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Copycat Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup

Copycat Panera Bread chicken noodle soup with a clear, well-seasoned golden broth and tender chicken. Thick egg noodles are cooked to just al dente for that bakery-café texture in every spoonful.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and vegetables
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cut into 1-inch pieces.
  • 3 carrots Diced into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 0.5 onion Diced small.
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced (3 cloves).
Broth and seasonings
  • 8 cup high-quality chicken broth Use 8 cups for a rich, clear base.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp dried rosemary
  • 0.5 tsp poultry seasoning
Noodles and finishing
  • 8 oz egg noodles Broken into shorter pieces for even bites.
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped.
  • 0.1 salt To taste.
  • 0.1 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally so the vegetables don’t brown.
Build the broth
  1. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then pour in 8 cups chicken broth and stir in dried thyme, dried rosemary, and poultry seasoning.
  2. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer so the surface stays lightly bubbling.
Cook the chicken
  1. Add the 1-inch chicken pieces to the simmering broth and cook for 12 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, keeping the heat at a steady simmer.
Cook the noodles to al dente
  1. Stir in the egg noodles (broken into shorter pieces) and cook for 6-7 minutes until just al dente, watching the noodles closely so they don’t over-soften.
Finish and season
  1. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and season generously with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Pro tip for the clearest-looking broth: keep the heat at a gentle simmer after adding broth and chicken (avoid a hard boil), and add noodles last so they stay springy. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days; freeze up to 2 months, but for best texture cook noodles fresh if reheating. Dietary swap: use gluten-free egg noodles (same cooking time guidance) for a gluten-free version.