Best Ever Chicken Noodle Soup for Winter

A hearty, comforting and fulfilling soup that you must try this winter season is the classic restaurant style chicken noodle soup which is a one pot wonder that will keep you full for the entire night!

Winter is just round the corner and so is the craving for that soulful bowl of warm soup that will perfectly fit the bill as a one pot meal!

So here I come with my homemade chicken noodle soup that not only looks gorgeous but can also give the restaurant version a run for its money in terms of its flavors and taste!

Try it once and you will know why I am saying what I am saying!

What is chicken noodle soup?

Asian chicken noodle soup is a widely popular soup and I am not surprised at all! If a single dish can work as an entree as well as main course, who wouldn’t love it?

I made this a week before Diwali when we were feeling a little under the weather; we loved it so much that we immediately decided to prepare it for our little blog and share it with ya’all!

The best thing about this soup recipe is that you won’t need a long list of ingredients; just the basic aromatics, chicken & noodles and you are ready to whip up the most comforting soup of the season!

Ingredients for restaurant style chicken noodle soup

Chicken: I prefer using chicken thighs, boneless & skinless, for imparting maximum chicken flavor into my restaurant style chicken noodle soup!

You sauté the chicken first to develop that beautiful golden crust on the outside that enhances the flavors of the oil which infuses the soup broth when you cook the aromatics in the same oil later.

This is key to making an extraordinarily flavorful chicken noodle soup at home!

Noodles: You can use any type of noodles that you prefer; the traditional egg noodles is what the restaurants use and I also used the same in my recipe.

Aromatics: This phenomenal soup is all about aromatics because the primary flavor of the broth comes from the quintessential aromatics trio which are nothing but ginger, garlic and spring onion!

Use a generous amount of all three to hit that right spot of flavors as there are no other spices used in this recipe.

Along with these three, I have also used a couple of celery stalks, finely chopped, for an additional burst of freshness, but you can skip it if you don’t have it handy.

Vegetable: I didn’t want to load up my chicken noodle soup with too many veggies which is why I only used carrots for that bright orange vibrance in my warm bowl of soup!

Dark soy: For that deep umami flavor of a classic chicken noodle soup, you will have to use a good quality dark soy sauce.

I am using this brand for quite some time now and simply love to add it to all my homemade Asian delicacies!

Sesame oil: This is another quintessential ingredient for authentic Chinese dishes where it acts primarily as a flavor booster. Trust me, it makes a huge difference!

Vinegar: Add a dash of vinegar, preferably Chinese rice wine vinegar, for that subtle tart kick.

Oil: Use a flavorless oil for sauteing your aromatics to extract all their flavors and also to fry the chicken thighs for that deep golden crust on the exterior.

Chilli oil: This one is optional! You can drizzle chilli oil over your chicken noodle soup for that spicy kick to hit your senses on a chilly winter evening!

How to make restaurant style chicken noodle soup?

Step 1: Heat a pot of water to cook the noodles. Add a teaspoon full of salt and let it come to a boil.

Step 2: Once the water starts boiling, add the dry noodles and cook them on medium heat for 10 minutes or until the noodles are eighty percent cooked while still retaining a bite in them.

Step 3: Do not let them turn soggy! Then transfer the noodles to a colander placed inside your kitchen sink to drain all the water out.

Step 4: Rinse the noodles with cold running water under your sink so that they stop from cooking further by the remaining heat.

Step 5: Drizzle a couple tablespoons of sesame oil over them and leave them in the colander while you prepare the broth for your chicken noodle soup.

Step 6: In a large stock pot with high sides, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is warm, add the chicken thighs.

Step 7: Sprinkle salt & pepper over the chicken and let them saute undisturbed for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

Step 8: This will allow the chicken to develop a golden brown color which is nothing but that delicious flavor that will make your chicken noodle soup absolutely irresistible!

Step 9: After about 10 minutes, flip the chicken thighs over, sprinkle salt & pepper on this side too and let the other side sauté for another 10 minutes as well.

Pro tip: Chicken thighs will not be cooked hundred percent at this stage; all you are doing is developing that flavor to infuse your chicken noodle soup with that restaurant-like vibe!

Step 10: Take the chicken thighs out from the pot and set aside on a plate. We will use the same pot to continue cooking our chicken noodle soup.

Step 11: Check how much oil is left in the pot. Do not add any extra oil if you feel there is about a couple of tablespoons of oil left in it. Otherwise, add a little bit more.

Step 12: Warm up the pot and once the oil is hot, add the spring onion whites. Sauté them for a couple minutes on low flame.

Step 13: Then add the minced garlic, minced ginger and minced celery stalks. Sauté all the aromatics on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they become fragrant.

Step 14: Next goes in the cubes of carrots. Sauté the carrots for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Step 15: Now add the dark soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar to the pot and give a good stir to mix everything well.

Step 16: It’s time to add the liquid which should ideally be chicken stock but I didn’t have it handy so I added hot water, about 4 cups.

Step 17: Crank up the heat and let the soup come to a full boil. Then add the sauteed chicken thighs to the pot along with any accumulated juices on the plate.

Step 18: Once the soup starts simmering again, reduce the flame to minimum, cover the pot with a snugly fitted lid and let the chicken cook in the broth for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 19: This will let the chicken cook through completely while also absorbing all the beautiful flavors of all the aromatics and umami ingredients.

Step 20: After about 20 minutes, uncover the pot. Check the doneness of the chicken thighs, they should be soft and completely cooked by now.

Step 21: Take the chicken thighs out on a large plate. Check the seasoning of the chicken soup broth and adjust with salt to taste and black pepper as per your liking.

Step 22: Sprinkle spring onion greens and give a good stir. Your chicken noodle soup broth is ready.

Step 23: Once the chicken thighs are cool enough to handle, shred them using your hands or cut them into thin long strips.

Step 24: Now we will assemble the chicken noodle soup! Take a single serving bowl and place about a couple handful of cooked noodles at one side of the bowl.

Step 25: Then using a soup ladle, pour the soup broth over the noodles; you can add as much broth as you like!

Step 26: Then take about half of the shredded chicken and carefully place them beside the noodles as you see in my pictures.

Step 27: Take half a teaspoon of chilli oil and drizzle it over the bowl of your chicken noodle soup and garnish with spring onion greens!

Step 28: Repeat the same for the other serving and your restaurant style chicken noodle soup is ready to serve! Dig in and enjoy!

More delicious winter special soup recipe from flavor quotient