Shredded Chicken Soup with Pasta Shells

Name: Shredded Chicken Soup with Pasta Shells
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil or butter; 1 onion, diced; 3 carrots, sliced; 3 ribs celery, sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts; 10 cups chicken broth; 2 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf; 1 1/2 cups small or medium pasta shells; 2 tbsp chopped parsley; 1 tbsp lemon juice; salt and black pepper; sliced baguette, to serve

A homey chicken soup loaded with shredded chicken, carrots, celery and small pasta shells. Good with slices of crusty bread for dunking.

Prep15 min

Cook40 min

Total55 min

Serves6

What you'll need

Enameled cast-iron Dutch ovenFor soups, stews and braises

Amazon Walmart

8-inch chef's knifeFor all the chopping

Amazon

Meat shredding clawsFor pulling pork and chicken

Amazon

Store links go to the same item at each retailer, checked October 29, 2026. Want to compare? See the Top 50 Kitchen gear rankings.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil or butter

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, sliced

3 ribs celery, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

10 cups chicken broth

2 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups small or medium pasta shells

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and black pepper

sliced baguette, to serve

Steps

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute.

Add the whole chicken pieces, broth, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Lift out the chicken and shred it with two forks.

Bring the soup back to a boil, add the shells and cook until tender, 9 to 11 minutes.

Return the chicken, add the parsley and lemon juice, remove the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.

TipIf you plan to have leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl so it does not swell overnight.