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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!

Course Main, Main Course, Side, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword anti inflammatory chicken soup, chicken noodle soup, cold buster chicken soup, easy chicken noodle soup, ginger chicken soup, ginger soup for cold, healthy chicken noodle soup, homemade chicken noodle soup, lemon chicken soup, lemon ginger chicken soup, turmeric ginger chicken soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.