Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced (~1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 6 carrots, sliced
- 3 cups wide egg noodles
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
Season and Cook the Chicken
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create four thinner cutlets. This helps them cook faster and more evenly. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, sage, and cayenne until they’re well-coated.
Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it’s melted and foaming, add the chicken breasts. Cook for ~4-5 minutes per side. You’re looking for a nice golden-brown crust. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point, as it will finish cooking in the soup later.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a cutting board to cool.
Build the Soup Base
Add the diced onion to the same pot with the remaining butter and chicken drippings. Sauté for ~3-4 minutes, until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until it’s fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Those browned bits are full of flavor.
Add the sliced carrots to the pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes while you deal with the chicken.
Finish the Soup
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces using two forks or your hands.
Add the shredded chicken and the wide egg noodles to the simmering broth. Continue to cook for ~10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
If you’re using the heavy cream, stir it in during the last minute or two of cooking.
The cream adds a bit of richness and will slightly thicken the soup.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed before serving.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts about 1.5 lbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 medium onion ~1 cup, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 6 carrots sliced
- 3 cups wide egg noodles
- 1/4 cup heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts horizontally into four cutlets and season with oil and spices.
- Melt butter in large pot over medium heat and cook chicken 4-5 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté onion in same pot 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add broth and water, scraping bottom of pot to release browned bits.
- Add carrots and simmer 5 minutes.
- Shred cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Add shredded chicken and egg noodles to pot. Simmer 10 minutes until noodles are tender.
- Stir in heavy cream during final 2 minutes of cooking.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
