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This simple, healthy, Lemony Pesto Chicken Noodle Soup is the perfect winter soup to warm up with. A mix of shredded chicken and green vegetables simmered with herbs, lemon, and classic egg noodles. Finish each bowl off with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh dill. Serve this soup with crusty homebaked bread, and you’ll have a delicious full meal. This soup is hearty, full of protein, vegetables, and nutrient-packed herbs – and so delicious. It’s the coziest bowl for any night. Plus, the leftovers the next day make for the best lunch!
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The very first recipe of 2024. It’s a very “green” chicken soup, and it’s the perfect reset recipe for this week. People often put so much pressure on themselves to make this first week of the new year super wholesome, super productive, and ALL THINGS HEALTHY. But it doesn’t need to be so intense. We can still enjoy the yummiest foods.
There’s no need for any cold, boring salads. It’s January, and it’s cold outside. Steamy soups, big warm bowls of delicious curries, and quick stir-fry dinners are the route I’m taking.
First up, chicken noodle soup with REAL egg noodles. It’s the only way to go. So yummy!
The idea with this bowl of deliciousness was to make it yummy but also full of protein and vegetables. The chicken was an easy addition. Then, I doubled up on the usual celery and carrots combination and also added broccoli, spinach, and even more antioxidant-rich herbs.
I then added rich bone broth and basil pesto that I picked up from the store. This turned out SO GOOD. It’s a great soup for these chilly, short winter days. It really satisfies all your winter cravings.
Details For You
Step 1: toss everything in a pot
Start by cooking the onion with olive oil and butter. Then add shallots and garlic and double up on the celery and carrots. Mix in fresh thyme, rosemary, and crushed fennel seeds for rich flavor, then season generously with salt and pepper.
Once everything has had a few minutes to cook, pour over the broth. I love to use chicken bone broth for added flavor, nutrients, and protein. Just 2 cups should have between 10-20 grams of protein. It will also vary depending on the brand you purchase; I like Kettle and Fire. You could also make your own, but I haven’t been brave enough to try that yet!
Step 2: simmer
Now, mix in the chicken and broccoli. I use a mix of chicken thighs and breasts. For the broccoli, the key is to give it a really fine chopping. You don’t want any big chunks of broccoli in the soup.
Let everything simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, you can then leave the pot on the stove for a few hours to simmer. Or chill the soup and serve it the following day for even more flavor.
Step 3: shred the chicken
Shred the chicken, then mix in the basil pesto, spinach, and lemon juice.
Now, mix in the noodles and cook them right in the broth. I love to use a thick, homestyle egg noodle. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s usually have nice options!
Step 4: serve
Just before serving, I like to stir in a bit of parsley. Then simply season with salt and pepper to make sure it’s just perfect!
I’d highly recommend serving this soup with a side of crusty bread; it’s the best accompaniment to this bowl of soup.
Lastly, if you’re planning to enjoy this soup leftover, be sure to first remove the noodles before refrigerating. Removing the noodles from the broth prevents the noodles from soaking up all the broth. Then, simply add them back in before serving.
Looking for other soup recipes? Here are my favorites:
Brie and Cheddar Apple Beer Soup
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup
Pumpkin Beer Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Lastly, if you make this Lemony Pesto Chicken Noodle Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lemony Pesto Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 ribs celery, chopped
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel
- salt and black pepper
- 8 cups chicken bone broth
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2-3 cups egg noodles
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- parmesan and fresh dill, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Melt together the olive oil and butter In a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 3-5 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, carrots, thyme, rosemary, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes. 2. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the chicken and broccoli, and if you have one – a parmesan rind. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. At this point, the soup can also simmer on low for up to 4-6 hours.3. Shred the chicken and remove the parmesan rind. Stir in the pesto, spinach, and lemon. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup back to a boil, then add the noodles and cook 6-8 minutes, until soft. Stir in the parsley.4. Serve the soup with parmesan and dill, if desired.
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the olive oil, butter, onions, shallots, garlic, celery, carrots, thyme, rosemary, and fennel.2. Pour in the broth. Stir in the chicken, broccoli, and if you have one – a parmesan rind. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.3. Crank the heat to high. Shred the chicken, remove the parmesan rind. Stir in the pesto, spinach, and lemon. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Add the noodles and cook 10-15 minutes, until soft. Stir in the parsley.4. Serve the soup topped with parmesan and dill, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this today and we loved it! Love the flavors and all the healthy ingredients. It was definitely needed on this cold day! Thank you T!
Hey! Thank you so much for trying the recipe out! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! 🙂 xT
This was such any easy recipe and a delicious meal. So wonderful with all the veggies. I added cooked wild rice at the table instead of the noodles. It’s so hearty it didn’t really need anything, but the rice was a nice addition.
Hey! Thank you so much for trying the recipe out! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! 🙂 xT
Take this to a sick friend and they will love you forever. Is beautiful and colorful, healthy. Next time I will liberally salt the chicken before adding and perhaps use more broccoli. Corn would be nice too.
Thank you so so much Marilyn! So sweet of you! xT
My family LOVED this!!
Hey! Thank you so much for trying the recipe out! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! 🙂 xT
This soup is delicious and so easy to make. S My husband who is not a big soup person downed two big bowls back to back. I didn’t have fennel, so I left it out and I doubled the amount of lemon. I agree with one of the comments that the noodles soaked up a lot of broth…I would pre cook the noodles, then add them in.
Thank you so much! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed! xT
This is so wonder! The fennel gives it wonderful flavor. I didn’t serve it with noodles as my sister has celiac. It was excellent even without egg noodles! It’s a keeper!
Thank you Susan! Glad you enjoyed this soup! 🙂 xT
This is one of the most flavorful soups I have ever made! Love all the spices, and how everything comes together. Perfect for a cold winter night! Paired it with wine and a crusty sourdough, what a meal!
Hi Karen! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for trying it out and leaving such a kind comment! xT
So bummed there’s no recipe to make the noodles. I even checked another recipe that was with noodles is there a recipe elsewhere or separately just for making the noodles!?
Hi! Here is the recipe for the noodles! xT https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/essentials/
this was incredibly tasty! going to make it again when I’m all out.
Thank you for trying out the recipe! Enjoy the rest of your week! xT
This soup was easy, quick and delicious. Definitely a keeper for our family. I loved that I could sub in what I had on hand. So many good veggies that weren’t obvious would make it a great soup for picky eaters. As for the noodles, I made Rivels, which are a rough cousin to the noodle – eggs, flour and salt dropped into the boiling soup. Delicous!
Thank you sooo much for trying out this recipe! Hope your New Year is off to an awesome start! xT
This soup is delicious! The addition of the broccoli had me questioning the recipe but it cooks down and thickens the soup. It’s a winner in our house!
Thank you Monica! So glad you’re enjoying this soup! xT
The soup was very good but a lot of the broth boiled out while the noodles were cooking. Next time I would cook the noodles separately and add them to the soup
Thanks for this feedback Tracy! I really appreciate it! xT
can you substitute anything for the basil pesto?
Hi Jody! You could use fresh basil or just add more seasonings if you’re not wanting to use pesto! xT
Made this tonight for my sister in law and it was SO good. Best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever had.
Hey Emery! Thank you sooo much for trying out this recipe! Hope your New Year is off to an awesome start! xT
This was a perfect chicken noodle soup! My husband told me he hates chicken noodle soup and this recipe swayed him to love it. I made a few changes: didn’t add celery because we both hate it and used gluten free Jovial egg noodles since I’m celiac.
Perfect for a cold winter’s day.
Thank you sooo much for trying out this recipe! Hope your New Year is off to an awesome start! xT