Cozy Chicken Noodle Soup for Late Summer Nights
A bright, clean chicken noodle soup for breezy late-summer evenings—tender vegetables, warmed shredded chicken, and a lemon-and-dill finish. For the best leftovers, cook the noodles separately so they don’t soak up the broth.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or soup pot
- Knife and cutting board
- Wooden spoon
- Pot (optional, for cooking noodles separately)
- Colander (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter for a rounder flavor
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 200 g)
- 2 medium carrots sliced into coins or half-moons (about 200 g)
- 2 celery ribs sliced (about 120 g)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 10 g)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth/stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper plus more to finish
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken about 250 g
- 120 g egg noodles about 4 oz; wide or extra-wide
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1/2 a lemon
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill chopped (or 2 Tbsp parsley)
Optional but useful
- 1 tsp lemon zest optional
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Sweat the vegetables. Set a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is translucent and the carrots lose their raw snap.
- Add garlic (don’t scorch it). Stir in the garlic and cook 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Build the broth. Pour in the broth and water. Add bay leaf, thyme, pepper, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a lively simmer.
- Simmer until tender. Lower heat to keep a steady simmer and cook 10–15 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
- Cook the noodles (choose your path). For best leftovers, boil egg noodles in a separate pot of well-salted water until just al dente, then drain. For one-pot serving, add noodles directly to the simmering soup and cook per package (usually 6–8 minutes), stirring once or twice.
- Add chicken at the end. Stir in the shredded chicken and cook 2–3 minutes, just to warm through.
- Finish off-heat. Turn off the heat. Stir in lemon juice and dill (and lemon zest/red pepper flakes if using). Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve. If you cooked noodles separately, add a small handful to each bowl and ladle soup over the top. Finish with extra dill and black pepper.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 24gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 620mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 6500IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2.4mg
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