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Copycat Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup

Copycat Panera Bread chicken noodle soup with a clear, well-seasoned golden broth and tender diced chicken. Thick egg noodles are cooked until just al dente for that bakery-café texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cut into 1-inch pieces.
Vegetables
  • 3 carrots Diced into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 0.5 onion Diced small.
  • 3 garlic Minced.
Broth & aromatics
  • 8 cup high-quality chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp dried rosemary
  • 0.5 tsp poultry seasoning
Noodles & finishing
  • 8 oz egg noodles Broken into shorter pieces.
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, until softened with lightly golden edges.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
Build the broth
  1. Pour in 8 cups high-quality chicken broth and add dried thyme, dried rosemary, and poultry seasoning, scraping up any browned bits from the pot.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then add the chicken pieces and reduce to a steady simmer for 12 minutes, until cooked through and no longer pink.
Cook the noodles
  1. Add the broken egg noodles and simmer for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just al dente with tender but firm bite.
Finish and season
  1. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and season generously with salt and pepper to taste, for a clear, well-seasoned broth.

Notes

For Panera-style clarity, keep the soup at a gentle simmer once the chicken is added—avoid a hard boil that can make the broth cloudy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended because the egg noodles can soften and turn mushy after thawing. If you want a lighter option, use low-sodium chicken broth and salt only at the end to control seasoning without losing flavor.