Lemony Pesto Chicken Noodle Soup

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Classic chicken noodle soup with pesto and fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion chopped
2 shallots sliced
6 cloves garlic chopped
4 ribs celery chopped
6 carrots chopped
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp crushed fennel
kosher salt and black pepper
8 cups chicken bone broth
3-4 split chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
2 cups chopped broccoli florets (I used frozen)
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto (I buy mine at Costco)
2 cups baby spinach chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2-3 cups egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped parsley
grated parmesan and fresh dill for serving

Instructions

Melt together the olive oil and butter In a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 3-5 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, carrots, thyme, rosemary, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes.
Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the chicken and broccoli, and if you have one – a parmesan rind. Cover and cook for 20 - 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. At this point, the soup can also simmer on low for up to 4-6 hours.
Remove the chicken from the pot, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. If you used a parmesan rind, remove that and discard. Stir in the pesto, spinach, and lemon. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup back to a boil, then add the noodles and cook 6-8 minutes, until soft. Stir in the parsley. (Note - if making ahead, read below notes)
Serve the soup with parmesan and dill, if desired.

Notes

This recipe comes from Half Baked Harvest, and the main swap I did was to use bone-in skin on chicken breasts instead of chicken tenders - you can use whatever you. have on hand though. The recipe is easy and adaptable for your veggie preferences. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pesto-chicken-noodle-soup/

Also - I cook the pasta separately and add before serving if you plan to make this ahead...