This is the Best Ever Healing Chicken Soup, packed with healthy ingredients and so much flavour. You’ll feel better in no time!
This is my go-to soup recipe for when I’m feeling under the weather. The turmeric and ginger especially will help with inflammation AND flavour so you really can’t go wrong. Find out why this is my fave soup recipe!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Healing soup: It’s packed with healthy ingredients that will help you heal if you’re sick.
- Comfort in a bowl: Even if you’re perfectly healthy, who doesn’t love a bowl of hot soup on a chilly day?!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado oil.
- Chicken breasts – chicken thighs, leftover chicken or turkey would all work.
- Celery – double up on the carrots if you don’t have any celery.
- Carrots – substitute for more celery or use leeks instead.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots would also work.
- Fresh rosemary – use 1 tsp dried rosemary instead.
- Fresh thyme – use 1 tsp dried thyme instead.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed is best but bottled can be used.
- Fresh ginger – swap out for ½ tsp dried ginger powder.
- Lemon zest – use extra lemon juice instead.
- Turmeric – you can use saffron, but it doesn’t have the health benefits and has a sweeter taste; you can leave it out too.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth is the best substitute here.
- Mini pasta shells – or another small shaped pasta like macaroni.
- Fresh parsley – substitute for 2 tsp dried parsley instead, or use any fresh herbs you have on hand.
How to make this chicken soup
Step 1: Cook the chicken.
Sear the chicken until lightly browned, then remove from the pot.
Step 2: Sauté the veggies.
Sauté the veggies until fragrant, scraping up any chicken bits from the bottom.
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients.
Add the chicken back to the pot with the seasonings and lemon juice.
Step 4: Simmer the soup.
Add the broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins. Add the pasta in the last 10 mins.
Step 5: Shred the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the soup and shred with two forks.
Step 6: Add the chicken back.
Add the chicken back to the pot, stir in the fresh parsley and serve.
Recipe tips
Here are my top tips for making the best chicken soup:
- Use homemade stock: Use homemade chicken stock for the best flavour.
- Repurpose leftover chicken: Save time and add leftover chicken in the last 10 minutes.
- Make it vegetarian: Use vegetable broth and swap out the chicken for canned chickpeas.
- Use fresh herbs: They’ll provide the best depth of flavour vs. dried herbs.
Frequently asked questions
Does chicken soup actually help when you’re sick?
When you’re sick, your body needs lots of liquids (like soup). Turmeric also has powerful anti-inflammatory qualities, while fresh ginger helps reduce congestion and inflammation, and soothes sore throats.
Can I make it in the crockpot or Instant Pot instead?
Crockpot instructions: Cook it in the crockpot on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, adding the pasta during the last 30 minutes of cooking time
Instant Pot instructions: If you’re making it in the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 5 minutes then do a quick release of the pressure.
How do you add extra flavour?
I highly recommend using fresh herbs, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. It’ll give your soup plenty of amazing flavour!
Storing and reheating
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge for 5 days.
Reheating: Reheat in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Freezing: Freeze the soup for 3 months (I recommend storing individual portions), then thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat from frozen.
Reheating from frozen: Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 6-7 minutes, stirring a couple times partway through.
More chicken soup recipes
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this soup into leftovers.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Freeze individual portions of this soup in Souper Cubes for up to 3 months.
The Best Ever Healing Chicken Soup
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 tbsp 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
- 1/2 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
Comments & Reviews
Sarah Green says
I felt like I was coming down with something and made this soup. Then woke up feeling great!!! It was a cure all! And super delicious. Even my kids devoured it.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy it made you feel better and that you enjoyed 🙂
Kylie says
Absolutely beautiful soup, even our 4 kid’s aged between 3 and 10 love it, only I leave out the lemon zest 2nd time round, was a bit too lemony 1st time but still yummy. I just wanted it more chickeny for chicken soup. Thankyou for such a beautiful healing soup.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you love it 🙂
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.
Taylor Stinson says
Thank you so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed and that it will be in the regular rotation!
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.
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
K says
Fantastic recipe. It will be my go to chicken soup recipe. Thank you!
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.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed!
Patti says
Can you make this in a crockpot? I need hip replacement and that would be ideal for me!
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!
Lallie says
Absolutely delicious and yummy
Mixture of herbs adds great flavour for these cold winter days
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 week
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy it’s such a hit 🙂
Libby says
Can this be made in the Instant Pot?
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.