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Immune-Boosting Chicken Noodle Soup

Immune-boosting chicken noodle soup with turmeric creates a golden-orange broth while tender egg noodles and greens cook right in the pot. Simmered chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and a quick kale wilt make it hearty, comforting, and bright with lemon.
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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: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast or thighs
  • 4 carrots sliced
  • 3 celery sliced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 6 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 cup shiitake or cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cup kale or spinach chopped
  • 8 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 8 oz egg noodles
  • 0.1 fresh parsley for serving
  • 0.1 lemon wedges, for serving
  • 0.1 salt to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Simmer the chicken broth
  1. In a Dutch oven, simmer the chicken in the chicken broth with carrots, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, dried thyme, and black pepper for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer so the flavors meld without boiling hard.
Shred and build the soup
  1. Remove the chicken, shred it, then return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir well to evenly distribute the chicken throughout the broth.
Cook the mushrooms
  1. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they soften. You should see the broth become even more savory-looking as the mushrooms release moisture.
Cook the noodles
  1. Add the egg noodles and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender. Keep a steady simmer and watch for the noodles to soften but not turn mushy.
Wilt the greens and finish
  1. Stir in the kale and lemon juice and cook for 3 minutes until the kale is wilted. The soup should look brighter and the greens should turn deeper green as they soften.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt to taste, then serve with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. Finish with a lemon wedge per bowl for a fresh, citrusy aroma.

Notes

For clearer broth, skim any foam that rises during the first simmer. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently, adding a splash of broth or water if the noodles absorb liquid. Freezing is not recommended because egg noodles can soften too much after thawing. Dietary swap: use gluten-free egg noodles if you need a gluten-free version.