My homemade Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort food. It is a soup that is one of my go-to recipes when I am craving something warming and satisfying. The soup features a base of flavourful chicken broth, traditional Mediterranean herbs and vegetables. Chicken breasts are cooked in the simmering broth, and shredded, with noodles added just before serving. A delicious family favourite soup.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- There is a transfer of flavour by simmering the chicken in the broth. The aromatic broth flavours the chicken which in turn adds flavour to the broth.
- This is an easy recipe to make, suitable for cooks of all skill levels.
- You can customise the ingredients to suit your taste or what you have on hand.
- It is a satisfying soup, ideal to serve as a complete meal.
- The soup is made in just one pot, so there's fewer dishes to wash - always good!
Recipe Inspiration: I am a huge fan of soup; I make it each week. There are countless variations and many opportunities to customise soup according to your taste or what you have on hand. Make a light broth, a creamy soup, such as my Creamy Chicken and Barley, a luxurious soup or a budget friendly, simple one like my Potato Soup. There is something for everyone, but there is one soup that I feel should be in everyone's collection, Chicken Noodle Soup. It is known for its soothing, nurturing, restorative qualities, and this version is strongly influenced by the Mediterranean.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Extra virgin olive oil - from the first pressing of the olives, this is the least processed olive oil and forms the base of many Mediterranean dishes. Use the best olive oil that you have.
- Brown/yellow onion - this is the onion most often used by cooks, but you can use a white or red onion if you prefer.
- Carrot and celery - together with onion, this trio is the "soffritto", the flavour base of the soup. Flavour is extracted from the vegetables by gently cooking them in olive oil.
- Garlic - my preference is fresh garlic; the flavour is superior to bottled varieties.
- Fresh rosemary and dried oregano - traditional Mediterranean herbs.
- Dried chilli flakes - add gentle spice. Adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Parmesan rind - a great way to add umami to the soup.
- Chicken stock - use homemade stock or a good quality commercial one. As stock is the basis for the soup, a well flavoured stock is essential.
- Crushed tomatoes - these are ideal for the soup, but if you only have whole tinned tomatoes, roughly chop them a little before adding to the soup.
- Skinless/boneless chicken breasts - such a versatile ingredient, you will find so many ways to use them. My preference is for free-range chicken. Two of my favourite ways to use them are in my Poached Chicken Breast, a light, nourishing dish and Creamy Chicken Pasta, so comforting and nourishing.
- Noodles/pasta - I find this soup a great way to use up leftover packets of noodles or pasta. You can use any kind that you enjoy, and gluten-free if preferred.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - it is essential to properly season food, and we begin with these two basic spices. Food that lacks seasoning is often bland or tasteless.
- Fresh basil leaves - for the best flavour, they are added to the hot soup as it is served, releasing their flavour and aroma.
- Parmesan cheese - serve the soup with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Variations:
Chicken breast - you could use skinless, boneless chicken thighs if you prefer. You could also use leftover roast chicken, added towards the end to warm through properly.
Parmesan - you could use Grana Padano as an alternative. It has great flavour.
How To Make Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 - Sauté the vegetables:
Add olive oil to a large saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté the diced onion, carrot and celery until the vegetables soften. Stir occasionally.
2 - Simmer the soup base:
Add garlic, stir, then add stock, chicken, Parmesan rind, tomato and herbs. Simmer until the chicken is cooked. Remove from the broth, and when cool enough to handle, shred the meat.
3 - Shred the chicken:
Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts. Set aside until the soup is almost ready.
4 - Finish the soup and serve:
Add the noodles. When the noodles are almost cooked, return the shredded chicken to the pan to warm up.
Ladle into bowls and serve with chopped basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Hint: for the best result, it is important to adequately season your soup. Before serving, check that it is to your liking, adding more salt, pepper or chilli flakes if necessary. The amount of seasoning that your soup requires will depend on how much flavour your stock has.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
If you are not serving the soup straight away, I recommend that you cook the noodles separately and add them when warming the soup. The noodles may absorb liquid, some varieties more than others, as they sit in the broth and soften.
Yes, it can be frozen, but as mentioned above, some varieties of noodle/pasta absorb more liquid than others and may have softened so I recommend freezing the soup and adding freshly cooked noodles as you are ready to serve it. Store the soup in a freezer-safe container for
up to three months. Defrost and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It will have thickened slightly on standing, so add more stock or water as necessary.
Top Tip:
It is important to have a richly flavoured stock, either homemade or store bought, as it is the base of the soup. Also, use good quality fresh ingredients.
Serving Suggestions:
This wholesome Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup is a meal in a bowl. Some serving suggestions are:
- It is ideal for a light lunch.
- For a more substantial meal, serve with our Easy No-Knead Spelt Focaccia.
- Make for meal prep - ideally, keep the noodles separate until you are ready to serve.
Nothing warms the soul like homemade soup, and I am certain this Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup will become a family favourite. I look forward to hearing in the comments below if you give it a try.
Alex xx
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Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil See Note 1
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion - peeled and finely diced
- 1 large carrot - washed, finely diced
- 2 ribs celery - finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli pepper flakes
- 1 piece Parmesan rind - about 7 ½ cm/3 inches See Note 2
- 4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock See Note 3
- 400 g (14 oz) tin of crushed tomatoes
- 2 skinless/boneless chicken breasts - approx. 500 g (17 oz total weight)
- 120 g (4.2 oz) noodles - egg noodles or pasta of your choice, about 3cm/1 inch in length
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste See Note 4
To Serve:
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil leaves - finely chopped
- Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- extra virgin olive oil - a drizzle
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large saucepan, and over medium heat, add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté gently for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Stir occasionally.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- To the vegetables, add in the stock, chicken breast,Parmesan rind, tomatoes and herbs. Make sure the chicken breasts are submerged with the liquid.Over low heat, with the lid on, gently bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and registers 74 C (165 F) on a thermometer. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside on a chopping board to rest for 5 minutes before shredding with two forks. Set aside.
- Simmer the soup for additional 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are almost cooked.
- Add in the noodles. Stir well, so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. The cooking time will vary depending on the noodles/pasta you have chosen.When the noodles have almost finished cooking, return the shredded chicken to the pan.Check that the seasoning is to your liking.
- If the soup is too thick, add a little extra stock.Ladle the soup into bowls, discarding the parmesan rind.Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with grated Parmesan and finely chopped basil leaves.If not serving immediately, keep in mind the soup will thicken on standing and more stock may be required.
Notes
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Parmesan Rind: a small piece of leftover Parmesan rind softens as the soup cooks and adds great flavour.
- Stock: you could also use vegetable stock.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking - we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Add more red chilli pepper flakes if you like the heat.
- Make-ahead: if you are not serving the soup straight away, I recommend that you cook the noodles separately and add them when warming the soup. The noodles may absorb liquid, some varieties more than others, as they sit in the broth and soften.
- Storage and reheating: store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The soup will thicken while standing, so just add some more stock or water.
- Freezing: allow to cool completely before storing the soup in a freezer safe container for up to three months.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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