For rainy days and cozy comfort, you can’t beat this Panera Chicken Noodle Soup. Hearty and healthy, it’s sure to warm up even the chilliest of days.

Comforting chicken noodle soup with tender chicken, carrots, celery, and herbs in a flavorful broth.

We all have our favorite version of chicken noodle soup. Some prefer the simple canned variety (with or without star-shaped noodles). Others swear by the soup kitchen style, those giant pots filled to the brim with bubbling aromas and slow-cooked goodness, filling steaming bowls by the ladle.

But for my money, there’s no better version of chicken noodle soup than the classic recipe over at Panera Bread. There’s something about the white-meat chicken simmered in that elegant broth, with curly egg noodles giving each bowl a comforting fullness, like something your grandmother would prepare on a rainy day — it just warms my heart. Add in some fresh herbs, carrots, and celery, and you’ve got a complete meal in a single bowl.

Full disclosure — you can get pre-packaged Panera Bread soup at many grocery stores, but if I’m being honest, the store version just doesn’t compare to the restaurant version. That’s why I’ve put together this recipe, which I think is the closest possible replica of what you’ll find at Panera. Feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking. For this, I’ve tried to stick as closely as possible to the original, but don’t hesitate to personalize your version.

Can I Use Any Kind of Chicken?

Yes, any kind of chicken will do — but just remember that adjusting the type of chicken will change the end result, so if you’re looking for an exact copy of Panera’s soup, I recommend sticking with baked chicken breast.

But if you’re in a pinch, you can easily use canned chicken or deli-style chicken. I actually prefer using dark meat chicken myself, as I find it to be juicier and more tender.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
4 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 cups egg noodles

How to Make Panera Chicken Noodle Soup

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Step 2: Add diced onion and minced garlic; sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

Shredded chicken, celery, and carrots in a stainless steel pot for chicken noodle soup.

Step 3: To the pot, add chicken pieces, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and dried thyme; stir to combine.

Savory vegetable soup with chopped leeks in a stainless steel pot.

Step 4: Pour in the chicken broth and add bay leaves; bring to a simmer.

Homemade chicken noodle soup in a stainless steel pot with vegetables and pasta, comforting and hearty meal.

Step 5: Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Uncover, add egg noodles, and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until noodles are tender.

Step 7: Discard bay leaves and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 8: Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

Comforting chicken noodle soup with carrots, celery, and herbs in a creamy broth. Perfect for cold weather or when feeling under the weather.

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Soup is one of those beautiful dishes that actually gets better the next day. For this recipe, you can store the soup in an airtight container, a jar, or a covered bowl. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.

Do I Have to Use Egg Noodles?

No, of course not. Any noodle type will do, so long as you are O.K. with the soup being a little different from Panera’s version. But this soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to noodle variety, so feel free to use whatever you’ve got in your pantry. Spaghetti might be a little weird, but hey, I won’t judge.

Can I Make This Vegetarian?

The answer is technically yes, although at the end of the day, you really aren’t making chicken noodle soup anymore, are you? That would be more like a vegetable noodle soup. But if you want, swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and replace the chicken itself with veggies, and you’ll still have a pretty solid soup on your hands.

Savory chicken vegetable noodle soup with fresh herbs and colorful vegetables in a white bowl.

Serving Suggestions

Soup is best shared among friends, so I recommend bringing a big pot to your next get-together, along with a loaf or two of bread (or maybe some Garlic Rolls), and setting out bowls and spoons. Let people serve themselves, and don’t be surprised when they come back for seconds!

Creamy chicken noodle soup with vegetables and herbs, perfect comfort food.

Panera Chicken Noodle Soup

Evan Smith

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Course main dish

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 258 kcal

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
4 medium carrots sliced into rounds
4 stalks celery sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 cups egg noodles

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add diced onion and minced garlic; sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
To the pot, add chicken pieces, sliced carrots, sliced celery, and dried thyme; stir to combine.
Pour in the chicken broth and add bay leaves; bring to a simmer.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
Uncover, add egg noodles, and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until noodles are tender.
Discard bay leaves and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.