Lemon Chicken Soup
A bright, one-pot lemon chicken soup with tender browned chicken thighs, soft egg noodles, and a pale gold citrus broth that stays fresh and never bitter because the lemon goes in off the heat.
Equipment
- Dutch oven - or heavy 6-quart (5.7 L) soup pot, for browning the chicken and simmering everything in one vessel
- Chef's knife - for dicing the vegetables and cutting the chicken into even pieces
- Cutting board - ideally two, so raw chicken stays away from the vegetables and parsley
- Microplane zester - for removing the yellow zest without the bitter white pith
- Citrus juicer - to catch seeds and get the most juice from each lemon
- Instant-read thermometer - to confirm the chicken has reached 165°F (74°C)
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons - for the broth, lemon juice, and dried herbs
- Wooden spoon - for stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot
- Ladle - for serving the soup without splashing the noodles out of the bowl
- Small bowl - to hold the zest and parsley until it is time to finish the soup
Ingredients
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - 30 ml, divided (1 tablespoon for browning the chicken, 1 tablespoon for the vegetables)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs - 450 g, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces; thighs hold up better than breasts because their extra fat keeps them tender through the simmer
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt - about 4 g, divided (¾ teaspoon for the chicken, ¼ teaspoon for the vegetables), plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - divided (¼ teaspoon for the chicken, ¼ teaspoon for the broth)
- 1 medium yellow onion - about 1 cup / 150 g, diced
- 3 medium carrots - about 1 cup / 130 g, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery - about 1 cup / 100 g, diced
- 4 cloves garlic - about 4 teaspoons, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano - 0.5 g
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme - 0.5 g
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth - 1.9 L
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 ounces dry egg noodles - 115 g, about 2 cups
For finishing
- 2 large lemons - zested (about 1 tablespoon / 6 g zest) and juiced (about ¼ cup / 60 ml juice); stir in 3 tablespoons of the juice first, then add the rest to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley - 15 g
- 2 cups baby spinach - 60 g, optional, stirred in at the end until wilted
- 1 additional lemon - cut into wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Zest the 2 lemons into a small bowl, stopping before the white pith, then juice them into a measuring cup and set aside about ¼ cup (60 ml). Cut the additional lemon into wedges for serving.
- Pat the chicken dry, trim any large fat pieces, and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces. Toss with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces, mince the garlic, and chop the parsley.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken in a single layer (brown in two batches if crowded) and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden outside. Transfer the chicken and juices to a plate, leaving the browned bits in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the onion, carrots, celery, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is translucent and the carrots begin to soften without taking on color.
- Add the minced garlic, dried oregano, and dried thyme and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown, because it turns bitter quickly.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaves and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Return the browned chicken and any juices to the pot, bring to a boil (about 4 minutes), then reduce to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook 10 minutes until the carrots are nearly tender.
- Stir in the egg noodles, pushing them under the broth, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally so they do not clump, until tender. Confirm the chicken has reached 165°F (74°C), then take the pot off the heat as soon as the noodles are done.
- Off the heat, discard the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon zest, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the parsley. If using spinach, add it now and stir about 1 minute until wilted. Taste and add the remaining lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time, plus a pinch of salt if needed, until bright but balanced.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve right away with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Add the lemon last, and off the heat. Simmering the juice with everything else makes the pot sharp and faintly bitter, so stir in the zest and juice only after the pot is off the heat.
- Zest only the yellow layer. The white pith underneath is bitter, so stop grating the moment you see white.
- Start with 3 tablespoons of juice. Lemons vary in acidity, so taste before adding more, because a sour soup is hard to fix.
- Sweat the vegetables, do not brown them. Gentle heat softens the onion, carrots, and celery and builds a sweeter, cleaner broth.
- Pull the pot off the heat when the noodles are done. They keep absorbing broth as the soup sits, so slightly firm is better than soft.
- Chicken breast version: Brown bite-size breast pieces for 2 minutes only, set them aside, and stir them back in during the last 4 minutes of cooking, until they reach 165°F (74°C).
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut: Skip the browning, sauté the vegetables in the full 2 tablespoons of oil, and stir in about 3 cups (420 g) of shredded cooked chicken for the last 5 minutes.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled soup in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Add about ½ cup (120 ml) of broth or water when reheating, since the noodles soak up broth as it sits.
- Freezer: Freeze the soup base without the noodles and lemon for up to 3 months; noodles turn mushy and lemon turns harsh after freezing and reheating. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently to 165°F (74°C).
- Variations: Swap in ¾ cup (140 g) long-grain rice (add ½ cup / 120 ml extra broth, simmer 15 to 18 minutes) or ¾ cup (140 g) orzo (8 to 10 minutes). For a creamy version, stir ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream in off the heat with the lemon juice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 18gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 650mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!