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By Taylor Stinson | 14 Comments | Posted: | Updated:
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This is the Best Ever Healing Chicken Soup, packed with healthy ingredients and so much flavour. You’ll feel better in no time!
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – swap out for another neutral cooking oil such as grapeseed or canola oil.
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs or leftover turkey or pork would also work.
- Celery – double up on the carrots if you don’t have any celery.
- Carrots – substitute for more celery or even leeks.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots would also work.
- Fresh rosemary – swap out for 1 tsp. dried rosemary instead.
- Fresh thyme – swap out for 1 tsp. dried thyme instead.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Lemon juice – use freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible. Bottled lemon juice will work if it’s all you have on hand.
- Fresh ginger – swap out for ½ tsp. dried powdered ginger.
- Lemon zest – leave this out and just use lemon juice if you don’t have any on hand.
- Turmeric – the turmeric has a lot of healing properties and is a key component of this recipe. You can use saffron for a similar flavour, but it won’t have the same healing properties and has a sweeter taste.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth is the best substitute here.
- Mini pasta shells – or another small pasta shape of your choice like macaroni.
- Fresh parsley – substitute for 2 tsp. dried parsley instead.
How to make chicken soup
Step 1: Cook the chicken.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot on the stove. Add chicken breasts, seasoning with salt & pepper and searing for 2-3 minutes each side until lightly browned, then remove from heat.
Step 2: Sauté the veggies.
Without wiping pot clean, add celery, carrots, onions, sautéing for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and scraping up any chicken bits from the bottom of the pot as you go.
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients.
Add chicken back to pot, along with rosemary, thyme, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest, bay leaf, turmeric and salt & pepper, cooking another minute until fragrant.
Step 4: Simmer the soup.
Pour in chicken broth, bringing to a boil and simmering for 20 minutes. Add pasta in the last 10 minutes of cooking time, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked through.
Step 5: Shred the chicken.
Remove chicken from broth and shred with two forks, then add back to pot.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Stir in fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy!
Tips for the best chicken soup
Here are my top tips for making the best healing chicken soup:
- Use homemade stock: If you can, I'd recommend using homemade chicken stock for the best flavour.
- Use leftover chicken: If you have any leftover cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken lying around the fridge, use it in this soup. Add it in with the pasta during the last 10 mins of cooking time.
- Make it vegetarian: If you're looking for a vegetarian option, swap out the chicken for canned chickpeas and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Use fresh herbs: Make sure to use fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh parsley and freshly grated ginger for the best flavour. You can use dried it they're all you have on hand, but fresh provides the best depth of flavour.
- Meal prep this soup: I'd recommend leaving out the pasta noodles if you plan on meal prepping this soup, as they'll soak up the liquid while the soup sits and get soggy. Instead, cook them separately then add them into the soup as you reheat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chicken soup good for recovery?
When you’re sick, your body needs lots of liquids. Chicken soup also has anti-inflammatory properties that could help soothe sore throats and will help you feel better overall.
Why is it so good for you when you're sick?
Turmeric has a whole host of health benefits – it's got potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, which makes it perfect for healing chicken soup. Fresh ginger is another healthy ingredient in this soup that promotes digestion and can help fight colds and flu. Both ingredients in combination with the fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley load this soup up with healthy immune-boosting properties!
Can you make this recipe keto-friendly?
If you're following a keto diet, you can easily make this soup keto-friendly by simply omitting the pasta. Towards the end of the cooking time, add in some zucchini noodles if you like, or even some spaghetti squash.
How do you add flavour to chicken soup?
Other than the turmeric, this soup uses fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and parsley that compliment the chicken beautifully. Plus, both fresh garlic and ginger add some extra healing powers to the soup. Some fresh lemon juice and lemon zest add brightness and enhance the other flavours. If you don't have a whole lemon, you can skip the zest and just add store bought bottled lemon juice. All of these ingredients combined make for a fresh and bright taste!
Can you make this recipe in the crockpot or the Instant Pot?
I personally haven't tested making this soup in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, but you can certainly give it a try! If you're making it in the crockpot, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, adding the pasta during the last 30 mins of cooking time. If you're making it in the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 5 minutes then do a quick release of the pressure.
Storing and reheating
You can store this chicken soup in the fridge for up to 5 days, which makes it great for meal prep. Store individual serving sizes in glass containers then reheat it the day you want to eat it! Just warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.
Can you freeze chicken soup?
Yes! This chicken soup will freeze well. Let it cool to room temperature then freeze it in a glass container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
The night before you want to enjoy, stick the soup in the fridge to defrost then reheat as normal. You can also reheat it right from frozen if you’re short on time, either in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave. Reheat it for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring halfway through.
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Meal Prep Tools
- Grab someglass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning thissoup into leftovers.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Usethese Ziploc bag holdersif you're freezing this soup in freezer bags.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
The Best Ever Healing Chicken Soup
This is the Best Ever Healing Chicken Soup, packed with healthy ingredients and so much flavour. You’ll feel better in no time!
4.90 from 46 votes
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 294kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped or 1 tsp dried
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped or 1 tsp dried
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/2 tsp dried powdered ginger
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dry mini pasta shells or another small pasta shape such as macaroni
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 2 tsp dried
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot on the stove. Add chicken breasts, seasoning with salt & pepper and searing for 2-3 minutes each side until lightly browned, then remove from heat. Without wiping pot clean, add celery, carrots, onions, sauteeing for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and scraping up any chicken bits from the bottom of the pot as you go.
Add chicken back to pot, along with rosemary, thyme, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest, turmeric and salt & pepper, cooking another minute until fragrant.
Pour in chicken broth, bringing to a boil and simmering for 20 minutes. Add pasta in the last 10 minutes of cooking time, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked through.
Remove chicken from broth and shred with two forks, then add back to pot. Stir in fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Make this soup keto-friendly by leaving out the pasta.
Try to use fresh herbs if possible for the best flavour.
Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Freeze this chicken soup for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal, or reheat from frozen on the stovetop or in the microwave for 6-7 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 294kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Protein: 23g (46%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Cholesterol: 48mg (16%)Sodium: 1461mg (64%)Potassium: 762mg (22%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 3509IU (70%)Vitamin C: 27mg (33%)Calcium: 49mg (5%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
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Created by Taylor Stinson
Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!
Reader Interactions
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Tiffany says
Yeeees!! I’ve made homemade Chicken Noodle Soup for over a decade. And today, since I’m home sick from work, I decided to search on Pinterest a “Super Healthy Chicken noodle soup for when you’re sick” version. What a gem of a recipe this is. I’ll forever make our soup this way. Thank you! I only made a few adjustments: added the bay leaf, used Costco’s frozen mixed veggies instead of the carrots and celery (this includes peas, corn, carrots, green beans) and made our own noodles.Reply
Taylor Stinson says
Thank you so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed and that it will be in the regular rotation!
Reply
Jain Lemos says
I rarely give a five-star rating, but this was an exceptional recipe! The fresh herbs are certainly the key to success. As a cookbook editor and designer, I have been through my fair share of formulations and have a similar chicken soup concoction that I like. However, the addition of the turmeric, in combination with the lemon and ginger, is what makes this version stand above the rest. I doubled those ingredients and the amount of lemon juice—perfectly tolerated—plus I used two more cloves of garlic. I like a more rustic soup, so I chopped the vegetables a bit larger than usual.I selected an Italian-flour bow-tie pasta, not adding too much, and served the soup with fresh sourdough loaf and cold butter. To warm the bread, I cut off as much as needed and then popped it into a 350-degree preheated oven directly onto the rack for about 10 minutes. I cut the loaf piece into crunchy, half-sized slices for dipping.
Thank you for a well done recipe. I highly recommended it. One note: in Step 2 of the directions, you mention bay leaf but that not is included in the list of ingredients. I don’t think bay leaf adds much anyway, so, I left it out, and I don’t think it would be missed too much.
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Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed Jain and thank you so much for the kind words and recipe notes 🙂 I will make sure to remove bay leaf from the instructions, thanks for catching that. Sometimes I add it, sometimes I don’t haha
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K says
Fantastic recipe. It will be my go to chicken soup recipe. Thank you!Reply
mía says
This soup is so delicious. Thank you for sharing this incredibly easy to put together recipe!!! I’ve made it a few times now and could probably make it without referencing the recipe. Very warm and nourishing, especially for chilly weather or when one is under the weather.Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed!
Reply
Patti says
Can you make this in a crockpot? I need hip replacement and that would be ideal for me!
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Taylor Stinson says
Hi Patti – yes for sure you could do it in the crockpot. I would add everything in except the pasta and cook on high for 4 hours, adding the pasta in during the last 30 min of cook time. Good luck with your surgery!
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Lallie says
Absolutely delicious and yummy
Mixture of herbs adds great flavour for these cold winter daysReply
Em says
This is now my Sunday go to. It tastes great, I feel great after eating it and its easy to pack for lunches during the weekReply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy it’s such a hit 🙂
Reply
Libby says
Can this be made in the Instant Pot?
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Taylor Stinson says
Yes, for sure! I would dump everything in (in the order ingredients are listed), pressure cook 8 minutes, then remove chicken breasts and shred before adding back to the pot.
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