One-Pot Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup

One-Pot Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup is a delicious twist on traditional chicken noodle soup. It’s full of tender chicken and added flavor from a generous squeeze of lemon juice and the addition of dill.

Chicken Noodle Soup Is Good For The Soul

Now, I don’t know if chicken noodle soup actually has any true medicinal properties. However, I do know that whenever I’ve had a cold or flu, a hot bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup certainly didn’t hurt! It really feels like it helps those sore throats and overall aches and pains.

There are so many delicious flavors in a classic chicken noodle soup recipe. Tender pieces of chicken, small pasta or egg noodles, and the warm broth all combine for a great taste combo. It’s a perfect meal for lunch or dinner.

For this post, I really wanted to make an easy chicken noodle soup recipe, but also brighten up the flavor a bit. To do this, I decided to add in some lemon and dill.

Making the Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup

Lemon and dill really go well together. The lemon adds just a hint of citrusy tartness and the dill has a subtle sweetness that pairs well with the lemon. Consider both of them to be an added bonus to your classic chicken noodle soup!

Preparing the Soup

First, there is a little bit of chopping to complete. You want about one pound of raw chicken breasts available and cut those into small pieces.

I usually prepare raw chicken on a separate cutting board. This is a great way to avoid any cross-contamination.

​Then, it’s time to prepare the classic French flavor base called a mirepoix. That is a combination of carrots, onions and celery. Simply dice these veggies up.

Now, mince up a couple of cloves of garlic and your preparation is complete.

Bringing the Soup Together

In a large pot, heat up some olive oil and saute the mirepoix mix as well the garlic, dill, salt and pepper. That takes about five minutes.

At this point, you add in chicken stock. For ease of use, you can use store-bought chicken stock. However, if you have homemade chicken stock, that tastes even better.

Homemade stock isn’t terribly hard to make, but it does take time. However, I think the flavors are a bit richer and more interesting than a store-bought stock. Regardless, the soup tastes great either way!

Bring that to a boil, add in the chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Then you add in your peas and pasta and cook until the pasta is tender. You’re almost there!

Finishing the Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup

Now, it’s time to finish the soup. The dill is already in the soup, so we need the lemon.

I add in fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for that citrus kick. My final add is parsley to give the soup some bright, beautiful color. You’re ready to serve!

Make Ahead and Freeze Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a great recipe to make ahead and freeze. However, there is one adjustment you will make to the recipe (if making ahead) to ensure the best reheated chicken noodle soup.

First, if you made the lemon dill chicken noodle soup for a lunch or dinner and you have leftovers, simply put into an airtight container (or containers) and freeze. I like to divide soup leftovers into single serving containers, as I typically eat my soup leftovers for lunch.

When you are ready to reheat, simply take the frozen soup out of the freezer and defrost in the microwave for about 10 minutes. Then, heat on high for 1-2 minutes, or until it is to your preferred temperature. 

Note that the pasta may have a little less integrity after reheating than when you first ate the soup. That is because they had time to soak up more of the chicken broth before freezing. 

So, you’re trading more flavor in the pasta for a little less structure in the pasta. Seems like a good trade to me!

Second, if you are making this ahead and will be freezing the whole batch, there is one thing you can do to ensure your pasta is a fresh as can be. Make the entire recipe, but do not add in the pasta. Freeze as indicated above.

When you are ready to reheat, simply defrost and then heat up to your desired temperature. While that is going on, make your pasta in a separate pan according to the packaged instructions. When you are ready to serve, add in the cooked pasta.

Completing the chicken soup recipe in this manner will ensure your pasta is super fresh and tasty. I find the soup freezes well for about three months.

 

Tips and Tricks

• If you have cooked chicken on hand, it can be substituted for the raw chicken breast. Just stir it in right before adding the pasta and peas. I often have leftover rotisserie chicken on hand, which works well.
• The soup is freezer friendly. I like to freeze it in single portions to reheat for a quick meal.
• If you don’t have ring pasta, any short pasta, such as elbow macaroni can be used.
• I typically use dried dill, but 1 tablespoon of fresh dill can be substituted.
• For a full meal, serve the soup with a Field Greens Salad and Garlic Knots.

Ingredients Needed to Make Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Boneless chicken breast – Boneless chicken thighs can be substituted if that’s what you have on hand.
• Olive oil
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion – I prefer using red onions for their color and milder flavor, but you can substitute yellow or white onions.
• Fresh garlic
• Dried dill – If you prefer, you can use 1 tbsp of fresh dill.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Chicken stock
• Large ring pasta – Elbow macaroni is a good substitution if you don’t have the ring pasta.
• Frozen peas – These add color and texture to the soup.
• Lemon
• Fresh parsley

How to Make Lemon Dill Chicken Noodle Soup

• Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
• Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, dill, salt and pepper to the pot.  
• Saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Pour in chicken stock, increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil.
• Stir in chicken pieces, reduce heat back to medium and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.
• Stir in pasta and peas and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, until pasta is tender.
• Remover from heat immediately and stir in lemon juice, zest and parsley.

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