juiced, to finish
Method
Use bone-in thighs for a richer broth
Bones and thigh meat give the broth body and a deeper, more chicken-forward flavour than breast simmered in stock. The gelatin from the bones is what makes the soup taste restorative rather than like watered-down stock. Remove the skin so the broth stays clear, not greasy.
Poach the chicken, then shred it
Simmer the thighs gently in the broth until tender, then lift them out, pull the meat off the bones, and return the shredded meat. Poaching keeps the chicken silky, and shredding it means every spoonful has meat rather than a few big chunks.
Sweat the vegetables first for sweetness
Soften the onion, carrot and celery in a little oil before the broth goes in. This draws out their sweetness and builds a flavourful base. A bay leaf in the simmer adds a subtle background note.
Keep the noodles out of the pot
Cook the egg noodles separately and add them to each bowl. Noodles stored in the soup swell, go soft and soak up all your broth, so day-two soup becomes noodle porridge. Kept apart, the soup stays brothy all week.
Skim for a clear, clean broth
Skim off any foam and fat that rise during the simmer. This is what gives you a clear, clean-tasting soup rather than a cloudy, fatty one. A ladle and a steady hand for the first ten minutes is all it takes.
Finish with dill and lemon
Fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon at the end lift the whole bowl from comforting to genuinely bright. The acid wakes up the broth and the dill is the classic chicken-soup herb. Add both off the heat.
Variations
Substitutions and adaptations land with the photography shoot. The method holds across most reasonable swaps.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days, sealed. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat covered to retain moisture.
Frequently asked
- Why keep the noodles separate?
- Egg noodles left in the soup keep absorbing broth, so they bloat and go mushy while your soup dries out. Cooking them separately and adding them per bowl keeps both the noodles and the broth right, and leftovers stay good for four or five days.
- Can I use chicken breast?
- You can, but bone-in thighs make a noticeably richer broth and stay juicier. If you use breast, poach it gently and pull it as soon as it is cooked through, and consider using a good broth to make up for the flavour the bones would have given.
- How do I make it gluten-free?
- Swap the egg noodles for a gluten-free pasta, rice, or even spiralised vegetables. Cook whichever you choose separately and add per bowl. Check your broth is gluten-free and the rest of the soup is naturally free of gluten.
- Does chicken soup actually help a cold?
- There is modest evidence that hot chicken soup can ease congestion and has a mild anti-inflammatory effect, alongside the simple benefits of warm fluids and comfort. It is not a cure, but it is a genuinely nourishing thing to eat when you are run down.
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