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Home cooks and celebrity chefs alike rely on certain one-ingredient upgrades to make their chicken soup shine. Some swear by a bay leaf (yes, the fresh kind actually makes a difference!). Grandma’s go-to move? Egg noodles. Others add eggs for a super-silky broth, and our current favorite chicken soup recipe gets a boost from cubes of chicken bouillon. As for restaurateur, TV host, cookbook author and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis, it’s all about the citrus.
You might be more familiar with seeing lemons in recipes for things like sweet dessert bars, sorbets, cocktails, or meringue pies. But we’re also wild about the bright pop lemon juice lends to savory recipes like vinaigrettes, chicken piccata, roasted potatoes, and garlicky shrimp, too. And if you’re a fan of Greek cuisine, you might be familiar with their classic lemon chicken soup, avgolemono.
Giada De Laurentiis' Lemon Spaghetti Soup Recipe
De Laurentiis recently shared her rendition on social media after craving it on a chilly day in Los Angeles. She says she made it on repeat soon after having her now 16-year-old daughter Jade. Still a staple on her menu more than a decade later, De Laurentiis confirms that the inspiration for this soup’s star ingredient comes from one of her favorite pasta recipes.
“Chicken noodle soup really is the ultimate feel-good recipe when you need a bowl of comfort, and this is my take on the classic,” the Food Network star explains on her Giadzy site. “I call it Lemon Spaghetti Soup, paying homage to my Lemon Spaghetti,” nodding to the four-ingredient pasta dish that’s the bestseller at her restaurant Giada in Las Vegas.
The broth for this easy soup recipe is spiked with 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice. In addition to infusing each ounce with some immune system-supporting vitamin C, the citrus punch brightens the flavors. That means this dish is ideal to enjoy right now: during the glorious transition from winter to spring.
I had already added my Grandma’s chicken noodle soup, complete with homemade egg noodles and plenty of carrots and celery, to my meal plan for the week. But once I saw this bright alternative—and realized that De Laurentiis’ twist can be made with leftover or rotisserie chicken and pasta odds-and-ends lying around—I swapped this in instead to see if I landed on my new ultimate soup for the soul. (Sorry, Grandma!)
How to Make Giada’s Lemon Spaghetti Chicken Soup
To make a soup that De Laurentiis says is, “so fast, so easy, so comforting,” all you need is a large stockpot, a spoon, and a few refrigerator and pantry staples.
In a large stockpot, bring 6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, the juice from 2 lemons, 1 dried bay leaf, and a 2-inch rind of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional) to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the broth is boiling, add 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces, and simmer until they’re tender, which takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
Although De Laurentiis prefers using 1 cup of snapped-in-half spaghetti chitarra here, “you can use any pasta shape in this soup,” she verifies. A fan chimed in on Instagram to confirm that cheese tortellini tastes incredible. I opted for the rest of the almost-empty box of cavatappi I had on hand.
Now is the time to use whatever noodle you’ve got. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender; about 5 minutes. Then stir in 2 cups of diced rotisserie or leftover chicken breast meat. Simmer for 3 minutes more to warm it through.
All that’s left to do is remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind (discard these) and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with more cheese, and “serve it with some nice Italian bread to soak up the lemony broth,” Giada suggests.
From the first spoonful, I was swooning over the delightfully nourishing combination of savory broth and chicken, bright lemon, and verdant herbs. With a salad and bread on the side, it made for a delightful dinner, and the leftovers were even better for lunch the next couple of days.
I was satisfied at that point, but if you’re in the mood for dessert, you can’t go wrong trying Giada’s two-ingredient chocolate pasta, too. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!
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