Easiest Chicken Noodle Soup

By Alexa Weibel

Published Jan. 29, 2023

Easiest Chicken Noodle Soup
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylists: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(9,280)
Comments
Read comments

The majority of shortcut chicken soup recipes use rotisserie chicken. It’s a convenient hack, but cooked chicken doesn’t absorb flavors very well. On the other hand, sautéing ground chicken in olive oil with garlic, coriander and celery seeds (or fennel seeds and rosemary, or herbes de Provence) creates a deeply complex base. Add the vegetables, then the stock and the noodles for a complete meal that cooks in 30 minutes. You can use egg noodles, cavatelli or alphabet noodles, but you may want to adjust the amount of stock to taste, since they’ll each absorb a different amount of liquid.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 5tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1pound ground chicken
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 4garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1½teaspoons ground coriander
  • ½teaspoon celery seeds (optional)
  • 2celery stalks, halved lengthwise, then sliced ½-inch thick
  • 1large carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves)
  • 7 to 8cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
  • 8ounces dried egg noodles, cavatelli or other small shaped pasta
  • Crème fraîche, chopped fresh parsley and dill, and lemon zest, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

497 calories; 23 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1142 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add the chicken, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until starting to crumble, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander and celery seeds (if using), and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the chicken into a small lidded bowl (to retain moisture); cover and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Add the celery, carrot, shallot, thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until slicked with fat, 3 minutes. Add the stock (7 cups for a stewlike soup or up to 8 cups for a brothy soup) and bring to a boil over high.

  3. Step 3

    Add noodles and cook over medium-high until al dente according to package directions. (If the noodles absorb a lot of liquid, add more broth according to taste.) Add the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices and heat until warmed, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls; top with a spoonful of crème fraîche, a fistful of torn herbs and lemon zest.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
9,280 user ratings
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Comments

K

Really look forward to trying this recipe! Just one note: I always leave the noodles on the side and plop them in bowl first and pour soup over. I love leftovers and typically enjoy soup the next day but i hate when the noodles are left in there and breakdown. This method keeps it all still kinda 'fresh'.

Jan

Adding thighs and legs on the bone, sautéing them first, will add much more depth to the broth. Just take out the chicken after its cooked for 1/2 hour, pull off the meat and add it back in to finish the soup.

Sarah

Our family loved this. We couldn't find cavatelli so used orchiette instead. Sauteeing the chicken added a really good depth of flavor, as did the coriander and celery seed. We added dill and lemon zest--just the right amount of savory lip-smacking goodness.

Kate

This is a winner!! Asked for regularly and enjoyed by my pickiest eater! I make exactly as written, and my husband and I think the creme fraiche, dill and squeeze of lemon really make the dish, while my picky eater prefers to finish with parmesan. On occasion, I've added mushrooms, which works well, but they do absorb lots of broth. The rare moment when this falls short is when I've failed to salt and pepper the chicken enough (be liberal -- this is a simple recipe).

Barbara Fernie

Dear Alexa Weibel, Thank you for the 'easiest chicken noodle soup' recipe. One thing I need to point out is: The recipe takes far longer to prep and cook than 30 minutes.The recipe needs to be prepped, everything ready to go in the pot at the right time and it will be cooked in 30 minutes. I adjusted the ground chicken to half a pound ground chicken and half a pound ground mild pork sausage. Used orecchiette no. 91 pasta. I needed to add' Better Than Bouillon' for more flavor.

manda

Wow, this was really good for chicken noodle soup! I did not have coriander, so I had to use cumin. I did use celery seed. My husband had seconds!

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