Description
This homemade chicken soup recipe delivers a comforting, flavorful broth enriched with tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs. Perfect for any day you crave a wholesome, nourishing meal, it is both easy to prepare and satisfying, utilizing a slow simmering method to extract deep flavor from the chicken and veggies.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 1 (4-pound; 1.8kg) whole chicken
- 3 quarts (2.8L) cold or room-temperature homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 medium cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Vegetables
- 1 large carrot (8 ounces; 230g), diced
- 1 medium turnip (7 ounces; 200g), peeled and diced
- 1 medium yellow onion (9 ounces; 250g) or large leek (white and light-green parts only), diced
- 1 large parsnip (10 ounces; 285g), peeled and diced
- 2 medium ribs celery (5 ounces; 150g), diced
Seasoning & Garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Minced fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley, or other fresh herbs, to finish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the chicken breasts from the breastbone and detach the chicken legs from the carcass. Set these pieces aside for cooking.
- Simmer the chicken and aromatics: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cover the chicken breasts, legs, and carcass with chicken stock. Add the garlic cloves, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Heat over medium-high heat until the temperature of the stock reaches between 150°F and 160°F (66–71°C) using an instant-read thermometer. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this temperature range, allowing slight fluctuations but staying between 150°F and 170°F (77°C). Cook until the thickest part of the chicken breasts reaches 150°F, approximately 1 hour.
- Remove chicken breasts: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and set them aside to rest.
- Continue simmering the broth: Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for an additional hour, skimming off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface. After this, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Remove all chicken pieces from the pot.
- Shred the chicken meat: Pull the meat from the bones, shredding it into bite-sized pieces. Discard the skin and bones. If the broth appears cloudy, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to clarify.
- Add vegetables and simmer: Return all shredded chicken except the reserved breast meat to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add the diced carrot, turnip, onion (or leek), parsnip, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Season the soup with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Finish the soup: Add minced fresh herbs like dill or parsley to the soup, then remove from heat. Dice the reserved chicken breasts and stir them into the pot along with any accumulated juices. Serve the soup hot for a comforting meal.
Notes
- The best chicken soup is homemade, yet so fast and easy, you can throw it together even when you’re not feeling 100%.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approximate)
- Calories: 417 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 918 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 133 mg
