Chicken Soup Recipe

Updated on June 02, 2010
C.R. asks from Prescott Valley, AZ
21 answers

My daughter and boyfriend are sick and I feel myself coming down with something, too. I was wondering if anyone has a good chicken soup recipe? Neither of us likes the canned soup, and I think homemade would be best in helping us recover and just generally feel better sooner. Thank you.

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So What Happened?

Am definitely going to make some chicken soup today, about to go to the store and get what I need. I want to thank you all for your recipes! I look forward to trying all of them-even when we're not sick! :)

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S.C.

answers from Dallas on

Racheal Ray has the best chicken soup recipe I have ever tasted, and it really only takes thirty minutes. Go to foodnetwork.com and look up chicken noodle soup under her recipe list.

3 moms found this helpful

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C.U.

answers from Los Angeles on

Here you go~ One whole fryer, cut up, in boiling water....to cover. Add one garlic crushed, 1 or two stalks of celery tops cut up, and 1/2 small onion cut up or 1/4 cup sliced leeks) and add ground pepper, and 1 t. sea salt. When tender and done (probably about 45 minutes of simmering in broth), remove chicken, discard skin, and remove all chicken from bones and cut into small bite size pieces ~ set aside. Put all bones that you can gather into a small metal strainer and set inside the pot of soup in the broth...and add 1/2 small turnip, 1/2 small parsnip, 2 carrots cut up, one bay leaf, some spinach or chard cut up, 2 small tomatoes cut up, and any other vegetable you have on hand. Simmer together about 40 min on low.....and when done, discard bones that have been sitting in the broth in the strainer, but they add so much flavor, leave them in as long as you can. Add more fat free chicken broth if needed and season with a small bit of crushed red pepper IF you think you are coming down with a cold. This spice helps your body release certain chemicals that help fight the bad congestion. You can add leftover rice or noodles, but the broth and vegetables is all you need to help you feel better. Drink two cups a day until better....

9 moms found this helpful
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E.L.

answers from Seattle on

The very best thing about old-fashioned chicken soup is the broth. True chicken broth is made from chicken bones and done not require any MSG products for it's robust flavor. Good flavor comes from good chicken and good veggies. Bone broth has a lot of nutritional advantages. You can read my instructions on making bone broth here:

http://goodeatscheap.blogspot.com/2009/11/chicken-bone-br...

You can roast your chicken the day before and then cook your broth overnight. The most convenient way to do this is in a slow-cooker (crock-pot). You retain more of the juices this way, and you don't have to tend it. :)

Good luck!

7 moms found this helpful
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A.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

I know that you have tons of recipes already but I made this on Saturday for my sick kids and husband. I DON'T like canned chicken soup (some I can eat) and this was easy and delicious! Everyone from my husband to my 9 month old baby liked it. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups already cooked chicken meat (I used about 1.5 lbs (before cooking); you could also buy a rotisserie chicken; I just threw some olive oil in a pan and put the chicken breasts in until they were mostly cooked and then cut them up and threw them in the soup)
6 cups water (I added two more cups of chicken broth at the end to make it more soupy since I put so many noodles in it; add more if you like it more brothy less if you want more soup and less broth!)
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (you could also just use 6 cups of broth and omit this--I find that it's cheaper to buy it this way!)
1 small onion, diced
5-6 carrots cut into chunks (I just peeled them and then sliced them into thick quarter like pieces); the boys loved the carrots
2-3 stalks of celery cut into chunks
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (this is the secret ingredient I think!)
kosher salt to taste (probably a good 1 teaspoon, since the base is water)
50-cent piece size, or so, handful of raw spaghetti noodles to add at the end (I a 7 oz bag of little "fideos" that look like broken up spaghetti)
Parmesan and Asiago cheese, optional garnish
optional: add other veggies if you'd like (1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked, 1 large handful raw spinach leaves to add at the end etc.)

The Directions.

Start with a slow cooker with 6 cups of water, and add chicken. Add all vegetables except for the spinach leaves. Stir in the bouillon and vinegar. Salt to taste. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until veggies are tender and the onion is translucent.

15 minutes before serving, put in raw spaghetti noodles and a large handful of spinach. Cover and flip to high.

Garnish with parmesan and asiago cheeses, if desired.

(You could easily just do this on the stove and simmer for 1-2 hours after bringing to a boil, when your carrots and celery are done the rest is probably fine since you start with cooked chicken)

6 moms found this helpful
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M.F.

answers from Sioux Falls on

It's not really a recipe, but here's how I do it. Very yummy!

I first saute in butter, my onions and celery. I then add chicken thighs (they make the best broth!) I pour water over them to cover them and bring it it a boil then I reduce heat and simmer. I cook it until the meat is falling off the bone. When it is, drain the broth into another pan and then remove the bones and skin from the chicken mixture. Return th chicken mixture back to the broth and add whatever other vegies you like. Simmer until vegies are cooked. Last, I add the thick frozen egg noodles and cook till done. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste.
If you want chicken and dumplings, do everything the same, but when your vegies are done, add a little flour or cornstarch to thicken the soup a tad, then follow the Bisquick recipe on the bisquick box. Spoon the dough onto the soup and cover till they float.
DELICIOUS!

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S.P.

answers from Duluth on

I know that you got tons of recipes, and all of them are GREAT suggestions, and help to make an awesome soup, but what I feel always tops mine off is homemade egg noodles....and they aren't nearly as hard as you might think. I normally make large batches, and dry them out over night and put in a zip lock bag in the freezer to pull out and add quickly to any soup I might want to make. All the recipe requires is eggs, flour, and salt. It's all a matter of how much you want to make, it's roughly one cup of flour to every egg you use, and then you salt the eggs like you would if you were scrabbling them to eat.

Beat your eggs, salt, add the flour until it is a thick sticky ball, cover your counter in flour and start flattening it out....use lots of flour, especially if it starts to stick at all, and then you roll it out thin. However thick or thin you do it is based on how thick you want your noodles, I normally do my pretty thin. Next you slice long strips about two inches across, and then stack the strips, make sure there is plenty of flour between the stacks, and then you slice them, I normally try to get them about a 1/8 to a 1/4 of an inch wide, you can use either a sharp knife, pastry cutter, or pizza cutter to cut your noodles. Then you brake them all up and let them dry on your counter, or on a pan for about 24 hours, you'll need to probably flip and stir them a couple of times. If you want to just use them right away, slowly sprinkle them into your soup stirring so they don't clump together...they take about 10-15 minutes to cook, depends on how thin you rolled them and cut them....and make sure you keep as much of the flour out as you can when you go to add them. We normally figure roughly one egg per person as far as servings go.

Good luck, I hope this helps, and I hope you all feel better!

6 moms found this helpful
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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

I agree with Sarahann. The noodles are the key. I have the best recipe that I found online. Follow it exactly and the noodles are so silky I could barely stand how good they were. The recipe is at http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Delicious-Homemade-Egg-N... . I tried to cheat the first time I made it and not cut the noodles like it said and not let it dry long enough. The next time I did it exactly like it said and I have never, and I do mean NEVER, had so many compliments on my soup. Incidentally, I always have been known as a poor soup maker in my family, so this was a big surprise.

4 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

get a couple boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. boil in a pan till done (I usually do it for about an hour simmering after it boils good. take chicken out of pan and set aside. pour broth through a strainer (not down drain lol as you need it just run though strainer to catch and skin or bones that might have been in it. put back into pan on stove. chop up several stalks of celery and several carrots and one big onion. I dice up all the veggies. toss in with broth and simmer on low for a while. chop chicken up and throw in. I always put a can of chicken broth in with the broth from boiling. I usually use a couple teaspoons of wylers granular chicken boulian also. and if you have it a little bit of parsley. when your ready you can throw in whatever kind of pasta noodles you ahve around. my kids like shells I like rice lol. so whatever. then just salt and pepper to taste. it is yummy and easy. I always make a huge pot and freeze the left over. hope you feel better.

4 moms found this helpful
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C.M.

answers from San Francisco on

there is a little mexican place in mountain view that has the best chicken soup. i swear it curse my cold every time i get it! unfortunately i live in san jose now so mountain view is a little far for soup pick up, so i've made it at home.

i start with olive oil and onions in the bottom of a stew pain, add garlic & jalapeno, cook, then add celery, carrots, pepper, salt to taste, then the chicken until it's cooked on all sides, then rice, handful or so, then add broth, let it simmer until cooked at least 30 minutes. when done, squeeze fresh lemon and fresh chopped cilantro. once in bowls, add avocado and tomato to the top, maybe a little more lemon.

when i'm sick and making it for me, i use the roasted chicken from the store, and add frozen brown rice from trader joes that microwaves in 3 minutes. then all you have to do is wait for the veggies to soften in about 12-15 minutes, then soup is done quicker.

good luck! and i hope you feel better soon!

3 moms found this helpful

F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I make all kinds of homemade soup when it's cold weather here. I just get a large family size can of cream of "whatever" soup and add a can of water. If you like tomato based, do the same with a family size can of tomato soup. (I've also used instead a couple packets of the dried onion soup mix) Then add diced chicken, a can of corn (not drained), a can of green beans (not drained), cut up carrots and cabbage and really whatever else you like in it. Add salt, pepper and italian seasoning to taste. I also do the same with ground beef. My family LOVES it and it lasts a long time. Good luck and hope you are feeling better soon!

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T.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Easy chicken soup from scratch (no canned soup)

Cover chicken parts with water (except breasts - they get weird and stringy in the soup). Add a peeled onion cut in half, two peeled carrots, 1-2 stalks of celery (including leaves). Add 1-2 bay leaves, 5-6 pepper corns, salt to taste at the end. Bring to boil skim, and simmer for 2 hours. Discard celery and onion, save carrots. Take out chicken; remove from bones when cool. Strain soup and refrigerate over night. Remove layer of fat on top and discard. Add chicken cut in bite size pieces, heat to a low boil, add the carrots, sliced; add a cup of wide egg noodles and cook ten minutes. Serve. Yum! Instead of noodles, you can add a half cup of rice before you bring the soup to a boil, and cook 20-30 minutes add carrots toward the end. Enjoy!

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A.M.

answers from Chicago on

I know this is just general, but check out www.allrecipes.com. You can sort by ratings. It's got about anything you can think of, and I use it for everything!

3 moms found this helpful
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F.F.

answers from Sacramento on

get some chicken bon and add onion and salt and paper and 3 or 4 class of water let cook for a hour than take the bon out and leave meat in chicken soup and some caret and potato and in and some fideo fino vermicelli (fin macaroni ) and add some tomato paste on chicken too.
sorry for my poor english

2 moms found this helpful
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A.T.

answers from Stockton on

I buy whole cut-up chicken and use the back, neck and wings to make soup or you can use 1 regular breast with bones - pull off the skin to reduce the fat content.
Sautee a finely chopped onion in 2 tbls.olive oil until clear
add 1 diced carrot and 1-2 chopped celery stalks and sautee until the onion starts to get a little bit brown.
Add a pinch or 2 of ground pepper and your favorite herbs - we like basil or cilantro.
Add finely chopped or crushed GARLIC - the more the better for a cold!
add the chicken and stir until everything is combined and the garlic starts to cook. A splash or 2 of white wine is yummy if you have it.....
Add a bay leaf - if you like
add 8 cups water and 8 tsp. of chicken boullion - or follow the directions...
mine is 1 tps. per cup of water.
I like to add 1/2 cup rinsed dry lentils
Bring to a boil.
After 20 mintues or so the chicken should be cooked - pull it out with tongs - let it cool a bit and then pull it off the bones chop and add back to pot.
We like to add frozen chopped green beans at this point - about 1 cup
Add your favorite pasta - broken up spaghetti works great or macaroni or egg noodles - brown rice works too - but takes longer to cook.
Reduce heat to simmer and cover and let cook until lentils are soft and pasta is done.
Potatoes are good in this too - I often just add wheatever leftover veggies we have in the freezer like blackeyed peas - corn, lima beans. about 1/2 cup or what's in the little bag. ;)
you can freeze soup in gallon freezer bags for the next time you need it!
using fresh chicken on the bone makes the broth taste better and gives it a little richness.

2 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Chicken soup (Caldo)
8 cups canned chicken broth.
1 whole chicken cut into pieces.
1 Whole Carrot and 2 carrots sliced
2 Whole Celery stalks and 2 stalks sliced
2 cloves garlic (optional)
1 large onion cut in half - half chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley Chop about 1/4 cup

In a large stock pot pour the broth, the chicken pieces, the Whole carrot, Whole celery, garlic, the half of onion, the pepper and unchopped parsley.

Simmer covered, on the stove for 30 minutes, till the chicken it totally cooked.

Remove the chicken and place in a strainer.
Remove all of the veggies and throw away.

Add all chopped veggies to pot and simmer for 20 minutes .

While veggies simmer, remove the chicken off of the bones, discard, skin and fat. Chop chicken meat and return to broth add chopped parsley and serve when veggies are the tenderness you like.

(Options)
If you like potatoes you can add chopped potatoes with the other veggies.
We also like cabbage, you can add chopped cabbage.
For noodles, we cook them separate and add them in the individual bowls and then pour the soup on top.
To add more flavor, you can add a small can of tomato sauce while the chopped veggies are cooking.

Hope you all feel better real soon..

2 moms found this helpful
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D.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Greetings C.,
I have the easiest recipe for you. Buy2 large size of Swanson Chicken broth, a roasted chicken that you cut up, add carrotts and celery and onion if desired. All you do is put all into a pot heat til celery and carrotts are tender. Cook the noodles seperalty and then add to soup.
I often do this using left over rice for chk and rice soup.
Enjoy and hope you ae all well soon.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.W.

answers from Sacramento on

Here is one from my sister in law ( she is from Nicaragua):

8-10 barbecued chicken legs. or add l tablespoon of mesquite flavor per quart

3 quarts of chicken broth/ water and boullion

6 large peeled potatoes, quarted

6-10 large peeled carrots, cut in large chunks

5 green Mexican squash, peeled quarted

2 bell peppers sliced

add 2 tsp of chili powder

2 tsp of paprika

1 tsp cumin

2-3 cups star pasta/ cooked rice

Have already prepared barbecued chicken legs. In a four quart or larger pot start the broth add potatoes, then carrots after a while add the squash
and peppers. add the spices bring to a boil and reduced heat on low
after the potatoes start going soft add chicken and pasta. There should be at least 40 mins of Cooking from start to finish.
Get well soon!!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.A.

answers from San Francisco on

This one was created for curing colds! And it tasts great, we add egg noodles.

Irwin Ziment, M.D., is a pulmonary specialist and professor at the UCLA School of Medicine. He says chicken soup contains drug-like agents similar to those in modern cold medicines. Also, the spices that are added to the soup work the same way as expectorant drugs and cough medicines, by making breathing easier.

Dr. Ziment's Garlic Chicken Soup

1/4-pound stewing chicken (can use one whole deboned rotisserie chicken)
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth (or 3-1/2 cups homemade broth)
1 head garlic (about 15 cloves), peeled
1 medium onion, quartered
1 1/2 tbs each, minced parsley and cilantro
1 tsp each, minced mint and basil leaves
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 tb fresh lemon juice
1.Put all ingredients but the lemon juice in a saucepan, and bring to a
boil.
2.Reduce heat and simmer covered or uncovered (if you want to inhale the
therapeutic steam) for 30 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree the cooked garlic, onions and herbs
with a little liquid and stir back into the soup.
3.Add lemon juice. If you want a clear broth, filter out the solid
constituents.
Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

1 mom found this helpful

*.M.

answers from Tucson on

Great Question.........I will be keeping an eye on the anwers, so i can get some tips 2 (:

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W.H.

answers from Modesto on

Good pot, oil on the bottom (I use olive), turn on heat, chop onions, garlic too if you like, put into the pot. I also chop up carrots and celery and put them in to sautee and soften up just a bit. Then I add broth. I usually do a couple cans of broth and a couple cups of water & buillion cubes. Btw- if you use canned chicken, you can add the broth from that too.

Your chicken has to be pre-cooked - whether from a can or your own diced (or shredded) chicken from earlier.

Bring it to a boil, add the noodles (ANY kind - well maybe not lasagna noodles lol) and cook for the minutes the noodles need to.

Eat & enjoy!

Add more or less of what you like - peas, a mixture of different types of noodles (put in the longest cooking noodles first), etc.

It's really good, and easy. (The hard part is having the cooked chicken - but lately I've been using canned, that's fine too.)

Hope you stay healthy, or only get a mild touch of it! (They should appreciate this too.)

1 mom found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Wilmington on

If you're making one of the non-spicy soup recipes, I recommend sprinkling some dill in the chicken soup.

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