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Snowy week, big pot of soup. This one’s full of color—leeks, rainbow carrots, celery, chard—plus bright lemon and ginger to keep things lively. I like to simmer the broth until the chicken is tender and shred-ready, then ladle it over buttery egg noodles. On the side: hot, toasty Asiago crostini for dunking. Exactly what a cold December day needs.
Especially a cold and snowy Christmas week like the one we’re having. It’s kind of picture perfect “Christmas-time” weather and I am loving it! Lots of snow has been falling, and the house… well my parent’s house anyway, is PACKED. Although, we’ve made it the routine to do before dinner cocktails down at my house. So far we have made these Moscow Mules, Margaritas and tonight I think we are doing Mojitos!
I can’t believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I am still waiting for a few gifts to arrive. YIKES. I hope they get here in time!
I should really start prepping some food and maybe wrapping some gifts. I am slightly behind…double yikes.
What’s knew? Guarantee I will be wrapping all my gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve. I actually think my mom is more ready to go than me this year. Geez, what is happening to me. I need to plan.
But umm, anyway. I have to keep this post a little short and sweet. Seeing as my family is here and we are all about to head out on a frigid cold family dinner sleigh ride…in the dark…single digit temperatures.
Guys, my mom is crazy. She says this is gonna be fun, but I think I may freeze. Send me warm vibes. PLEASE.
So let’s talk about this Winter Vegetable Chicken Noodle Soup.
I feel like winter gets a bad wrap for not having colorful food, but I mean, are you guys looking at these colorful veggies I added to this soup? I packed in some onions, leeks, rainbow carrots (the prettiest!), celery, garlic and rainbow chard. I don’t think it gets much more colorful…eat the rainbow!!
This chicken noodle soup is packed full of incredibly healthy things (enter all the colorful veggies we just chatted about) and get a total cold fighting meal. I added tons of fresh ginger, herbs and lemon, so I would say this soup is one of those healthy cozy meals. SCORE.
I am planning on making a big batch of this and just letting it simmer on the stove. It’s the perfect soup to just have on hand for when people get hungry mid day. You can serve it with my cheesy crostini or just some crackers, but really, I would give the crostini a try. It’s pretty dang good and perfect for dipping.
Plus it’s super simple, both together are oh so good.
My one important note is to use really good egg noodles. The noodles are everything. They add the carbs. Carbs = YUM. So try to find some good egg noodles. I just used dried noodles, but I have heard good things about frozen ones too. I also don’t add the noodles directly to the soup, but instead just add them to each bowl and then ladle the soup over the noodles. If you serve it this way, the noodles will not soak up the soup and be all soggy when you go to eat the leftovers.
OKAY and I maybe served it this way so I could pile my bowl high with noodles. Again, mom – she taught me well. Always heavy on the noodles.
FAQ:
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes—breasts are leaner, so simmer gently and shred as soon as they’re cooked through to avoid dryness.
How do I keep the noodles from getting soggy in leftovers?
Cook noodles separately and store them apart from the soup; add to bowls just before serving.
What other greens work if I don’t have chard?
Tuscan kale (chopped small) or baby spinach are great; add kale earlier so it turns tender, spinach at the very end.
Can I freeze this soup?
Freeze the soup without noodles in airtight containers. Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently, then add fresh-cooked noodles and a squeeze of lemon to brighten.
Winter Vegetable Chicken Noodle Soup with Asiago Crostini.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 leek, halved + sliced
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- salt + pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 leaves bay
- 3 small skinless chicken thighs
- 1-2 cups swiss chard, chopped
- zest + juice of 1 lemon
- 8 ounces egg noodles, use a gluten free noodle if needed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley + basil
Asiago Crostini
- 1 inch loaf ciabatta bread, sliced into 1/4 slices (use a gluten free bread if needed)
- olive oil, for drizzling
- salt + pepper, to taste
- 6 ounces asiago cheese, shredded
- fresh herbs, for topping
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and leek. Cook until the onion is soft, fragrant and beginning to caramelize. Add the carrots and celery. Season with salt + pepper and continue cooking 3-5 minutes or until the carrots have a little browning on the edges. Stir in the garlic + ginger and cook a minute longer.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth. Add the thyme, bay leaves and chicken thighs. Cover the pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
- After 25 minutes, shred the chicken and remove any bones that may be in the chicken. Add the swiss chard, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook until the chard has wilted slightly, about 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt + pepper to your liking.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss the noodles with the butter, parsley and basil.
- Divide the egg noodles among bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles. Serve with the crostini (recipe below).
Asiago Crostini
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Arrange the bread slices on a large baking sheet with sides. Rub each slice with olive oil and sprinkle with salt + pepper. Add the asiago cheese evenly over each slice.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bread is toasted and golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve along side the soup.
Notes
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.
And now on to soup…and noodles….of course.
Oh this soup. Love, love, love. I have made it multiple times each winter for the past couple of years and it remains a family favorite. The lemon and garlic make it stand out from the average chicken noodle soup. I even made it without onion (gasp!) for friends who don’t eat onion and it was STILL phenomenal and “please, please, share that recipe!” worthy. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Amy,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
Made soup for the first time in years and yours this recipe. Wife and kids ranked this the best chicken noodle soup they have had.
Wow that is so amazing! I am so glad you all love this recipe Jim! xTieghan
Teighan does it again! This soup is such a great twist on the classic chicken noodle soup recipe, it’s perfect!! My kids and husband are always impressed when I serve a Head Baked Harvest recipe!
Haha you are too sweet! Thank you so much Stacey! xTieghan
I made this last weekend and it was delicious. We really liked how the lemon and ginger made the soup so bright and vibrant. Our friends all wanted the recipe. That it’s a healthy soup was an added bonus.
Thank you so much Deb! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Such a delicious take on a classic chicken noodle soup. I’ve also made it with dried herbs, and it still tastes great, but the fresh ones definitely make the difference. The only modification that I did at home was to add at least another quart of chicken broth to make it less “crowded,” but that choice depends on personal preferences. If you’re saving the soup over a few days, take their advice to save the noodles separately.
Thank you Tori! I am so glad you loved this recipe ? I hope you continue to love the recipes on my blog!
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This recipe is absolutely fantastic! I’ve made this several times since winter. It’s a classic that I’ll keep in my cookbook for years!
Awh that is so great! Thanks so much Emily!?
Do you think I could use spinach instead of the Swiss chard? I have a whole bunch of spinach I am trying to use up. haha
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes!
HI! Yes, I think spinach will be delicious! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love the soup. Thank you! 🙂
What bout a vegetarian version for this soup..instead of chicken what can be added to preserve the flavour?
Hi! You can just omit the chicken and use chickpea or another bean and swap in veggie broth. Please let me know if you have other questions. Thank you! 🙂
I made this soup for the 3rd time last night because my mom wasn’t feeling well. My dad couldn’t find the chard at the grocery (haha, the struggle is REAL!) so I just used some kale which worked perfectly. And this time I added 2 large sprigs of rosemary to the pot while the soup was simmering and just removed them before serving and OMG it was out of this world amazing!!!!! Rosemary+lemon in the soup was perfection!!!
So happy it was good!! It can be so hard to find! Takes time haha!
Thanks Sarah
I have to come clean. I’ve never like chicken soup — until now!! This is AMAZING!!! It’s been on my rotation through the winter and I’m making it again tonight because my son and I are sick. SO YUMMY!!!
YEAH!! This makes me so happy! Thrilled you love the recipe! 🙂 Feel better!
I have made this 5 times since you first posted it, including for my husband when he was ill with a cold. I love to make soup, but chicken noodle was my least favorite, until now. I think it is the addition of garlic, ginger and lemon . It deepens the flavor of the broth. And I love the addition of chard. I love it!!!
This soup is perfect for winter and the asiago crostini is a must!
Even if the weather has been unseasonably warm, nothing beats a hearty soup like this this time of year. Great recipe that I cannot wait to try. Pinned! 🙂
This looks so hearty and tasty!
Nothing better than a good chicken noodle soup 🙂