Take the time to make Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch and youll never be able to make it another way again! My moms version is a step above the rest, made with homemade stock and egg noodles that take just minutes to make. The end result is the BEST Chicken Noodle Soup youll ever have!.
When homemade chicken noodle soup is on the menu, my kids literally jump for joy, and they should! It’s so good! This is one of my favorite recipes to bring to friends or neighbors during the cooler months, along with a loaf of Artisan Bread. It’s always a hit.
When you’re sick or just want something warm and filling, chicken soup is the best. The good news is that it’s one of the easiest soups to make at home. You can make hearty, tasty chicken soup in less than an hour with just a few simple ingredients and steps.
In this article we’ll walk through the basics of how to make homemade chicken soup from choosing the right ingredients to easy cooking methods. We’ll also share tips for maximizing flavor, proper storage, and fun ways to customize your soup. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be enjoying wholesome bowls of homemade chicken soup in no time.
Step 1: Choose Your Main Ingredients
Chicken soup starts with chicken and broth. For the chicken, opt for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or a whole cut-up chicken. The bones and skin add flavor, collagen, and body to the broth as it simmers. Using a mix of white and dark meat gives you tender, juicy pieces of chicken in the finished soup.
You can use water for the broth, but chicken or vegetable broth tastes better. Low-sodium broth lets the flavors of the other ingredients shine. You can buy broth in a can or a box, but you can also make your own and control how much salt is in it.
Step 2: Prep Your Aromatics
The veggies known as aromatics—onion, celery, carrot—build a flavor base for chicken soup. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Slice the celery and carrot thinly on the bias. The long, thin slices will melt into the broth. You can stick to this classic trio or add other veggies you enjoy like potatoes, spinach, or green beans.
Step 3: Brown the Chicken
Browning the chicken before simmering it transforms the flavor of the soup. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the chicken skin-side down and cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Step 4: Simmer the Broth
Return the browned chicken to the pot along with the broth, aromatics, and any other veggies. Add herbs like bay leaves, parsley, thyme, or oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 45 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
Step 5: Shred the Chicken
After the chicken has cooled, take it off the bones and shred or chop it into small pieces. Discard the skin and bones. While the broth was cooking, the collagen from the bones made it better.
Step 6: Finish the Soup
Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Simmer a few minutes more to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. In the last 5 minutes of simmering, you can add noodles, rice, or other stuff to make it even better. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!.
Tips for Maximizing Flavor
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Sear the chicken – Browning the chicken builds incredible flavor. Be sure to let the pieces cook undisturbed so they properly brown.
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Simmer the bones – Chicken bones impart collagen, gelatin, and minerals that give the broth body and richness.
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Sauté the aromatics – Cook the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic briefly before adding liquid. This deepens their flavor.
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Use fresh herbs – Herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf infuse the broth with aroma and taste.
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Add acid – A splash of lemon juice or vinegar at the end brightens the flavors.
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Season thoughtfully – Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and herbs until the flavors pop.
Storage Tips for Leftover Chicken Soup
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Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
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Freeze in airtight containers or freezer bags up to 4 months.
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Portion into single servings before freezing for easy reheating.
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Cool soup completely before refrigerating or freezing to prevent moisture loss.
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Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave until warmed through.
Fun Ways to Customize Your Chicken Soup
One of the joys of homemade chicken soup is how versatile it is. Try these fun add-ins:
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Noodles – Egg noodles, pasta shells, orzo, ramen noodles
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Rice – White or brown rice, wild rice, riced cauliflower
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Veggies – Spinach, kale, potatoes, zucchini, peas, corn
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Beans – White beans, chickpeas, lentils, black beans
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Meat – Shredded rotisserie chicken, sausage, beef
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Dumplings – Light and fluffy homemade dumplings
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Tortellini – Cheese-filled or meat tortellini
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Spices – Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric
With a little creativity, you can reinvent chicken soup in endless comforting, nourishing ways. Master this easy homemade chicken soup recipe, then start experimenting to create your signature version.
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What Type of Noodles?
This soup is great because it can be made with any kind of noodles. My mom always made chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles.
- You only need flour, salt, milk, and eggs to make egg noodles at home. They’re ready in 5 minutes!
- Farfalle pasta
- Elbow macaroni
- Rotini
About the Chicken Stock:
If your questioning whether you should use homemade chicken stock, or store-bought for this recipe, homemade is definitely the way to go! The secret is to use a rotisserie chicken so that you can use the meat in the soup and make chicken broth with the leftover carcass and bones. You wont believe how easy it is and it really takes the soup over top in terms of depth of flavor.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Soup | Allrecipes
FAQ
What are the basic ingredients for chicken soup?
To make this easy chicken soup recipe, you’ll need the following: chicken: a 3-pound whole chicken is the first thing that goes into the soup. Vegetables: You’ll need carrots, celery, and an onion. Seasonings: Simply season the soup with salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon granules (if you want).
How to make chicken soup at home easily?
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, vegetable broth, chicken, egg noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Allrecipes.
What are the 7 steps to making soup?
Creating a SoupChoose one fat. Rinse and chop one medium onion. Choose one broth. Choose one protein. Choose one starch. Choose a mixture of 2 to 3 cups chopped vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned). Choose one or more seasonings, add to pot and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Do you cook the chicken before putting it in soup?
How do you make chicken soup from scratch?
An easy homemade chicken soup made from scratch. Grandma’s chicken soup recipe is easy to make using a whole chicken and vegetables. Add 1 whole raw chicken to a large stock pot. Add 1 quart chicken broth and then fill the pot with 4 cups waterto cover the chicken. Chop 1 large onion, 3 chopped celery stalks, and 5 chopped carrots.
How do you make chicken soup?
1. Make the stock by boiling the chicken and veggies until the meat is falling off the bone. 2. Remove the chicken and cut into pieces (discard skin and bones). 3. Strain the vegetables (reserving the stock) and cut into pieces. Rinse the pot. 4. Return everything to the pot. Heat the soup through and season to taste.
What ingredients do you need to make chicken soup?
These are the simple ingredients you’ll need for this chicken soup recipe: · Chicken: This homemade chicken soup starts with a 3-pound whole chicken. · Vegetables: You’ll need carrots, celery, and an onion. · Seasonings: Simply season the soup with salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon granules (if you want).
How do you make chicken noodle soup?
Making classic chicken soup is so easy. You don’t need many ingredients, just a few simple ingredients, including chicken, broth, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, and seasonings. You can add noodles to make chicken noodle soup or add rice. We usually make chicken and rice soup because gluten free noodles tend to get mushy over time.
Is chicken soup made from scratch?
The Best From Scratch Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe using a whole chicken is delicious and comforting! This easy, made-from-scratch recipe is similar to my Grandmother’s and is one of the best soup recipes on my website. Chicken soup is the ultimate comfort food!.
How do you make chicken soup with shredded chicken?
Using two forks or your hands, shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Stir the shredded chicken into the soup and season with pepper and the remaining 2 tsp. salt. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with parsley and season with more pepper. Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.