Chicken and Vermicelli Soup With Lime

Updated Jan. 23, 2025

Chicken and Vermicelli Soup With Lime
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
5(447)
Comments
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A soothing bowl of broth and wheat vermicelli is popular among many cuisines, and often the go-to soup at the first signs of a cold or ailment. Available at many grocery stores and at Middle Eastern and Latin markets, the vermicelli noodles are packaged already broken or sold in nests which you can break by hand. (Note: These are not rice vermicelli noodles.) The finely chopped vegetables and chicken, along with a bit of tomato paste and turmeric, make for a satisfying and savory broth. The soup will thicken as it sits; you can adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more water when reheating.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings 
  • 2tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1small or ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • ½teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1medium Yukon Gold potato, diced into small cubes 
  • 1large carrot, finely chopped
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • ¾cup broken wheat vermicelli noodles, broken angel hair pasta or fideo 
  • 1tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for serving
  • 1tablespoon lime or lemon juice, plus more as needed
  • Lime or lemon slices, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

193 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 339 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot, melt the butter over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes; you don’t want the onion to take on any color. Sprinkle in the turmeric and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the potato and carrot, then stir and cook for 2 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Adjust heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste releases its color into the oil, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Place the chicken breast on top of the vegetables and season with 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add 6 cups of water and stir. Partially cover, increase heat and bring to a boil, then cover completely, adjust heat to low and simmer gently for 40 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    After 40 minutes, transfer the chicken to a medium bowl and shred with two forks while the soup continues to simmer. Taste the soup and adjust salt as needed. Add the shredded chicken and vermicelli, stir and increase heat to bring the soup to a lively simmer. Cover, adjust heat to low and simmer until the noodles soften and the flavors come together, 10 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and lime juice and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice, salt or pepper as needed. Serve with lime slices and garnish with more parsley.

Ratings

5 out of 5
447 user ratings
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Comments

This was so tasty. I increased the tumeric to 1 tsp and it really shines through. Also used cilantro instead of parsley. I only had a frozen chicken breast on hand and it was nice and tender after simmering for 40 mins. Will be making this again!

This looks like an amped-up Sopa de Fideos, one of my favorite Mexican soups. Here in Tucson, a package of fideos, which are vermicelli already broken up, is readily available in the Mexican/Hispanic foods section of any grocery store.

How are you keeping your single chicken breast tender with 40 minutes of simmering? Thank you.

Beautifully light and very tasty.

I enjoyed this a lot and made modifications as this recipe is perfect for riffing! I used two chicken breasts, my homemade chicken bone broth and some garbanzos. Great weeknight meal.

Saute vegetables as instructed. Add chicken broth instead of water. Cook in instapot for 20 minutes. Instead of lime and parsley, use dill. Cook noodles on the side.

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