Lemon Butter Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

My intention for this lemon butter roasted chicken noodle soup was to have the recipe out by winter. Who doesn’t love a warm, hearty chicken noodle soup during those chilly days? However, I tested this recipe about a dozen times before perfecting it and now it might be my new favorite soup.

The most important ingredient in chicken noodle soup is, of course, the chicken. By roasting whole in the oven with lemon butter, the chicken gets a beautiful golden and crispy crust that we will add right to the soup. I also like to add the drippings from the pan for a more intense flavor. Paired with noodles, fresh vegetables, Italian herbs and a creamy broth. Roasted chicken noodle soup is even better on the second day. 

For an even more decadent meal, I like to pair chicken noodle soup with my honey butter glazed biscuits. Certainly not required, but you also can’t go wrong.

Use Leftover Chicken for Chicken Noodle Soup

Don’t get me wrong, I’m obsessed with this crispy skinned lemon butter chicken as written in this recipe. However, I’m also big on not throwing out leftovers. If you have leftover chicken you can shred, you can certainly use that instead, saving yourself time and money. Alternatively, you can pick up a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store – another time saver!

Whole Chicken is Best

Not only is whole chicken far more affordable, but it’s also far richer in nutrients. The addition of chicken skin and connective tissue provides natural skin-loving collagen, healthy fats and B vitamins, while also lending to a more tender and juicy end result. You can also keep the bones and make your own chicken broth!

Tips for Making the Best Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

• Make sure to check the inside of the chicken for a bag of giblets before starting. We want to remove that first and foremost.
• Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before spreading on the lemon butter. This prevents the lemon butter from hardening, making it more difficult for the seasonings to stick.
• Allow the chicken to cool before pulling it apart. I find it easier to pull the chicken apart using my hands rather than forks.
• Once you roasted the chicken, add the drippings from the pan for a more intense flavor.
• Take the soup off the heat once the noodles are al dente. They will continue to cook for a bit even off the heat.
• You’ll likely have leftovers. You can freeze the soup or use it as lunches for the next few days. I think it’s even better on the second day. Leftovers will last for up to a week refrigerated. 
• And lastly…

Use good quality noodles

I think using good quality noodles makes a huge difference to any pasta dish. Quality is important.

• I prefer getting organic pasta because wheat is often sprayed with glyphosate.
• Choose bronze died. The bronze died pasta has a rough surface to better hold onto sauce.
• Look for pasta with slow drying processes. Pasta with quick drying methods use high heat, changing the gluten composition and making it more difficult for our bodies to digest. Slow dried pasta has a better texture and makes it easier to get that perfect al dente.
• The brand of pasta I always enjoy and is easy to find is Rustichella D’abruzzo.

Kitchen Essentials

• A rimmed baking sheet and a wire rack
• A basting brush
• Measuring cups/measuring spoons
• A large pot, 6.5 qt. or larger. I have used a 6 qt. pot but it makes boiling the pasta difficult.
• A chef’s knife + cutting board
• Large meat shredding forks/claws

Substitutions

• White wine: the wine can be omitted completely or replaced with equal amounts broth/stock.
• Fresh garlic: each clove of fresh garlic can be replaced with 1/4 tsp of garlic powder.
• Fresh ginger: each inch of fresh ginger can be replaced with 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger.
• Butter: can be replaced with equal amounts olive oil.

More Delicious Soups

• Sage Brown Butter Butternut Squash Soup w/ a French Onion Style Topping
• Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup using REAL Tomatoes

Lemon Butter Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe by Slow Down Company Course: Main DishesDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time*

1

hour 

20

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

55

minutes

Ingredients

• Lemon Butter Roasted Chicken

• 4 lb 4 whole chicken, room temperature

• 4 tbsp 4 butter

• 0.5 0.5 lemon, juiced

• salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning

• Soup Base

• 3 inch 3 piece of fresh ginger, minced

• 10 cloves 10 fresh garlic, minced

• 1 1 white onion, finely diced

• 4 4 carrots, 1/4 inch slices

• 4 4 celery stalks, 1/4 inch slices

• 3 tbsp 3 butter

• 0.5 cup 0.5 flour

• 1 tbsp 1 salt

• 2 tsp 2 black pepper

• 1 tbsp 1 Italian seasoning

• 0.5 cup 0.5 dry white wine

• 12 cups 12 chicken broth

• 3 cups 3 penne rigate or similarly shaped pasta

• 1 cup 1 heavy cream

• 2.5 2.5 lemons, juiced

Directions

• Prepare and bake the chicken. I like to do this step ahead of time, even a day in advance.
  Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place a heat-safe wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the chicken on the wire rack.
  Be sure to remove the giblets from the center of the bird. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  Melt together the butter and the lemon juice. Use a basting brush to completely smother the chicken in the lemon butter on both sides. Pour any extra butter into the cavity along with the squeezed out half lemon slice. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
  Bake on the center rack, breast-side up, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F, about 1 hour. Once the chicken has cooled enough to touch, you can start shredding it. Added the shredded chicken to a bowl along with the skin and the drippings from the pan.
• Once the chicken is shredded and ready to go, we can start the soup.
  Begin by adding the ginger, garlic, onion, carrots and celery to a 6.5 qt. pot on medium heat along with the butter. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Then add in the flour, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and give it a good stir. Sauté for about another 3 minutes. Deglaze the pot with white wine.
• Add in the chicken along with the chicken broth, penne, and heavy cream.
  Bring the soup to a boil and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• *Cook time includes roasting the chicken.

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