If you're craving something warm and comforting try our lower fat version of Panera's Chicken Noodle Soup. This homemade slow cooker copycat version of Panera's chicken noodle soup is easy to make a head for quick meals!
Why You'll Love This Copycat Panera Soup Recipe
Whether you're looking for a cold-weather staple or a fuss-free weeknight meal, this Panera Chicken Noodle Soup recipe has all the cozy flavors you know and love.
Best of all, this homemade twist on Panera's classic will take your taste buds down memory lane with its simple ingredients and time-honored flavor profile!
Our copycat Panera Chicken Noodle Soup recipe is a perfect match up to our 3-Ingredient Bagels or a hunk of our Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread!
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Panera Chicken Soup Ingredients
By using a rotisserie chicken you can eliminate a lot of the fat that often comes when simmering a chicken carcass. And time saved also, another expensive commodity.
You'll need either about ½ of a Rotisserie Chicken, two 12 oz cans of Swanson canned chicken, or two large Sous Vide Chicken Breasts.
You can make your own fresh Chicken Stock from a chicken carcass, then strain the broth and chill to skim the fat off when it hardens. Or, you can use prepared chicken broth.
- Chicken - skinless chicken (rotisserie chicken, Swanson canned chicken, fresh raw & cooked chicken, any chicken meat will be fine)
- Water
- Chicken Broth - low fat variety.
- Onion - chopped.
- Celery - diced.
- Carrots - diced.
- Garlic - fresh or garlic powder.
- Olive oil
- Thyme - dried or fresh
- Bay leaves - dried or fresh.
- Salt & Pepper - to taste.
- Dry Egg Noodles - get the curly variety.
- Parsley - fresh chopped fresh parsley.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Panera's Chicken Noodle Soup
This home-cooked version of Panera's chicken noodle soup is sure to hit the spot and make for a delicious, comforting meal. Not only does this recipe mimic the flavors of the iconic restaurant dish, but it's also healthier than its takeout counterpart.
With step by step instructions on how to create this Panera's chicken noodle soup from scratch, we'll show you how easy it can be to bring Panera's world-famous menu item into your own kitchen!
Saute the Vegetables
- Chop and dice the onion, carrots, and celery so that they are all about the same size pieces. This combination of onion, carrots, and celery is called a mirepoix, a type of vegetable aromatic blend that is sauteed in olive oil or butter prior to adding to the soup pot.
Crockpot Method: When using a crockpot, saute onions, carrot, celery, and garlic first in a saute pan with olive oil until tender. Cook low and slow so they caramelize just a bit. That's where the secret flavor is at.
Stove top Method: If you use a Dutch oven to make your soup, you can saute these aromatic vegetables (onion, carrots, celery, and garlic) in the pot before adding the rest of the soup ingredients!
De-bone The Cooked Chicken
Whether you decide to use half of a rotisserie chicken, canned cooked chicken, sous vide skinless chicken breasts, or fresh raw chicken, check for any bones and remove them.
- Chop the chicken into about 1" pieces and add to your crockpot or the stovetop Dutch oven.
- Add the water chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, to the crockpot or Dutch oven. Salt & pepper to taste.
Crockpot Method: Cook on the high setting for 4 hours.
Stove top Method: Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
Add the Curly Egg Noodles
- Add the egg noodles to the crockpot and cook for 15 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
Stovetop Method: Add the egg noodles and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Boil for 5-6 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
Stir in the Parsley and Serve
- When the noodles are tender, stir in the parsley.
- Adjust the salt and pepper seasoning and serve!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious classic with our Chicken Salad Wraps, Panera's Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad, or an Air Fryer Chicken Caesar Salad, for a 'restaurant at home' meal! For more Crockpot or Slow Cooker soups, see our:
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Kreplach Soup
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Unsweetened Applesauce
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions
- This Panera Chicken Noodle soup recipe does not use sage, but it's a delicious addition, or substitution, to the thyme.
- Also, while Panera uses the slightly twisted egg noodle, you can also use the wider, untwisted egg noodles.
Variations
This same Panera chicken noodle soup can be used as a base for a traditional Matzo Ball Soup. Just make the following adjustments.
- Matzo Ball Soup - Follow the directions for this Panera Chicken Noodle Soup, except do not add the egg noodles. Instead, using a package of Matzo meal, eggs, water, salt, and pepper, prepare the matzo balls following the directions on the box and make the dough.
Form into balls about 1 ½ diameter and drop into simmering soup. If using the crockpot, cook for 15 minutes on high. For stovetop, simmer for 15 minutes. The matzo balls with float to the top when cooked.
Equipment
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Storage & Reheating
- Store the wet ingredients (lettuce, tomato, onion) separately from the dry ingredients (buns) in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.
- You can also freeze this copycat Panera Chicken Noodle soup for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then either warm up in a sauce pan on the stove top, or reheat in the microwave.
Tips for Success
- If you keep a few sous vide chicken breasts in the freezer, you can make this Panera's Chicken Noodle soup any time it crosses your fancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tender pieces of white-meat chicken simmered in a rich, perfectly seasoned homestyle chicken bone broth with curly egg noodles, sliced carrots, celery and herbs.
You can never go wrong with our Panera's chicken noodle soup, especially since it's diet friendly and low-fat.
It may taste homemade, but that Paneras Chicken Noodle soup wasn't actually prepared by the workers at your local shop. It was made in massive quantities at a plant, flash frozen into blocks, then shipped to Panera Bread franchise owners to defrost and reheat.
More Delish Ideas
📖 Recipe
Panera's Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast or thigh, any chicken meat
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth low fat
- 1 medium onion chopped or diced
- 4 carrots diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic fresh minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried or fresh
- 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
- 1 salt or to taste
- pepper or to taste
- 3 cups egg noodles twisted flat egg noodles
- 3 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped.
Instructions
- Chop and dice the onion, carrots, and celery so that they are all about the same size pieces. Crockpot Method: When using a crockpot, saute onions, carrot, celery, and garlic first in a saute pan with the olive oil until tender. Cook low and slow so they caramelize just a bit. That's where the secret flavor is at.Stovetop Method: If you use a Dutch oven to make your soup, you can saute these aromatic vegetables (onion, carrots, celery, and garlic) in the pot before adding the rest of the soup ingredients!1 medium onion, 4 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
- Chop the chicken into about 1" pieces and add to your crockpot or the stovetop Dutch oven. Add the water chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, to the crockpot or Dutch oven. Salt & pepper to taste.2 lbs chicken, 4 cups water, 4 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 salt, pepper
- Crockpot Method: Cook on the high setting for 4 hours.Stovetop Method: Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- Crockpot Method: Add the egg noodles to the crockpot and cook for 15 minutes or until the noodles are tender.Stovetop Method: Add the egg noodles and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Boil for 5-6 minutes or until the noodles are tender.3 cups egg noodles
- When the noodles are tender, stir in the parsley. Adjust the salt and pepper seasoning and serve!3 tablespoon parsley
Notes
- If you keep a few sous vide chicken breasts in the freezer, you can make this Paneras Chicken Noodle soup any time it crosses your fancy.
- Matzo Ball Soup Variation - Follow the directions for this Panera Chicken Noodle Soup, except do not add the egg noodles. Instead, using a package of Matzo meal, eggs, water, salt, and pepper, prepare the matzo balls following the directions on the box and make the dough. Form into balls about 1 ½ diameter and drop into simmering soup. If using the crockpot, cook for 15 minutes on high. For stovetop, simmer for 15 minutes. The matzo balls with float to the top when cooked.
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