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Immune-Boosting Chicken Noodle Soup

Immune-boosting chicken noodle soup with turmeric and ginger simmers into a golden-orange, flavorful broth. Juicy shredded chicken, tender egg noodles, and wilted kale come together for a comforting bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast or thighs
  • 1.5 lb Chicken breast or thighs Use boneless skinless for faster shredding.
Carrots
  • 4 Carrots, sliced
Celery
  • 3 Celery, sliced
Onion
  • 1 Onion, diced
Garlic
  • 6 Garlic, minced
Fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated
Mushrooms
  • 2 cup S shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced Sliced mushrooms add an earthy, savory depth.
Kale or spinach
  • 2 cup Kale or spinach, chopped Kale holds up best, but spinach wilts fast.
Chicken broth
  • 8 cup Chicken broth
Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Dried thyme
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp Black pepper Black pepper helps activate turmeric.
Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
Egg noodles
  • 8 oz Egg noodles
Fresh parsley
  • 1 Fresh parsley For serving.
Lemon for serving
  • 1 Lemon wedges For serving.
Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Salt To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Simmer the chicken broth base
  1. In a Dutch oven, bring the chicken broth, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, dried thyme, and black pepper to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer at a steady bubbling temperature for 20 minutes, until the chicken cooks through.
Shred the chicken and build the soup
  1. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, then return the shredded chicken to the Dutch oven. Stir to evenly distribute the chicken throughout the broth.
  2. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook at a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, until they soften. Keep the broth lightly bubbling.
  3. Add the egg noodles and simmer for 6-8 minutes until tender. Stir occasionally so the noodles don’t stick.
  4. Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and lemon juice, then cook for 3 minutes until the greens are wilted. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer.
Finish and serve
  1. Season with salt to taste, then ladle into bowls. Top with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Pro tip: For the brightest flavor, add lemon juice at the end so it stays zesty instead of dull. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the soup thickens as noodles absorb broth. Freezing is not recommended because egg noodles can turn soft and uneven after thawing. Dietary swap: use low-sodium broth and add the salt gradually to keep it heart-friendlier.