Cold Fighting Chicken Noodle Soup
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The most soothing, comforting soup for flu season! So easy to make, you’ll be feeling better in no time!
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As flu season is among us, this chicken soup has been an absolute god-send. The veggies and garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lemon juice combo here does absolute wonders and has you feeling better and back on your feet in no time. It’s just so darn cozy and soothing, and it just warms your soul in so many ways.
why i love cold fighting chicken noodle soup
- Best kind of shortcut chicken soup that doesn’t require an entire chicken or hours of simmering
- Nourishing, brothy, soothing and satisfying even when I’m not sick
- Packed with so many cozy, healing, anti-inflammatory ingredients
- Amazingly freezer-friendly, perfect to have it ready to go next time I’m feeling under the weather
tips and tricks for success
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Use ginger and lemongrass. Ginger and lemongrass are a powerhouse for colds. Both have anti-inflammatory properties, soothing sore throats and alleviating cold symptoms.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice will elevate your chicken noodle soup, adding a fresh, bright flavor and balancing out all the saltiness and richness of the soup.
more chicken noodle soup recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Cold Fighting Chicken Noodle Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
If you cannot find fresh lemongrass, lemongrass paste will do wonders here.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Orzo, rotini or even elbow macaroni are great subs for the ditalini pasta.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the pasta (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked pasta when serving.
Cold Fighting Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ¾ cup ditalini pasta
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, lemongrass, thyme and rosemary until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water. Add chicken and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Remove chicken and shred, using two forks; set aside.
- Stir in pasta and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in chicken and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.
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The best chicken soup I’ve ever made.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
I agree 100% with what everyone has said. Perfect chicken soup recipe. Adding it as my go-to chicken soup recipe. Thanks for posting and GO GIANTS!!
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s so easy and turns out perfect every time. Hubby & I love it
I love this soup. My mother never likes my soups, but she loved this soup. She said that I didn’t give her enough. She wanted seconds, and my daughter ate a big bowl of it too. We loved it.
This is the BEST chicken soup I’ve made! Hubby also found it delicious which is great because he’s fighting a cold and I wanted to make him something nice. Thank you so much for this recipe! It will definitely be made on repeat.
This is an amazing soup recipe! Thank you for sharing!!
Wow absolutely amazing. I have never tried a chicken soup this amazing before. Highly recommend! Easy to prepare & make & soooo delicious
I have made this soup twice this week because it was SOOO good and I wanted to share the love to others too.
Its nurturing and delicious! I was a little sceptical of the additional lemon juice but it works and makes you feel nourished.
I used chicken maryland instead and browned it off to begin with – YUM
This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever tried!!! I wife had a fever and I was trying to found her something other than medicine. This really help and the ginger with the lemon juice is the highlight
I loves this recipe! I changed a few things and the flavors were so amazing! First I seared the chicken thighs for about a minute or so on each side then remove from the pan. Add your carrots/onion/celery and cook on medium low heat for 15mins! Then I added the garlic and ginger and let that sit another 13mins before adding the thyme/rosemary/lemongrass the last 2mins. I added some broccoli when I added the noodles for added texture. Cooked them for 9mins and it was perfect. I used parsley instead of chives at the end and it came out absolutely delicious! I really loved the ginger in this recipe and it was pretty simple to make. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Chungah
I just made it for dinner for the family. Just want to know if this ok to give to 1 year old ? I didn’t add any salt. Used a low sodium broth. I’m just not sure if it’s ok to give to baby.
Thank you in advance
Very tasty chicken soup! I love the addition of fresh ginger which is warming and immune-boosting. Lemon juice adds freshness and a boost of vitamin C. I used a rotisserie chicken and dried thyme and rosemary. I omitted the lemongrass because I didn’t have any and used fresh parsley instead of chives. Was definitely damn delicious! Will make again as this is super easy and quick on a weeknight or when you’re feeling a little under the weather.
I love this soup! It is easy to make and tons of flavor!
Best damn soup I’ve ever had!
My friends & family request it all the time!
Very delicious and easy to make. I didn’t chop the rosemary and thyme. Just tied a bunch together and put it in the pot and removed it at the end. I used lemongrass paste b/c that’s all the store had. I put the lemon juice over the chicken which gave it a great flavor. The addition of ginger was awesome. Will make this again and again!
I didn’t have all of the ingredients but needed to cook some chicken soup ’cause we is not feeling well! I used butternut squash pasta, and chicken legs because that is what I had. Still worked. I didn’t have the lemongrass nor the celery which almost made me stop and go to the store. I try to keep lemons around all the time and everything else on the list. But, just didn’t have them this time. Still a good soup and we enjoyed it.
I LOVE IT❤❤❤❤❤. Making some chicken soup for my boyfriend. My 2nd time around using this way and its awesome!!!! I dont use the onions and I forgot the chives BUT EITHER WAY.
If You haven’t tried, you should!
It really is delicious and when you add the spices, it will help give that kick to help elevate, some congestion. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, great for your chest & nasal congestion. And, when you add the lemon juice at the end, it gives it a slight kick.
I love it. Thank you for sharing this different receipe for making chicken noodle soup.❤
I make this recipe every winter. Whenever I need an immunity boost or hubby is sick, I make this. The lemongrass + ginger + lemon combo is known in TCM for their cold fighting properties. As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine.” And it’s the best tasting chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had.
Thanks Chungah!
Made this for a sick friend, with the remainder for our dinner. It was good, and I like the idea of it being extra immune-boosting, but I’m not sure the extra work and special ingredients made that much of a difference over my regular recipe. (I don’t typically have lemongrass or fresh herbs on hand.) I give this a pretty darn delicious. 🙂
Looks delicious! Am I able to use whole grain pasta or gluten-free pasta? Would I still add it at the same time as the regular pasta?
Yes, I used red lentil pasta and followed the directions on the box. It had 6-8 minutes.
amazing! really helps rejuvenate you if you are feeling under the weather! highly recommend
I hate chunky soup usually but this is beyond delicious! I make it all the time in winter and everyone is always raving about it! Thank you