This Get Well Chicken Soup is the kind of simple, comforting recipe you make when someone needs a little extra care, or anytime you’re craving something warm and nourishing. With tender chicken and vegetables, a gentle broth, and just a hint of ginger and lemon, it’s soothing, flavorful, and always hits the spot.
If you’ve got a loved one with the sniffles, a friend battling the flu, or you’re just in the mood for something simple and comforting, this Get Well Chicken Soup is just the ticket.
It’s made with lean chicken breast, tender carrots, and a light, herb-seasoned broth with a touch of ginger and lemon. The pasta adds just enough substance to make it satisfying without feeling heavy. This soup is basically a hug in a bowl.
Check out all of my easy soup recipes for more ideas.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts keep the broth lighter and more classic “get well” style. You can substitute boneless or bone-in chicken thighs for a slightly richer flavor.
- Pasta: Short pasta shapes like casarecce (used in the soup pictured), cavatappi, small shells, or ditalini hold up well in broth and are easy to eat. Egg noodles are also a great option for a more traditional chicken noodle soup feel.
- Broth: Use a good-quality low-sodium chicken broth so you can control the salt. I always make my broth with Better Than Bouillon for depth of flavor that’s similar to homemade chicken stock.
- Vegetables: This soup uses onion, carrots, and celery as the base. Smaller pieces make the soup feel softer and more comforting, especially when someone isn’t feeling well.
- Ginger: Adds subtle flavor that makes this soup especially soothing when you’re feeling under the weather. It shouldn’t taste “gingery,” just gently aromatic. Grated fresh ginger root is great if you have it on hand, but I almost always reach for ginger paste. It’s such an easy shortcut, keeps for a long time in the fridge, and has great fresh flavor without any peeling or grating.
- Herbs: Fresh thyme and bay leaf give the broth a classic, comforting flavor. Remove and discard them before serving.
- Seasoning: Dried marjoram is such a quiet star in this soup. It has a soft, slightly sweet, almost floral flavor that’s gentler than oregano and perfect for a soothing broth. Along with just simple salt and freshly ground black pepper, it keeps the seasoning clean, comforting, and classic. Don’t skip it!
- Lemon juice: A small splash at the end wakes up all the flavors and keeps the soup from tasting flat. It makes a big difference.
How to Make Get Well Chicken Soup
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, add the chopped carrots, celery, and onion, and cook until slightly softened.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, marjoram, salt, and pepper and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the broth, thyme sprigs, and the bay leaf. Then, add the chicken breasts to the pot and bring to a simmer. When fully-cooked and tender, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and remove the soup from heat. Remove and discard the woody stems of the thyme sprigs.
- Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer and add the noodles. Simmer uncovered for the amount of time indicated on the package of pasta.
- Return the chopped chicken to the pot, and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Stir in the fresh parsley and adjust the seasoning, if needed, before serving.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
If you’re making this soup in advance to deliver to someone who is under the weather, it’s best to keep the pasta separate.
- Prepare the soup through cooking the chicken and vegetables, but do not add the pasta.
- Cook the pasta in a separate pot of salted water until just tender. Drain and let it cool.
- Package the soup in a leak-proof container. Package the cooked pasta in a small separate container or zip-top bag.
- Add a note to reheat the soup gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot. Add the pasta to the hot soup and let it warm through for 1 to 2 minutes.
Storing Soup Without Pasta: The soup base keeps well stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cooked pasta will keep for 3 days when stored separately. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Freeze without pasta and add freshly cooked pasta after thawing and reheating.
Storing Soup with Pasta: Leftover soup with pasta can still be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta will continue to absorb broth and soften as it sits, but the soup will still be delicious. Just add a splash of broth or water to loosen the soup if it has thickened too much.
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Get Well Chicken Soup
This Get Well Chicken Soup is the kind of simple, comforting recipe you make when someone needs a little extra care, or anytime you’re craving something warm and nourishing. With tender chicken and vegetables, a gentle broth, and just a hint of ginger and lemon, it’s soothing, flavorful, and always hits the spot.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch thick half-moons
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger or ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 7 cups low sodium chicken broth, see notes
- 2 to 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ to 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 5 ounces dry short pasta or egg noodles, about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups (see notes below)
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil or butter in a large soup pot over MEDIUM heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, marjoram, and salt and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Increase the heat and bring the soup just to a gentle simmer.
- Nestle the chicken into the broth. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is very tender and easy to chop, about 20 to 35 minutes (it can take longer for thick pieces).
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and remove the soup from heat. Remove and discard the woody stems of the thyme sprigs (most of the leaves will stay behind in the soup).
- Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer and add the noodles. Simmer uncovered for the amount of time indicated on the package of pasta, usually from 6 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally Cooking time will vary depending on the type of noodles used (egg noodles cook very quickly, other types will take longer).
- Meanwhile, chop the chicken into small bite-size pieces
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the chopped chicken. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. If desired, adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves and serve.
Notes
Broth flavor: I recommend making your own broth with Low Sodium Chicken Better Than Bouillon base. Add 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon base to 7 cups boiling water and stir to dissolve. If using store-bought broth, a small amount of Better Than Bouillon can help deepen the flavor.
Chicken choice: Breasts give you a lighter, classic soup; thighs add a bit more richness and are very tender.
Noodles: Use any type of short pasta you like. I used casarecce but rotini, cavatappi, small shells, ditalini, orzo or wide egg noodles all work well. If serving immediately, noodles can be cooked directly in the soup.
Make-Ahead Instructions: For best storage and make-ahead results, cook pasta separately and add to bowls when serving.
- Prepare the soup through cooking the chicken and vegetables, but do not add the pasta.
- Cook the pasta in a separate pot of salted water until just tender. Drain and let it cool.
- Package the soup in a leak-proof container. Package the cooked pasta in a small separate container or zip-top bag.
- Add a note to reheat the soup gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot. Add the pasta to the hot soup and let it warm through for 1 to 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 268 kcal · Carbohydrates: 27 g · Protein: 25 g · Fat: 6 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 0.01 g · Cholesterol: 48 mg · Sodium: 400 mg · Potassium: 757 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 5309 IU · Vitamin C: 9 mg · Calcium: 47 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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