Whether you need a cure for a cold or just a cozy bowl of goodness, this cold-busting Ginger Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup is exactly what you need! It’s filled with aromatics, anti-inflammatory spices, fresh herbs, and tons of flavor. It’s super easy, quick, and the perfect meal for a cold winter day. It makes fantastic leftovers, and it freezes well too!
I feel like everyone around me has been sick lately (except for me, knock on wood!), and there’s nothing more healing than a really good bowl of chicken noodle soup. I’ve made this several times over the past month for family and friends, and it’s been such a huge hit. This soup is especially healing because of the ginger, lemon, and turmeric. It’s filled with basically all the health + anti-inflammatory ingredients so it’s extra good for you. And SO incredibly delish!
This soup is about as flavorful as you can get, without making your own stock and simmering it all day. This one simmers for just 30 minutes, and it’s filled with lots of fresh herbs, bay leaves, and one of my family’s secret ingredients for chicken noodle soup! Whole allspice.
I grew up eating my great-grandmother’s chicken noodle soup recipe that my mom always made for us during the winter. It started off by simmering skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts and thighs in water, with celery, carrots, onion, and whole allspice. Literally SO simple, but nothing will ever taste like that to me. Pure comfort and nostalgia.
This is basically my modern take on that recipe, filled with even more healing properties + all the flavor!
The whole allspice might sound weird in chicken noodle soup, but it’s incredibly good and adds an amazing depth to the broth that I just can’t explain.
Something else that I like to do with my chicken noodle soup, is to sear the chicken instead of poach it.
You get all of that brown goodness on the bottom of the pot, and then sauté your aromatics in it, and it creates an extra layer of flavor that you just can’t get without those lovely brown bits. The chicken itself ends up being so much more flavorful too!
I like to use chicken breasts in this recipe, but if you’re a fan of chicken thighs, by all means use them! The soup will be even MORE flavorful with thighs.
Like most soups do, this gets better and better as the days go on.
It re-heats beautifully, and freezes really well too! So if you want to make a double batch and freeze some for when you just don’t feel like cooking and it’s -10 degrees out, you will thank your past self!
The classic way I grew up eating chicken noodle soup, is with shell pasta. But you can use whatever you like! It would even be delicious with rice, orzo, or whatever your favorite pasta shape is. The main thing, is to cook your pasta separately, and add it to your bowls as needed – that way, it stays al dente!
The worst thing is having a soup with soggy noodles! Plus, if you leave the noodles in there for days, they end up soaking all of that perfect broth, and you’ll be left with very little.
So cook your pasta separately!
To be honest, I’m not the biggest soup fan in the world – it sounds weird and obvious, but I love chewing my food. And I know you still chew soup, but it’s not the same! I can’t describe it. I’ve just never loved it. But this soup, along with my great-grandma’s chicken noodle, I can always go for.
The ginger, lemon, and turmeric along with all of the fresh herbs is honestly the best. It’s exactly what I want to have on hand going into January and the coldest months!
If you’re looking for more feel-good soups for this winter, this soup is another one of your favorites and it’s also super healing.
There’s nothing cozier!
Don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen.
Ginger Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
Whether you need a cure for a cold or just a cozy bowl of goodness, this cold-busting Ginger Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup is exactly what you need! It's filled with aromatics, anti-inflammatory spices, fresh herbs, and tons of flavor. It's super easy, quick, and the perfect meal for a cold winter day. It makes fantastic leftovers, and it freezes well too!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 of a large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (a small handful), plus extra for serving
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
- 1-2 scallions, thinly sliced, for serving
- your favorite short-cut pasta for serving
Instructions
Season chicken breasts generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and sear chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes per side, until they've developed a golden crust (they don't need to be cooked all the way through - they're going to finish cooking in the soup!) Place chicken breasts on a plate and set aside.
Add onion, garlic, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the tumeric, and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the carrots, celery, another 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
To the pot, add the chicken broth, bay leaves, allspice, thyme, rosemary, and the seared chicken (with its juices). Cover, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
To finish, add the lemon juice, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) to the soup. Season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper as well. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool for a few minutes before chopping or shredding it. Discard the bay leaves, allspice, and thyme and rosemary sprigs. Add the chopped/shredded chicken back into the pot along with a tablespoon or so of chopped parsley and a handful of chopped scallions. Portion into bowls and add a few scoops of cooked pasta. Serve with extra parsley, scallions, fresh thyme leaves.
Recipe Notes
*This soup is fantastic to make ahead, and the flavors get even better over a few days in the fridge. It freezes beautifully too!
*I like to cook my pasta separately, so that it stays al dente, and doesn't get soggy in the soup! Personal favorites are shells and elbow noodles.
That soup was absolutely….DELICIOUS! Served it without pasta- but with a nice crusty bread! Yum!
Thank-you!
Aw, thank you so much Gina!! So happy you enjoyed!