Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in soup? ›

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.

Thyme, Bay leaves and parsley: All three are classic flavors for chicken soup.

Start by melting a little butter in a pan and add some fresh herbs like ground pepper, oregano, thyme, and basil. Mix the sauteed herbs into the broth to add flavor to a boring canned soup. You can also toss a sprig of rosemary or fresh sage into the pot while you heat up the soup.

Lemons are a chicken soup game changer. Why? They brighten up and balance the salty, rich flavors of the dish, and make all of the ingredients come into line. Like a vinaigrette on a salad, the pickle on a burger, and the sour cream in a coffee cake, a squeeze of lemon gives chicken soup a game-changing brightness.

Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

You might consider using more umami-forward vegetables, such as mushrooms, that also pair well with chicken to tie together the richer flavors in the dish. Alternatively, vegetables like corn, peas, and tomatoes will bring out some sweeter notes to the soup.

Try adding some acidity. A splash of lemon juice or a tablespoon of white wine vinegar can brighten the flavors of the soup.

Vinegar, much like salt, is a flavor enhancer — it not only imparts its own taste and acidity to a soup, but in small quantities, it helps to bring out the brightness of other ingredients as well.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

How do you thicken homemade chicken noodle soup? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Preparation Instructions. SLOWLY MIX SOUP + 1 CAN WATER. STOVE: HEAT, stirring occasionally.

Chicken broth is the liquid part of chicken soup. Broth can be served as is, or used as stock, or served as soup with noodles. Broth can be milder than stock, does not need to be boiled as long, and can be made with meatier chicken parts. Chicken bouillon or bouillon de poulet is the French term for chicken broth.

Condensed soups are intended to be mixed with one can of water to bring them to their intended normal strength. I prefer a strong broth, so I usually all 1/2 of a can of water, and sometimes none at all. This tends to make the soup saltier, but the chicken flavor is intensified.

Adding an acidic component (foods we'd consider to be sour) almost always enhances the flavors of a dish. A splash of vinegar or squeeze of lemon adds a brightness to foods that often doesn't occur on its own.

It accentuates the taste and adds the right kind of tanginess to it. If you don't have white vinegar, you can easily substitute it with apple cider vinegar. It is safe to use and can be added to any kind of dish.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.