Description

Learn how to make the perfect copycat Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup at home! This comforting recipe features tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, and egg noodles in a rich, flavorful broth. Includes both stovetop and slow cooker methods for the ultimate convenience.

Ingredients

For the Soup Base:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups chicken broth (I love using low-sodium so I can control the saltiness)
2 cups water (add more as needed for your perfect consistency)
4 carrots, peeled and diced into bite-size pieces
2 stalks celery, diced into bite-size pieces
½ medium onion, diced

For the Perfect Seasoning:

1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf (don’t skip this – it’s the secret!)
1 teaspoon garlic salt (or fresh minced garlic if you prefer)
1 teaspoon salt (adjust to your taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (freshly ground is amazing here)

For the Hearty Finish:

2 cups egg noodles (uncooked – wide egg noodles work beautifully)

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Instructions

Stovetop Method (My Personal Favorite!) Start with vegetables

Put some olive oil in your pot, throw in chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Cook about 4 minutes until they smell good and soften up.

Add chicken and liquid

Drop chicken breasts in, pour broth over everything. Add thyme, bay leaf, garlic salt, regular salt, and pepper. Add water, turn heat up until it bubbles.

Cook the chicken

When it’s boiling, turn heat to medium-low, cover it, let it cook until chicken hits 165°F. Takes me about 18 minutes but depends on thickness.

Shred chicken

Take chicken out, shred with two forks, put it back in pot.

Add noodles

Put in raw noodles, cook until they’re done but not mushy. Take out that bay leaf or someone will bite into it.

Slow Cooker Method Put everything in

Everything except noodles goes in the slow cooker. Easy.

Wait

Low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours. House smells incredible, mailman asked me what I was cooking yesterday.

Add noodles

Half hour before eating, take out chicken, shred it, put it back, add noodles, cook on high until soft.

Remove bay leaf

Don’t forget this step. My father-in-law bit into one once and complained for an hour.

Notes

Don’t rush cooking the chicken or it gets tough and chewy. Made that mistake trying to speed things up when kids were whining about dinner.

Soup too thin? Take off the lid and let it bubble a few more minutes. Too thick? Add more broth or water until it looks right.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American