If you’re craving the warm and nourishing comfort of Panera Chicken Noodle Soup, try this copycat version! This healthy recipe is made dairy-free with a gluten-free option.

a bowl of panera chicken noodle soup made at home.

Soups, salads, flatbreads, Panera has a little bit of everything, but a family favorite is their homestyle chicken noodle soup. Classic and comforting, their chicken noodle soup is fairly straightforward to make. Chicken, carrots, and celery simmer in a flavorful, seasoned broth with egg noodles until tender.

Copycat Panera recipes are great because they’re budget-friendly and you can make them right at home. See all of my copycat recipes.

A bowl of chicken soup at Panera costs around 7 dollars and for only ONE bowl! Too many trips to Panera can be costly (although delicious). Homemade soup is easy to make and freezes well for later.

Contents hide
1 Why You Need This Recipe
2 Key Ingredients
3 Recipe Steps
4 Recipe Tips & Substitutions
5 Recipe FAQs
6 Other Healthy Soup Recipes You Might Like
7 Don’t Miss These Delicious Copycat Recipes
8 Panera Chicken Noodle Soup (Copycat)

Why You Need This Recipe

  • Make your favorite soup at home! You can control the quality of the ingredients and make this recipe gluten-free using gluten-free pasta.
  • It’s simple with basic ingredients. The secret is in the simmer time as that’s what brings all the flavors together for a hearty bowl of soup.
  • There’s something innately comforting about chicken noodle soup.

Key Ingredients

ingredients for Panera chicken noodle soup.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – I like to purchase the chicken breasts when they’re on sale (see all of my tips for eating clean on a budget). You can cut up the chicken breasts ahead of time or freeze until ready to use. Chicken tenderloins will work too.

Olive oil – Olive oil adds healthy fat to the soup while sautéing up the veggies. If you don’t have olive oil you can use butter or another oil good for sautéing such as avocado oil.

Veggies – Just like Panera’s soup, this recipe calls for carrots, celery, and onion. To minimize prep time, you can chop the vegetables ahead of time or purchase pre-cut veggies.

Chicken broth – Chicken broth can be high in sodium which is why I like to use reduced-sodium broth. You can also use vegetable broth in it’s place.

Egg noodles – Egg noodles have a higher ratio of eggs to flour in them. They’re best known for their role in a hearty bowl of chicken soup or a serving of beef stroganoff. You can find egg noodles in the pasta aisle or sometimes in the international aisle. See my list of the best gluten-free pastas.

Seasoning – I used thyme and bay leaves to mimic the flavor of Panera’s soup.

Recipe Steps

how to make chicken noodle soup.

Step One

Pour the olive oil into a large pot or Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium and let the oil get hot.

Add the onion and garlic and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Step Two

Add the chicken, carrots, celery, thyme, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

Step Three

Turn the heat to high and let the soup come to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, put on the lid, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Step Four

Remove the lid, stir in the egg noodles, and turn the heat back up to high. Once the soup comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and put on the lid.

Let the soup simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the noodles are fully cooked. Remove the bay leaves and enjoy!

chicken noodle soup in pot.

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months. Defrost and reheat before serving.
  • If you don’t have egg noodles, you can use pasta spirals or elbow pasta instead.
  • Panera serves their homestyle chicken soup with potato chips, an apple, or a baguette. You can also serve it with a side salad or cornbread.
  • Don’t add the egg noodles right away or they will overcook. You want to add them 15 minutes before serving so they cook perfectly. Mushy noodles ruin an otherwise great soup.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe?

Yes, if you have leftover chicken to use up you can use it in place of the chicken breasts. Just be sure to add it toward the end since it doesn’t need cooking, only reheating.

Is copycat chicken noodle soup healthy?

Homemade chicken noodle soup is a fairly healthy dish. One serving of this soup contains 29 grams of protein, 46 mg of calcium, and only 24 grams of carbs.

spoonful of chicken noodle soup.

Other Healthy Soup Recipes You Might Like

Or, see my entire list of clean eating soup recipes, all made gluten-free and dairy-free.

Don’t Miss These Delicious Copycat Recipes

Costco Stuffed Salmon (Copycat Recipe)

Costco Chicken Salad (Copycat Recipe)

Whole Foods Curry Chicken Salad (Copycat)

Chili’s Shrimp Fajitas (Copycat)

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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panera chicken noodle soup

Panera Chicken Noodle Soup (Copycat)

★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews
Print Recipe

If you’re craving the warm and nourishing comfort of Panera Chicken Noodle Soup, try this copycat version! This healthy recipe is made dairy-free with a gluten-free option.

  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large pieces), chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 4 carrots, chopped into rounds
  • 4 celery ribs, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups uncooked egg noodles (use gluten-free, if necessary)

Instructions

  1. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, pour in the olive oil. Turn the heat to medium and let the oil heat up for a few minutes.
  2. Add the onion and garlic and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the chicken, carrots, celery, thyme, vegetable broth, and bay leaves, and stir to combine.
  4. Turn the heat to high and let the soup come up to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Then, remove the lid, stir in the noodles, and turn the heat back up to high. Let the soup come up to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot.
  6. Let the soup simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the noodles are tender and cooked through.
  7. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot.

Notes

  1. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months. Defrost and reheat before serving.
  2. If you don’t have egg noodles, you can use pasta spirals or elbow pasta instead.

Keywords: panera chicken noodle soup ingredients, panera chicken noodle soup at home

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