Description
A brighter, veggie-forward spin on classic chicken noodle soup: tender chicken, slurpable noodles, and a savory broth loaded with zucchini, peas, and spinach. One pot, weeknight-fast, and perfect for leftovers.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
2 celery ribs, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
2 cups egg noodles (or other small pasta)
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
2 cups baby spinach
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
½ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1–1½ tsp fine sea salt, to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for finish
Instructions
Heat oil in a 5–6 qt pot over medium. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt 5–6 minutes until glossy; stir in garlic 30 seconds.
Add stock, bay, thyme, and pepper; bring to a gentle boil. Taste and begin seasoning with salt.
Add chicken; simmer 10 minutes at a light bubble.
Stir in noodles; cook 6–8 minutes, just shy of package time, stirring so they don’t clump.
Fold in zucchini and peas; simmer 3–4 minutes until zucchini is crisp-tender.
Stir in spinach to wilt 1–2 minutes. Off heat, remove bay leaf; add lemon juice and parsley.
Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon. Rest 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use low-sodium stock so you can season perfectly at the end.
To avoid mushy noodles for leftovers, cook noodles separately and add to bowls.
Make ahead: cook through Step 3 and chill; finish with noodles/veg when serving.
Freezer: freeze the soup base without noodles/spinach up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: soup recipes
- Method: One-pot stovetop
- Cuisine: American