How to Make Chicken Soup

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

Last Updated: June 18, 2023 Approved

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Whether you’re recovering from illness, taking care of a loved one, or simply craving the dish, chicken soup is famous for being delicious, healthy, and easy to make. Read on to learn this endlessly-customizable recipe that can serve 6.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
Parsley
2-1/2 quarts cold water (will vary - you need enough to cover your ingredients)
2 cubes chicken bouillon (optional)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing the Chicken

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Soak the chicken in cold water only if necessary. Rinsing chicken is not recommended; doing so won't remove all bacteria and can actually increase the risk of spreading bacteria if the water splashes onto other surfaces.^{[1]
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Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA
Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Go to source} If the chicken has been sitting in blood or a commercial brine for several days, though, you can wash it by carefully soaking it in cold water. Cover the chicken in cold water and leave it in the refrigerator for no more than two hours.^{[2]
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- After two or fewer hours, remove the chicken from the water, carefully pat it dry with clean paper towels, and cook it immediately. Be sure to clean the soaking basin and all surrounding surfaces with hot, soapy water.^{[3]
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Some chickens have their gizzards, neck, and/or other organs stuffed into their chest cavity. If this is the case with your chicken, be sure to remove these before proceeding, though it's unlikely that you would accidentally add them to the soup.^{[4]
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Use a sharp knife, a pair of kitchen shears, or your bare hands to remove the loose, excess fat at the base of the chicken's torso. If put in the soup, this loose fat becomes a gross surprise for whoever is unlucky enough to eat it.^{[5]
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Pull each leg out from the body and remove it with a sharp knife. Once removed, you may want to divide the thigh from the drumstick by cutting along the "fat line" that marks the joint between the leg and thigh.
Similar to how you removed the legs, pull each wing out from the body and cut it away from the torso with a sharp knife. Cut the wing in half at the joint and discard the smaller "tip" portion.
6
Cut up the breast. Use a sawing motion to remove the breast from the ribs (for safety purposes, cut back to front). Spread the breast out on a cutting board and separate it from the bone by making lengthwise cuts along either side of its center. Double check each breast after cutting to ensure there are no remaining bones or fragments.^{[6]
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- At this point, you may chop the breasts into halves, quarters, or as many pieces as you'd like.
When you've cut as much chicken meat as you'd like, simply add it to a large pot and you're done. If you'd prefer, you can also remove the skin, though this isn't essential.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Brewing the Soup

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Add water to cover, salt, and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover all of your chicken, but don't feel the need to over-do it - if your soup is too thick, you can always add more water later, while waiting for a watery soup to reduce is time-consuming.
- For added flavor, you may optionally add the chicken bouillon at this point as well.
Over medium-high heat, this should take about 8-10 minutes, but may take more or less time depending on how much water you use.
When your water starts boiling, remove the lid and remove the froth at the top with a wooden spoon. This prevents the water from boiling over.
Allow to simmer about 2 1/4 hours. Your goal is to make the chicken meat so soft that it falls off the bone. As your soup simmers, periodically check on it to ensure that the chicken is cooking nicely and to skim any froth off the top of the pot.
Add the onions, celery, and carrots and a pinch or two of parsley. After your chicken has cooked for a few hours, you may add your vegetables, which take less time to cook.^{[7]
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Stir periodically to ensure even mixing and to eliminate top froth.
Strain your soup into another pot or similar container so that you retain the broth. Remove chicken meat from the bone, discarding any unappetizing pieces. When finished, return broth, chicken, and vegetables to the pot and serve.
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Optionally, place cooked noodles or rice in bowl and add soup. To recreate a bowl of classic childhood chicken noodle soup, simply add cooked noodles (or rice) to your soup. Pasta and rice take less time to cook than your soup takes to make, so you can prepare them while your soup is simmering with ample time to spare.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use skinless and boneless chicken breasts that are 2 kilograms?

Community Answer

Yes, that will work as well. As there's significantly less fat, the broth will be less flavorful, though.

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What color is the chicken breast?

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Chicken breast will be pink when raw and white when it's cooked through.

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Question

Can I make chicken soup in a pan?

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No.

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Tips

Make your own noodles or use good quality egg noodles.^{[8]
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Add different vegetables for a delightful taste.

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You can also add chopped potatoes for a variation to your soup.

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