I Tried the Chicken Noodle Soup at 4 Restaurant Chains & the Best Was Rich and Meaty

When thrown together correctly, a bowl of chicken noodle soup could cure just about anything. The confluence of noodles, chicken, and vegetables like carrots and celery, all sitting in a salty stock, has long been considered a medicinal food of sorts with copious amounts of health benefits.

The broth is great for hydration. This specific grouping of ingredients provides carbs, protein, and other nutrients and is even anti-inflammatory. Heck, even the steam from your bowl can help clear your nasal passages.

It's quite the natural remedy, and at the same time, it's adored for its nostalgic flavor and comforting abilities. Nothing beats a crock of grandma's or mom's chicken noodle soup hot off the stove. But, when you're far from home, chain restaurants across the country step in to fill your cup with that restorative liquid gold. Each recipe is a tad different from the last, though, as each establishment experiments with various noodle types, spices, and even different chicken cooking techniques.

I recently tried out four of these renditions and ranked them in descending order, from those your family would balk at to those with all the makings of a healing stew. Here's how they stacked up:

Chick-fil-A 

While you're doing your part to "Eat Mor Chikin," as the chain's slogan goes, you have a range of side options to pair with your sandwich or nuggets at Chick-fil-A. You could go the classic route with a basket of salty waffle fries, the healthy route with a fruit cup or salad, or pick something spoonable like a cup of chicken soup—I'm talking about the chicken noodle variety rather than the chicken tortilla choice also made by the chain.

This fast-food chicken and noodle comes in either a cup for $3.99, which I purchased, or a bowl for $6.15. Unsurprisingly, it's built around shreds of Chick-fil-A chicken breast which is thrown into a hearty broth with egg noodles, carrots, and celery.

The look: The squiggly egg noodles certainly upped the aesthetic of this otherwise murky brew. The volume of ingredients to broth appears to be fairly balanced, but pasta and carrots run the ingredient side while chicken is only available in miniscule scraps (I wouldn't even call them shreds).

The taste: I was beginning to think there was no food the great Chick-fil-A couldn't master. But, I think I finally found it. The chain's chicken noodle soup is its Achilles heel. Starting with the broth, this cup is a bit of a mess. Made of seasoned  chicken stock, it should just act as a steady base. However, it instead plagues the entire dish with a strange artificial or even burnt edge. The mafalda pasta along with the carrots are a-okay—there's also apparently supposed to be onions and celery involved, but I didn't unearth any.

The irony of this offering, though, is that its biggest downfall revolves around the poultry. It's barely there, and when it is, it provides no flavor boost whatsoever. Tell me, how is a chicken company's chicken noodle soup missing the chicken?

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Panera Bread

Soup has been around for quite some time at Panera. We're talking all the way back to the time when it was still referred to as the St. Louis Bread Company. That means it's had ample time to perfect classic recipes like its Homestyle Chicken Noodle. Based on description only, the soup sounds pretty darn similar to Chick-fil-A's makeup (an unsettling thought).6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

It's made with tender pieces of white meat chicken, curly egg noodles, sliced carrots, celery, and herbs all plunged into a chicken bone broth bath. The cup I requested came out to $6.99 with a complimentary baguette, and bowls are also available for an upcharge.

The look: The brothiest of the bunch. I could slurp instead of spoon the cup of yellow stock and all I would have to watch out for is a few thick noodles and carrot rounds.

The taste: I counted two total pieces of what seemed like boiled chicken in my stew. They were both rather bland so I suppose it was a blessing in disguise. Most spoonfuls instead boil down to an oily broth seasoned with salt, pepper, and perhaps just a sprinkle of thyme and parsley–though, they're easier seen than tasted to be sure. The egg noodles once again carry the load, standing up well to the brine and maintaining their soft yet firm consistency.

All in all, it tastes just about as good as it looks, and I also think it bears a striking resemblance to Campbell's chunky chicken noodle soup, just less chunky.

 The Best and Worst Panera Soups We Tasted—Ranked!

Café Zupas

Café Zupas is a bit of a wildcard on this list and the chain with the smallest footprint by far, operating close to 80 locations across eight states. But, it focuses on chef-crafted recipes made from quality-sourced ingredients, and one of those recipes happens to be a good-for-the-soul chicken noodle soup (just one of ten soup options on the menu).

It consists of grilled chicken, carrots, celery, onions, herbs, and spices in a light broth and served over rotini noodles. The half size cost me $5.99 and came with an on-the-house French baguette roll with butter and a chocolate dipped strawberry–how charming is that?

The look: This cup is the epitome of chock-full. From the top, there is no evidence at all that any broth is included in the mix. A hodgepodge of seared chicken blocks, carrots, and sliced celery are alternatively all you can see.

The taste: Soup with a side of health benefits. I felt like I was getting something truly nourishing out of this cup and the chicken made all the difference. Clearly available in a generous portion, it really did have a fresh-off-the-grill zip and juicy texture that lifted it miles above Chick-fil-A's fragments and Panera's meager, flavorless cubes. It helps that the meat is also backed up by veggies galore and tender spiral noodles–there are in fact a handful hiding underneath the rest. Plus, everything is enriched with an Italian-style seasoning blend led by oregano.

If I were to pick out any flaws in this dish it would be that the carrots are the slightest bit crunchy and undercooked, and since there is so little broth, it does come off a bit dry while some ingredients also become colder more quickly since they're not submerged in the stock. Otherwise, I think Cafe Zupas is onto something here and I'm itching to try some of its other soup creations like Mushroom Bisque or Wisconsin Cauliflower. Heck, if they all come with a free chocolate dipped strawberry I'll try them all!

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Noodles & Company

Chicken noodle soup does as a matter of fact earn a spot on the noodle master's menu. It's actually the only soup currently available at the chain, living among elaborate bowls of pastas, Asian noodles, and macaroni and cheese varieties. Noodles & Co.'s signature soup is made with chicken breast, celery, carrots, onion, and wavy egg noodles.

A full bowl of the medley will run you $6.75, but I ordered a small side for just $2.85.

The look: Like Cafe Zupas' iteration, it's filled to the brim with chunked chicken and veggies with no broth in sight. A few sizable yellow egg noodles also peek out from the sides of the to-go bowl.

The taste: Theoretically, Noodles & Company should win every fast-food competition related to noodles. And in this case, it certainly does. A deeply rich–and slightly buttery–flavor takes over the entire cup, drawing you in with its homemade style.

A balance is achieved between the dense pasta–boiled just past al dente–and the cooked-down vegetables. I also took note of the sweet yet savory onions that finally make an impact here–it's about time! The final element, the poultry, was also well-received. The chain reveals that it uses chicken breast in its soup. However, its juiciness and profuse flavor had me second guessing if it was chicken thighs instead.

Perhaps it was simply prepared to a tee and took on extra savoriness from the briny broth. But whatever the case may be, it adds to the overall experience in a delightful way.

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