Craving a bowl of pure comfort? This Best Homestyle Chicken Soup is the ultimate recipe to warm your soul and fill your kitchen with the cosy aroma of home-cooked goodness. Perfect for chilly evenings, busy weeknights, or when you’re feeling under the weather, this soup is a lifesaver that’s as easy to make as delicious.
For more quick comfort dinners, try this 15-Minute Noodle Miso Soup or this tangy Romanian Meatball Soup. But this soup? It’s a classic you’ll love!
Instead of noodles, I use carrots, which add a naturally sweet taste that goes perfectly with the herbs. It’s light, brothy, and nourishing, ideal for chilly days. Serve it with my three ingredients no-knead bread or some traditional Romanian polenta-mamaliga for a perfect cosy meal!
Are you looking for more easy soups? Check out my lentil soup recipe, my roasted vegetable soup or my bean sour soup for other hearty, wholesome meals. Or this Napa cabbage soup, a quick veggie broth, infused with the umami of dried shrimp.
Jump to:
- ❣️ Why This Recipe Works
- 🥘 Ingredients to make the Best Homestyle Chicken Soup
- ♻️ Substitutions
- 📋 Variations
- 🔪 How To Make The Best Homestyle Chicken Soup
- Recipe Tip
- Can you freeze chicken soup?
- 🥗 Serving suggestions
- Storage
- ❓ Best Homestyle Chicken Soup FAQs
- Other Recipes You Might Love
- Chicken Soup You Can't Stop Eating! Soup in 30 Minutes!
❣️ Why This Recipe Works
Ideal for busy weeknights or lazy weekends, it’s a one-pot dinner that’s ready in no time. Whether you’re fighting off a chill or just craving something cosy, this soup delivers every time. Plus, it’s quick to make—just 30 minutes! Dig in and taste the comfort! Pair it with a chickpea & lentil salad or these easy Japanese tuna onigiri for a complete meal.
🥘 Ingredients to make the Best Homestyle Chicken Soup
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
- Chicken Breasts: Use fresh, boneless, and skinless breasts for easy preparation. For the best results, choose high-quality chicken—organic, free-range, or pasture-raised. I’ve made this soup with bone-in and boneless thighs and chicken bones in various combinations. While any can work, chicken bones/carcass creates the best quick broth—rich, with great depth from the bones releasing collagen. This recipe uses chicken breast for a leaner option.
- Potatoes: Choose starchy varieties like Russet or Yukon Gold for a creamier texture.
- Onions: Yellow or white onions work best.
- Short-Grain White Rice: Rinse until water is clear before adding to the soups to remove excess starch.
- Natural Yogurt: Use full-fat yoghurt for a creamier texture.
♻️ Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: Boneless chicken thighs or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Potatoes: Sweet potatoes, parsnips, or cauliflower a lower-carb options.
- Carrots: Parsnips, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash.
- Onions: Leeks, shallots, or green onions.
- Celery: Fennel, bell peppers, or zucchini.
- Short-grain white rice: Orzo, bulgur, quinoa, or vermicelli noodles.
- Chicken or vegetable stock cube: Miso paste, homemade stock, or a mix of soy sauce and nutritional yeast.
📋 Variations
- Add greens: Toss in some spinach, kale, or chard for added nutrition.
- Add beans: Throw in some white beans or chickpeas for extra protein.
- Homemade stock. If you have leftovers from a rotisserie chicken, use them! Shred the meat for the soup and simmer the bones to make a rich, flavorful broth. It's an easy way to take the soup to the next level!
🔪 How To Make The Best Homestyle Chicken Soup
This soup might seem like it took hours to make, but it’s quick and simple. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s the perfect meal to make and you'll look like a pro without any stress! Pair it with my chicken with spinach and peppers or this cabbage pasta recipe for an easy, satisfying meal.
Step 1: Add the chicken breast to a large pot with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked. Remove the meat and set aside to cool, then shred it.
Step 2: Heat olive oil in a separate pan. Add diced onion, sliced celery, sliced carrots, and cubed potatoes. Sauté until softened.
Step 3: Pour chicken broth into the pot over the sautéed veggies. Stir in paprika, pul biber, oregano, mint, salt, pepper, and rice. Add the chicken stock cube and simmer.
Step 4: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, yoghurt, egg yolk, and lemon juice until smooth and lump-free.
Step 5: Gradually add the yoghurt mixture to the pot, stirring to prevent lumps. Then, bring in the shredded meat and simmer.
Step 6: Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Recipe Tip
Save time by shredding cooked chicken in seconds using a stand mixer—just toss the meat into the bowl and let the paddle attachment do the work!
Can you freeze chicken soup?
Yes, you can freeze chicken soup! Let it cool completely, then transfer it to airtight glass containers, leaving space for expansion. For best quality, use it within 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the stove or microwave.
🥗 Serving suggestions
I’ve discovered that the creamy texture of this easy chicken soup makes it perfect for pairing with bread to scoop up or soak in the broth. I love serving it with 3-ingredient skillet bread, rosemary focaccia, pumpkin-shaped rolls, homemade milk bread or my soft white buns.
Storage
To store chicken soup in the refrigerator, let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh for about 3-4 days. Make sure to label the container with the date for easy tracking!
❓ Best Homestyle Chicken Soup FAQs
If you want a thicker soup, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour with water and stir it in. Just don’t add the dry powder directly to the soup—it’ll clump. Add more starch gradually until you reach your desired thickness.
Yes, rotisserie chicken is a fantastic shortcut! Just shred the cooked meat and add it to your soup towards the end of cooking to warm it up without overcooking. It’s a lifesaver on busy days.
It depends on your preference! Cooking the meat beforehand ensures it’s fully done and tender, plus it lets you control the texture. On the other hand, adding raw poultry to the broth gives a richer flavour as it cooks together. Both methods work, so choose based on your time and flavour goals.
Wide egg noodles are a classic choice because they hold their shape well in broth. Rice noodles or gluten-free pasta are great options if you're looking for alternatives.
For a deeper flavour, simmer the soup with a whole chicken or bone-in pieces. Adding a splash of lemon juice or fresh herbs like parsley or dill at the end brightens the dish.
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Chicken Soup You Can't Stop Eating! Soup in 30 Minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
- 2 litres of broth from boiled chicken
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 4 potatoes peeled and cubed
- 4 small carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 onions diced
- 4 celery sticks sliced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon pul biber
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 60 g short-grain white rice
For the "Terbive" (egg mix)
- 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
- 1 heaped tablespoon natural yogurt
- 1 large egg yolk
- Juice of 1 lemon
- A small bunch of parsley finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to a large, deep pan with 2.5 liters of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool down, then shred it.2 chicken breasts
- In a separate pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sliced celery, sliced carrots, and cubed potatoes. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.3 tablespoon olive oil, 4 potatoes, 4 small carrots, 4 celery sticks, 2 onions
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan to cool down. Pour the chicken broth into the pot with the sautéed veggies. Stir in the paprika, pul biber, dried oregano, dried mint, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Add 60 g of short-grain white rice to the pot with the chicken stock cube. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.1 chicken or vegetable stock cube, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon pul biber, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried mint, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 60 g short-grain white rice, 2 litres of broth from boiled chicken
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, yogurt, egg yolk, and the lemon juice until smooth. This is called the "terbive".1 heaped tablespoon plain flour, 1 heaped tablespoon natural yogurt, 1 large egg yolk, Juice of 1 lemon
- Gradually add the "terbive" mixture to the pot while stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the finely chopped parsley. Enjoy!A small bunch of parsley
Video
Notes
- If you like a little heat, add ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes or powder when you throw in the garlic.
- Want to make this soup more filling? Try adding egg noodles, gluten-free pasta, cooked rice, or even matzo balls.
- Make sure the chicken is fully cooked—use a thermometer to check that it reaches 75°C (165°F).
- Feel free to swap in whatever veggies you have, like peas, green beans, or bell peppers.
- Short-grain rice works best, but basmati or jasmine are great too—just keep in mind they cook a little differently and may need more or less time.
- Got leftovers? Store them in an airtight container—this soup keeps for three days in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer. When reheating, do it gently so the meat stays tender.
- Need a time-saving trick? Shred the meat in seconds using a stand mixer or hand mixer. If you're using rotisserie chicken, just add it at the end so it doesn’t dry out.
- Serve this soup with crusty bread, pita, or a fresh salad for a simple, comforting meal.
Criss says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!
Criss says
I’m always looking for quick soup recipes, and this chicken soup is just what I need! The fact that it’s ready in 30 minutes makes it even better. Can’t wait to give it a try!
swathi says
I am amazed by this recipe, not only tasty but also easy to put together within 30 minutes. I like that part. My family approved this recipe.
Jean says
I have had chicken soup this good since I was little. Made extra for leftovers.
Nora says
This chicken soup was so good! Perfect when the days get colder!
Krystle says
So much flavor. This is our new favorite soup recipe.
Nicole Kendrick says
This is just the thing for the fall and winter! I love it!