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Copycat Panera Bread Chicken Noodle Soup

Copycat Panera Bread chicken noodle soup with a clear, golden broth and perfectly al dente egg noodles. Simmer tender chicken, carrots, and celery for a café-style texture and rich, well-seasoned finish.
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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: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Cut into 1-inch pieces.
Vegetables
  • 3 carrots Diced into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 0.5 onion Diced small.
  • 3 garlic Minced.
Broth and seasonings
  • 8 cup high-quality chicken broth Use 8 cups for the classic light-golden broth volume.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp dried rosemary
  • 0.5 tsp poultry seasoning
Noodles and finish
  • 8 oz egg noodles Broken into shorter pieces; cook 6-7 minutes until just al dente.
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Maintain medium heat so the vegetables soften without browning, for the clean, clear broth style.
Build the broth
  1. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Add high-quality chicken broth, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and poultry seasoning, then bring to a boil.
Cook the chicken
  1. Add diced chicken to the boiling broth, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 12 minutes until cooked through.
  2. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil to support a clearer look.
Cook the noodles and finish
  1. Add egg noodles (broken into shorter pieces) and cook for 6-7 minutes until just al dente.
  2. Stir in fresh parsley, then season generously with salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

For the closest Panera-style clarity, use a gentle simmer after the broth comes to a boil and avoid a vigorous rolling boil. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; for best noodle texture, reheat gently and consider adding a small fresh batch of egg noodles if you want them extra firm. Freezing is not recommended because egg noodles can soften; if you need a make-ahead option, freeze the broth and chicken mixture (without noodles) up to 2 months. Dietary swap: use gluten-free egg noodles and follow package timing for an easy gluten-free version.