Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 478kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

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