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Homemade Chicken Soup is full of chicken, veggies, and herbs in a flavorful broth. My Chicken Soup Recipe is nostalgic comfort food that’s warm and soothing and ready in about an hour.
Try one of our other favorite soups next – Turkey and Rice Soup orHamburger Soup!
Table of Contents
- Why I Love This Easy Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe
- Ingredients
- How To Make Chicken Soup
- Adding Flavor To Chicken Soup
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Pro Tips
- Chicken Soup Recipes To Try Next
- Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe
Why I Love This Easy Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe
- It’s Semi-Homemade – Using store-bought chicken broth and boneless chicken gives you a rich flavor without spending hours cooking.
- Doesn’t Take All Day – I love when I can get slow-cooked taste in about an hour!
- Customizable – Use whatever cut of chicken you like and customize the vegetables and herbs to suit your taste.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil and Butter
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs – Chicken thighs offer the best flavor, but chicken breasts are leaner and cook faster. Bone-in chicken will add more flavor while boneless is a lot faster, and cooked in broth will still have great flavor.
- Chicken Stock or Broth – I cook the chicken in a mixture of 4 cups broth and 4 cups of water, then use this broth for the base of the soup, adding more boxed broth as needed. Opt for a low sodium variety for better flavor control.
- Veggies – Onions, garlic, carrots and celery chopped.
- Herbs – Dried thyme leaves, oregano, and bay leaves. I do use fresh parsley for its vibrant color at the end.
- Lemon – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end really brightens up the whole pot.
How To Make Chicken Soup
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Saute the vegetables – Cook the veggies and herbs in olive oil and butter for a few minutes to soften them. Add the minced garlic and dried herbs and saute them with the veggies for a minute.
Simmer – Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add the chicken. Simmer for at least 20 minutes (long enough to fully cook the chicken).
Shred chicken – Once the chicken is fully cooked(165℉), shred it and add it back to the soup. *Before adding chicken back to the soup, skim off any foam.
Final touches – Stir in fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Optional Step – While the soup is simmering, boil 1-2 cups of egg noodles in a separate pot to add to the soup when you serve it. Store separately from the soup.
Adding Flavor To Chicken Soup
The herbs that you use are what is going to really impart the most flavor to your soup. That, and salt. I used dried thyme leaves, oregano, bay leaves, parsley, minced garlic, salt and black pepper.
Salt is an important component to the flavor profile, as it will heighten the flavor. Season with a pinch of salt at each step – not too much – then taste before serving and add more.
If you have access to fresh herbs, use them! You can leave them whole and pick them out before serving or tie them up with cheesecloth or kitchen twine.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving bread with soup because it’s perfect for soaking up the flavorful broth! Try my simple Garlic Cheese Biscuits, Sour Cream Cornbread, Beer Bread, or Homemade Parker House Rolls.
Or for something more hearty, serve with a Club Sandwich or Oven Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Storage
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator and eaten within 4-5 days. In the freezer, it will remain fresh for at least 4-6 months. It can be eaten beyond that, but won’t be at its peak.
Reheat soup on the stovetop. If you add rice or pasta to your soup, keep it separate to avoid mushy soup when reheating.
Pro Tips
- If you know you will have leftovers, cook any starchy additions separately, like noodles or rice. As the soup simmers, the starches absorb the liquid. As the soup sits, the liquid continues to be absorbed and can result in a mushy soup.
- I always use low-sodium chicken broth so I can control the saltiness of the soup. While I often choose what’s on sale, I generally avoid generic brands. Swanson or Imagine are my go-to choices.
- For the ultimate shortcut, use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped, for a super simple soup that only takes 20 minutes.
Chicken Soup Recipes To Try Next
- Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
Recipe
Homemade Chicken Soup
4.54 from 13 votes
Kristin Maxwell
Cozy Homemade Chicken Soup is loaded with chicken, veggies, herbs, and tons of flavor in under an hour. A comforting, nostalgic recipe!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces
- 3 celery stalks sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs I like to use a pound of each
- 2 quarts chicken broth or water
- Salt
- juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Optional:
- cooked egg noodles or rice if desired
Instructions
Heat olive oil and butter in a 5-quart stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and saute, stirring frequently, until softened; about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
Stir in minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme leaves and bay leaves and saute for 1 minute.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the chicken. Bring back to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low.
Simmer for about 20 minutes, or util chicken is cooked through and shreds easily. Pro tip – keep a meat thermometer handy so the breasts don't overcook.
Remove chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Shred with two forks or cut into large, bite sized pieces. Skim off any foam or bits of fat from the broth and return the chicken to the pot.
Stir in fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice and serve hot.
*Optional: while the soup is simmering, cook 1-2 cups small pasta or rice in a separate pot to add to the soup when you serve it. Store rice or pasta separate from the soup.
Notes
I like my chicken soup with LOTS of chicken. If you prefer, you can use less.
If you want to skip cooking the chicken altogether, use a rotisserie chicken. Simmer the chicken and veggies in stock for at least 10-12 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 34gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 375mgPotassium: 634mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3569IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken soup
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