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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It’s a myth that cold weather makes us sick (likely Chungha caught something on the plane or in the stadium) but the healing powers of chicken soup have certainly been proven. And the deliciousness of this recipe have definitely been validated by my family. My son came down with a sore throat and sniffles, and this soup was just what the doctor ordered! He loved it and was happy to eat two servings at lunch and dinner. I would suggest that cooks add your lemon juice a bit at a time as lemoni-ness is very subjective and sizes of lemons vary so much. My son thought it was way too lemony so I just added more chicken broth. We all loved it and will be making it again soon – colds or not.
I made this recipe last night, no changes, it was perfect and delicious! TOP NOTCH! THANKS!!
This was SERIOUSLY delicious and just what my fiancé needed as we’ve both had the sniffles the past few days. Only things I did different was using bone broth and adding a tsp of turmeric. But other than that followed the recipe to a T and it came out perfect. Definitely keeping this bookmarked for the next time we get sick. 🙂
Man that was good soup. I added a little more garlic and a little more Ginger and enjoyed it very much. I will make this again
It was so delicious and cosy. Thank youuuu ❤️
I love it. I was super liberal with garlic, lemongrass and ginger. Lemon juice is a must! I also shook some cayenne pepper at the end.
My gosh!! What an EXCELLENT recipe !!!! And you know what … no one had one bit of of indegestion maybe the ginger???? I
used chicken bone broth and juice from my boiled chicken leg quarters.
It’s been raining all day and super gloomy and I found this recipe on Pinterest because I wanted cozy comfort food. It certainly did not disappoint. I served it with a side of toasted challah bread points and we were all so comforted by this amazing soup. I love the fresh ingredients and flavor combinations.
Delicious! Partner and I where not feeling great from the flu and after this we honestly feel so much better! Even my 17m old daughter loved it!
This is terrific! I am so glad I doubled the batch! Thanks for the recipe!
I altered the recipe by adding brown rice instead of noodles.
I’ve never made Chicken Soup with ginger, and lemongrass – it’s so tasty! Thank you
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!