Lemon chicken noodle soup is classic chicken noodle soup with a bright finish of fresh lemon and dill. Tender chicken thighs simmer in low-sodium broth with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme, and then wide egg noodles cook right in the same pot. Once the heat is off, you stir in lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, fresh dill, and a little Parmesan. It takes a little over an hour on the stovetop and serves six, so there’s plenty for supper with some to share.
We went on a cruise to Greece with our son and daughter-in-law, and one of my favorite parts was trying different foods at every port. At one little mom-and-pop restaurant, we ordered the chicken noodle soup, and it came with a Greek twist: dill stirred into the broth, more sprinkled on top, and fresh lemon zest. It was amazing. I’d noticed they used chicken thighs, which gave the broth such a richer flavor, so when we got home, I thought it would be fun to recreate it for dinner when my son and daughter-in-law came over. We shared it with their kids while we passed around the pictures we’d all taken and talked about that little restaurant we enjoyed so much.
Main Ingredients Needed For Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Chicken thighs: I use boneless, skinless thighs. They’re forgiving in soup, and they shred so easily with two forks once they’re cooked. This is a chicken noodle soup with chicken thighs on purpose, after that bowl in Greece.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: I use the carton kind. Low-sodium lets you season the finished soup to your own taste. If regular broth is what you have, hold back on the added salt until the very end.
- Wide egg noodles: I use Mueller’s Wide Egg Noodles from the bag. They have a little curl to them, so don’t worry if yours look twisty like mine. They’re soft and homey, and they cook right in the broth, so there’s no extra pot to wash.
- Lemon: One lemon gives you both the zest and the juice. Wash and dry it well before you zest it, since the zest comes from the peel. I’ll tell you more about the lemon below, because when you add it really matters.
- Fresh dill: This is what gives the soup that fresh, gentle herbal flavor. It gets stirred in at the end, with a little more on top of each bowl.
- Parmesan: Grab a block and grate it finely yourself. It melts smoothly into the hot broth, while pre-grated Parmesan has an anti-caking agent that can leave it looking a little grainy.
- Yellow onion: One medium onion, diced. Along with the carrots and celery, it builds the savory base every good chicken noodle soup starts with.
- Carrots: Peel them and slice them into rounds about a quarter inch thick, so they get tender in the same time as everything else.
- Celery: Two ribs, sliced.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves, minced. They only cook for about 30 seconds, just until you can smell them, before the broth goes in.
How To Make Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
This soup has everything you love about classic chicken noodle soup: tender shredded chicken and soft noodles, with a bright squeeze of lemon and fresh dill in every spoonful.
When To Add Lemon in Chicken Noodle Soup
The trick to lemon in chicken noodle soup is adding it at the very end, after you’ve turned off the heat. Stirring it in off the heat keeps its aroma fresh, prevents bitterness, and keeps the acidity sharp and bright.
The zest and juice do two different jobs, so I use both. The zest gives the soup its fragrant lemon aroma, and the juice brings the tartness. I start with 2 tablespoons of juice and a teaspoon of zest from one lemon. Then I taste and add more if it needs it, because lemons vary so much in size and tartness. You want the lemon to brighten the soup, not make it taste sour.
Tips and Variations for Chicken Noodle Soup With Dill
A few things make a real difference with this soup:
- Keep it at a gentle simmer: A rolling boil can make the chicken tougher and break up the vegetables. Small, quiet bubbles are what you’re after.
- Use a meat thermometer: The chicken is done when the thickest part reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Pull it out of the pot as soon as it gets there.
- Taste before you salt: The broth, the Parmesan, and the noodles all add salt to the final bowl, so give it a taste at the end before you add any more.
Once you’ve made it this way, here’s what else has worked in my kitchen:
- Chicken breast: Boneless, skinless breasts work too. Simmer them gently until they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then take them out and shred them right away so they don’t overcook.
- Bone-in thighs: These add even more flavor to the broth. They take a little longer to cook, and you’ll need to pull the bones out before the noodles go in.
- Other pasta shapes: I sometimes use whatever pasta I have on hand. Cook it for the time on the package.
- Dried dill: I’ve used dried dill once in a pinch when I didn’t have fresh, and it worked okay. Fresh dill has a lot more flavor, so I reach for it whenever I can.
If you’d rather let the slow cooker do the work, my Old Fashioned Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup is the classic version.
Make This Lemon Noodle Soup Ahead for Company
When I’m having folks over or hosting a family get-together, I make the base for this lemon chicken noodle soup up to three days ahead and cook the noodles fresh. Noodles keep soaking up the broth as they sit, so they get too big and leave the soup thin. That’s why I don’t keep noodles in my leftovers either.
Cook the soup through the step where the chicken simmers, then take the chicken out and shred it. Let the broth, vegetables, and chicken cool, and then chill them together.
When you’re ready to serve, bring the base back to a simmer, add the noodles, and cook them until they’re tender. Stir in the lemon, dill, and Parmesan just before you ladle it into bowls. Most of the work is done before anyone walks in the door.
You can make the whole soup ahead, noodles and all, if you don’t mind softer noodles.
Feeding a bigger crowd? When I double or triple this soup, I switch to my 16-quart stainless steel stock pot. Tap the 2x or 3x button on the recipe card below, and all the ingredient amounts change for you, so you can print it and take it right to the grocery store.
What To Serve With Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
This lemon chicken noodle soup is pretty much a meal on its own, with the noodles already in the pot, so all I add is a simple green salad. Keep the vinaigrette light so it doesn’t compete with the lemon. My Green Jacket Salad with its red wine vinaigrette makes this an easy soup and salad supper. I also like to set out a little extra Parmesan, black pepper, and lemon at the table so everyone can adjust their own bowl.
Questions When Making Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
Thighs, if you ask me. They stay moist and tender through the simmer and give the broth a richer flavor, and that’s exactly what I noticed in the soup at that little restaurant in Greece. Breasts work fine too if that’s what you have on hand.
Yes, chicken noodle soup with dill is one of my favorite twists on the classic. Dill has a fresh, gentle herbal flavor that pairs naturally with chicken and lemon, and that combination is what made the bowl I had on our trip so memorable.
If you make this soup, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below. It helps other cooks know it’s worth making.
Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, medium, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 carrots, medium, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery ribs, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, plus more to taste
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth, carton
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 6 ounces wide egg noodles, bagged, about 3 cups
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated (from 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from the same lemon, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped, plus more for serving
- ⅓ cup Parmesan, block, finely grated, plus more for serving
Instructions
Cook the Vegetables
- Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven over medium heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Once the oil is warm, add the onion, carrots, and celery.1 yellow onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and the vegetables are starting to turn tender. They don’t need to brown.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.3 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cook for about 30 seconds, just until you can smell the garlic. If it starts to brown, move right along to the next step.
Simmer the Chicken
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the chicken thighs.8 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 pound boneless
- Bring the broth to a quiet simmer, with small bubbles and not a hard boil.
- Lower the heat and cover the pot loosely.
- Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part.
Cook the Noodles and Shred the Chicken
- Use tongs to move the chicken to a plate.
- Bring the broth back up to a gentle boil. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil too hard.
- Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package directions, usually 6 to 8 minutes. Stir once or twice so they don’t stick together.6 ounces wide egg noodles
- While the noodles cook, use two forks to pull the chicken apart into small pieces. If it’s too hot to handle, give it a few minutes to cool.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
Finish and Serve
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and Parmesan.1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup fresh dill, ⅓ cup Parmesan
- Taste the broth and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. The lemon should brighten the soup, not make it taste sharply sour.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm, with a little extra Parmesan and dill on top if you’d like. This soup is best while the noodles are tender and the herbs are fresh.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Wash and dry the lemon well before zesting, since the zest comes from the peel.
- Freshly grated Parmesan from a block melts best into the soup.
- Pre-grated Parmesan works as a time saver, but it usually contains an anti-caking agent that can keep it from melting smoothly. It may look a little grainy in the broth.
- Make the soup base up to 3 days ahead. Cook through the chicken-simmering step, shred the chicken, and refrigerate the broth, vegetables, and chicken together once cooled.
- When you’re ready to serve, bring the base back to a simmer, cook the noodles in it until tender, and stir in the lemon, dill, and Parmesan just before serving.
- To double or triple the recipe, use a 16-quart stock pot. The 7-quart Dutch oven holds a single batch.
- Chicken breast: simmer until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then shred it right away so it doesn’t overcook.
- Bone-in thighs: these need extra cooking time. Remove the bones before adding the noodles.
- Other pasta shapes: cook according to the package directions.
- Dried dill: works in a pinch, but fresh dill has more flavor.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, in shallow airtight containers.
- Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. The noodles may turn soft and a little mushy after thawing.
- The best way to thaw is in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring now and then, until the soup comes to a boil.
- If the noodles have soaked up the broth, add a splash of extra broth while it reheats.
Equipment
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Showing Hospitality With Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
A Taste of the Trip Night is my favorite way to serve this soup, so invite the folks who traveled with you, or the ones who have been waiting to hear all about it, and set the pot on the table next to your trip photos. Since the base can be made up to three days ahead, all that’s left when everyone arrives is cooking the noodles and stirring in the lemon, dill, and Parmesan, which means you get to sit down with everyone instead of standing at the stove. Set a bowl of lemon wedges and extra dill down the middle of the table with a few postcards or a map, and let the stories start. The night our son, daughter-in-law, and their kids came over and we passed photos around the table reminded me of the early church breaking bread in their homes with glad and generous hearts (Acts 2:46). A warm bowl of soup and a good story have a way of opening the door to talking about what God has been doing in your life, too.
Looking for more theme night ideas? My planning guide to Fun-Themed Dinner Menus has a whole month of them.
