Basic Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is good for the soul. It’s a comforting, hearty meal to serve as the weather gets cooler, or if you are feeling under the weather. Our chicken soup recipe is streamlined, delivering maximum comfort and ultimate flavor with minimum time and effort. Simmering for over an hour, it fills your kitchen with the most delicious aromas. 

The soup begins with a whole chicken. You’re essentially making stock and soup at the same time, and the bones and skin from the whole chicken add depth of flavor to the soup as it simmers. Not only is this technique a huge time saver, but it also creates a rich chicken stock. Cutting the whole chicken into pieces helps to keep the stock concentrated. Doing this means the pieces fit more snugly into the pot without needing to add more water to cover, which would dilute the flavor. It’s flavored simply with onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, which makes it endlessly adaptable. You'll want to eat this rich, fragrant golden soup all winter.

The Best Chicken for Chicken Soup

We prefer using a whole chicken in this soup. Chicken bones contain a lot of collagen, and the skin adds fat and flavor to the stock. If you use chicken breasts or thighs instead, be sure to use bone-in, skin-on pieces.

4 Ways to Customize Basic Chicken Soup

1. Stir in cooked egg noodles, orzo, or white rice before serving to make this soup even heartier. 
2. Add more protein—a hard-boiled egg or sliced kielbasa sausage will ensure this soup will keep you satiated for a long time. 
3. Go heavy on the vegetables—in addition to the vegetables in the recipe, a handful or two of frozen vegetables, green beans, or corn will add color and fiber to your soup. 
4. Serve topped with fresh herbs such as chopped dill or parsley.