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Comforting Chicken Soup Recipes

January 06, 2012
Cooking Light
When winter, family gatherings, or under-the-weather blues call, comforting, healthy chicken soup recipes are always the answer. Healthy chicken soup is a great go-to dinner idea when feeding a crowd, big batch cooking, or trying to use up ingredients in your fridge. Add Tex-Mex flavor, swap in fresh ingredients like mushrooms or avocado, or ditch the traditional noodle for a hearty grain. Let's find your perfect comforting chicken soup recipe today.
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Comforting Chicken Soup Recipes

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Springy Chicken Soup

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Springy Chicken Soup

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.

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Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken and Black Bean Soup

This filling and flavorful soup is ideal for a chilly evening. Freeze leftover chipotle chiles and adobe sauce in a flattened Ziploc bag for future use.

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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Victor Protasio
View Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A favorite in Minnesota, a region known for its wild rice, this dish is a bowl of pure comfort. Sherry and tomato paste add a touch of acidic brightness to balance the creamy, starchy broth. If you can't find celery root, use a russet potato instead.

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Lemony Greek Chicken Soup

Kelsey Hansen
View Recipe: Lemony Greek Chicken Soup

This 20-minute dish provides 32g of protein and is just 261 calories per serving. To ensure this comforting soup’s velvety texture, whisk a little of the hot broth into the eggs before adding them to the pot; it cooks them gently and prevents curdling.

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Lemon and Dill Quinoa Chicken Soup

Photo: Jennifer CaUsey
View Recipe: Lemon and Dill Quinoa Chicken Soup

Time: 35 minutes

Make Ahead: Cooked quinoa won't swell in the soup overnight liked cooked pasta. Make a day or two ahead, and refrigerate.

Serve with Ricotta and Sweet Pea Toasts

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

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Chicken Bone Broth

Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Chicken Bone Broth

If you choose to use chicken feet, which add collagen to broth, you’ll find them at Asian markets. Ask the butcher to debone the chicken if you don’t want to do it at home.

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Quick Rotisserie Chicken Corn Chowder

Elizabeth Laseter
View Recipe: Quick Rotisserie Chicken Corn Chowder

As temperatures drop, it’s nice to have a simple weeknight soup recipe on hand. This quick-fix chowder uses rotisserie chicken and center-cut bacon for an easy but hearty soup that will soothe your soul. Serve with a simple green salad for a lovely lunch or light supper.

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Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken and Vegetable Soup

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.

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Peanut Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Peanut Chicken Noodle Soup

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

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Louisiana-Style Chicken Soup

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Louisiana-Style Chicken Soup

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.

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Ginger Chicken, Shiitake, and Scallion Soup

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Ginger Chicken, Shiitake, and Scallion Soup

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

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Onion, Kale, Chickpea, and Chicken Soup

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Onion, Kale, Chickpea, and Chicken Soup

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.

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Curried Coconut Soup with Chicken

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Curried Coconut Soup with Chicken

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

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Thai Chicken Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry & Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Thai Chicken Soup

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.

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Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup

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.

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Chicken, Tortellini, and Spinach Soup with Pesto

Photo: Colin Clark
View Recipe: Chicken, Tortellini, and Spinach Soup with Pesto

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.

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Lemon Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Photo: Nina Choi
View Recipe: Lemon Chicken Soup with Dumplings

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.

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Spicy Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Spicy Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup

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.

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Let's Cook Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

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

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Quick Chicken and Dumplings

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Quick Chicken and Dumplings

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.

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Spicy Thai Coconut Soup

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Spicy Thai Coconut Soup

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.

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Hearty Chicken Soup

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Hearty Chicken Soup

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.

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Chicken and White Bean Soup

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Chicken and White Bean Soup

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.

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Chicken-Udon Soup

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Chicken-Udon Soup

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.

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Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

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Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash 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.

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Chicken-Matzo Ball Soup

Photo Courtesy of Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken-Matzo Ball Soup

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

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Chicken and Parsnip Soup

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Chicken and Parsnip Soup

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

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Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stoplight Peppers

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stoplight Peppers and Avocado Relish

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."

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Rich Chicken Soup with Fresh Noodles

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Rich Chicken Soup with Fresh Noodles

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.”

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Southwestern Chicken Soup

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View Recipe: Southwestern Chicken Soup

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.

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Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

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Avgolemono

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Avgolemono

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.

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Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Apple

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Apple

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.

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Superfast Chicken Posole

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Superfast Chicken Posole

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.

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Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

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Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

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Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

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.

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Chicken-Escarole Soup

View Recipe: Chicken-Escarole Soup

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.

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Herbed Chicken and Dumplings

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Herbed Chicken and Dumplings

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.

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Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

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.

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Roasted Vegetable-Rosemary Chicken Soup

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View Recipe: Roasted Vegetable-Rosemary Chicken Soup

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

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Chicken Chili with Pesto

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View Recipe: Chicken Chili with Pesto

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.

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