Comforting Chicken Soup Recipes

The torn romaine lettuce wilts just slightly in the soup and has a lighter, fresher, less earthy flavor than heartier greens like spinach or kale. Slice the carrot the same shape and thickness as the leek so you get a balance of both vegetables in every spoonful.

Let this simple soup warm you up during the chillier months. You can also use this recipe as a template for other chicken and veggie soups.

If you can't find udon, substitute 6 ounces uncooked spaghetti.

Our gumbo-style soup removes the roux step (saving as much as an hour) and instead uses aromatics sautéed with tomato paste for a toasty flavor foundation. Serve with a crusty baguette for mopping up every last delicious drop.

A quick boil enhances the chicken stock with aromatics for a fragrant broth. Gentle poaching keeps the chicken breast juicy and tender.

Few things beat a steaming bowl of veggie-packed chicken soup on a crisp autumn evening, and this one happens to be a perfect potion for the seasonal chills. You can leave the thyme sprigs in the broth (just ladle around them) so they'll keep releasing herbaceous goodness into any leftovers.

For a lighter meal, you can omit the rice noodles; the calories will decrease to about 230.

For a quick dinner that's full of distinctive Thai flavor, offer this delicious, comforting soup. You can use kale or spinach in place of bok choy.

Mix leftover chicken with zucchini, diced tomatoes, and black beans to create a zesty soup that's one of our staff favorites. Top with crunchy corn tortilla strips.

Diced tomato and a dollop of garlicky pesto add freshness and color to this quick chicken-pasta soup. Searing the chicken thighs first creates browned bits that add savory richness to the broth.

Roasting the bones adds richer, deeper flavor to the stock. If you don't see chicken bones in your butcher's case, ask for them. Take your time when tempering the egg (used to add body to the soup) with the hot broth; the payoff is a smooth, silky texture.

Make-ahead tip: Cook and chill the stock a day ahead; skim solidified fat from cold stock before heating and proceeding with recipe.

This broth packs a lot of flavor in just a little time. If you don't have the Sriracha on hand, thin slices of jalapeño pepper make a good substitute.

Once you've made your own veggie-packed pot of chicken noodle soup, you won't go back to the canned, supersalty stuff again.

Get all the comfort of the traditional dish in a lot less time. In this recipe, flour tortillas stand in for the traditional biscuit dough, while rotisserie chicken breast completes the dish in a jiffy.

The Thais are among the world's great soup-makers. It's hot over there, but they like their soup piping hot and often incredibly spicy. Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with chicken in this version of tom kha ga, smoothing the edges of tart lime, salty fish sauce, and fiery chile paste. It all comes into perfect chicken-y balance.

It makes sense that a classic like chicken soup would be best cooked in a classic Dutch oven. While we enjoyed the soup from all three cooking methods, the Dutch oven made the meat a little more tender and juicy. The broth also simmers without a lid, so it reduces and grows richer.

Cannellini beans, native to Tuscany, work beautifully in this rustic soup because they hold their shape after simmering in the flavorful broth. Serve with a crusty Italian bread, such as ciabatta, and a salad of bitter greens.

Cannellini beans, native to Tuscany, work beautifully in this rustic soup because they hold their shape after simmering in the flavorful broth. Serve with a crusty Italian bread, such as ciabatta, and a salad of bitter greens.

Our rendition of Classic Chicken Noodle Soup is just what the doctor ordered. Bone-in chicken fortifies commercial unsalted stock and adds meaty depth to the soup.

Moroccans take great comfort in their wonderful tagines—lamb or poultry slowly stewed with fragrant spices. This dish is basically a tagine thinned to soup consistency, with couscous to starch it up. Sugary butternut squash and meaty chicken thighs remind us how well sweet and savory flavors play together in Moroccan cuisine.

For a shortcut version of this dish, use unsalted chicken stock instead of making your own.

Shallots, parsnips, and gourmet mushrooms come together for a memorable chicken soup. Serve with homemade herb-scented drop biscuits.

Fresh, high-impact flavors like those in our Chili-Spiced Soup with Stoplight Peppers and Avocado Relish, will give your soup a made-from-scratch taste that cannot be beat. Reader and recipe developer Jamie Miller created this recipe for her husband who loves Mexican food. "This recipe is everything you'd find in a fajita in a healthy, tasty soup instead."

This soup tastes like it was on Grandma’s stove for hours. Test Kitchen staffer Adam Hickman’s secret weapon: “Salty miso enriches the broth.”

This top-rated Southwestern chicken soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken. The creamy chunks of avocado add a richness that's unusual to find in most chicken soups.

Chicken Noodle Soup in just 20 minutes? Absolutely! Heat the broth mixture in the microwave to jump-start the cooking. Meanwhile, sauté the aromatic ingredients in your soup pot to get this dish under way. Though we like the shape of fusilli, you can also make this soup with wide egg noodles, rotini, or even orzo.

Avgolemono is an amazingly creamy soup without a drop of cream. Egg-thickened broth is spiked with tart lemon juice, all enrobing a beautiful chicken core. Greeks serve it chilled in the summer. In winter, it's cooked with rice and dished up piping hot. Folks who hit the ouzo too hard have been said to find relief the next day in a steaming bowlful. Sounds likely.

Few cooks put cabbage to more inspired use than the Germans. This is the definition of hearty in a bowl: Earthy green cabbage mingles with moist shredded chicken and chicken sausage, broth-soaked potatoes, and tart, crunchy apple that adds a fruity counterpoint. Pair it with some good pumpernickel.

You'll probably use all the breast meat from one standard rotisserie chicken for this Mexican stew topped with diced avocado, sliced radishes, and fresh cilantro. Look for canned tomatillos in the Mexican foods section of your supermarket.

Count on having dinner on the table in about 40 minutes, and serve this soup the moment it’s done for the best results. In fact, if you wait, you’ll find it gets too thick with time. If you have leftovers, you will want to thin the soup with a little chicken broth or milk to the desired consistency.

If the broccoli florets are large, break them into smaller pieces at the stalk instead of chopping them; they’ll cook more quickly.

Clocking in at barely 10 minutes to make, this soup proves no night is too busy for home cooking. It's nice and spicy, with big chunks of tasty tomato. Make a bowl a hearty complete meal by adding cooked rice, barley, or noodles.

You'll need to start a day ahead to prepare the tasty homemade broth for this chicken noodle soup. Stirring fresh lemon juice and rind in at the end adds freshness and helps brighten the comforting flavors.

Good Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup is classic American comfort food. But it can cross to the wrong side of the road if there are too many odds and ends, if noodles bloat and meat gets dry. But here's a cure, if common chicken soup leaves you cold: a purist's ideal, using flavorful stock, fresh-cooked chicken, traditional veggies, and egg noodles that lend starchy body to the broth.

Start with shredded cooked chicken breast and transform your dinner tonight into restaurant-quality Thai cuisine. The coconut milk gives the soup a creamy, smooth texture.

"This is a complete meal containing very little fat and loads of fiber and flavor,” said reader and recipe developer, Charlene Chambers. “A truly guilt-free dinner."

This 15-minute recipe is wonderfully simple and sure to become a weeknight staple. To cut down on prep time and keep cleanup to a minimum, use kitchen shears to easily chop tomatoes while they’re still in the can.

Escarole is a variety of endive but is not as bitter as Belgian endive or curly endive. It has broad, bright green leaves that grow in loose heads. When purchasing escarole, look for fresh, crisp leaves without discoloration. Store escarole tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Fluffy herb-flecked dumplings, tender vegetables, and rich dark-meat chicken combine in this soul-satisfying comfort dish. Garnish each serving with a fresh sprig of parsley, if desired. This is a perfect, cozy dinner for two on a chilly night.

The old classic chicken noodle gains new life with the addition of garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and lime in this recipe. It's still warm, soft, and comforting, but with an updated, modern edge. Lots of easy variations on this dish are possible: Try soba, udon noodles, or rice instead of angel hair, or cubed tofu instead of chicken.

This hearty soup’s flavor comes from the roasted vegetables that have been caramelized. Serve with crusty bread on a cold winter’s night.

Swirl in a generous dollop of pesto before serving to liven up this classic white chili. We call for making your own homemade pesto, which can be made-ahead and frozen, or you can use bottled prepared pesto.

This is the classic soup at its most basic, yet the flavorful stock makes it satisfying and surprisingly memorable. Add leftover roast chicken for a heartier version.