Tarragon Chicken Noodle Soup

This tarragon chicken noodle soup is my ultimate comfort food – hearty, savory, and perfect for a cold winter day or to make when a loved one is sick. 

Whenever I’m sick, all I want is a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. This recipe is a brightened up version of your childhood classic, and I make it every time Shiping or I are sick. 

I’m using the traditional mire poix – onion, celery, and carrot, then adding in a high quality chicken stock and some water. After you bring this up to a simmer, add in seasoned chicken breast and poach this in the broth until it’s cooked, about 12 minutes. Now here’s the trick with making the best shredded chicken – after poaching and shredding the chicken, you toss this with extra virgin olive oil, a bit more salt, and freshly ground pepper.

I also add in some fresh leafy greens during the last minute the noodles are cooking and then top with fresh tarragon and parmesan cheese. 

The whole bowl is super comforting, fresh, and perfect to help cure whatever cold you’re battling!

Private Chef Tips:

• Poaching Chicken:
  • First, you want to make sure to season the chicken breast on both sides AND season the poaching liquid (in this case, it’s the chicken stock and water),
  • Second, do not let the chicken rapidly boil. Cooking the chicken at a simmer produces the most tender poached chicken.
  • Third, after you poach and shred the chicken, toss it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper. This is a trick I learned from Jeremiah Tower, and I will never have poached chicken without doing this now!
• Using and storing herbs:
  • I’m using tarragon in this soup to bring a bright but subtle fresh flavor. The most memorable dish I had with tarragon in culinary school was the classic french dish – tarragon chicken, and this chicken noodle soup is inspired by that. 
  • When storing tarragon, wrap the unused herbs in a paper towel and place this in a ziplock bag.

If you’re looking for another recipe to use tarragon for, try adding a few tablespoons of chopped tarragon to my Sauce Vierge on Lemon Steamed Salmon recipe.

FAQ – Tarragon Chicken Noodle Soup

Q: What are the best noodle for chicken noodle soup?

A: I love to use either a curly egg noodle or a pappardelle pasta.  

Q: Can I use other types of chicken for this?

A: Absolutely! You can poach chicken thighs or even bone-in chicken legs. If you’re using any chicken pieces with bone, you’ll need to cook the chicken for at least 25 minutes. You can also make this chicken noodle soup with rotisserie chicken. First, remove the chicken meat from the bones. Add the carcass to the broth instead of poaching the chicken, and add the rotisserie chicken meat to the soup before adding the noodles and kale.

Q: Why are you adding kale to this chicken noodle soup?

A: I love leafy greens in my food, and I love the texture of the kale along with the other vegetables, chicken, and tarragon. You could definitely skip it if you prefer, but I love it with the kale!

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Dice the onions and chop the carrots and celery. 

2. Heat a pot on medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, then add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Add a pinch of salt and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are soft.

3. While the vegetables are softening, prep the kale. Remove the leaves from the stem, then roll and cut into ½” thick pieces. Set this aside in a bowl.

4. Prep the tarragon – remove any blemished leaves, then pick about ¼ cup of leaves from the stem. You can compost the stems. 

5. Prepare the chicken breast by seasoning both sides.

6. Once the onions are soft, add the chicken broth, water, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring this up to a simmer, then add the seasoned chicken breasts. Cook for 12 minutes at a simmer, or until the chicken is cooked through (cook time may vary based on thickness of your chicken). 

7. After 12 minutes, remove the chicken from the pan and check doneness.

8. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the broth. Taste and adjust with more kosher salt as desired.  

9. Bring the broth back up to a boil and add the pappardelle or egg noodles. Cook according to package directions (my needed ~ 6 minutes). During the last minute, add the chopped kale.

10.While the noodles are cooking, shred the chicken and toss the shredded chicken with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, another pinch of kosher salt, and black pepper. 

11. Once the noodles are finished, plate the soup. Ensure there are some noodles in each bowl, along with some kale. Top each bowl with ⅓ cup of shredded chicken, a few tarragon leaves, some parmesan cheese, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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