Description
This Homemade Chicken Soup recipe is a comforting, nourishing dish made with a whole chicken simmered gently in homemade or low-sodium chicken broth, infused with garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, and finished with a medley of fresh vegetables and herbs for a hearty and flavorful bowl of soup.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 1 (4-pound; 1.8kg) whole chicken
- 3 quarts (2.8L) cold or room-temperature homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 medium cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Vegetables
- 1 large carrot (8 ounces; 230g), diced
- 1 medium turnip (7 ounces; 200g), peeled and diced
- 1 medium yellow onion (9 ounces; 250g) or large leek (white and light-green parts only), diced
- 1 large parsnip (10 ounces; 285g), peeled and diced
- 2 medium ribs celery (5 ounces; 150g), diced
Seasoning and Garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Minced fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley, or other fresh herbs, to finish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Using a sharp knife, cut chicken breasts from the breastbone and detach chicken legs from the carcass. Set aside.
- Simmer the chicken and aromatics: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cover the chicken breasts, legs, and carcass with stock. Add garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Heat the stock over medium-high heat until temperature reaches between 150°F and 160°F (66 and 71°C) using an instant-read thermometer. Adjust heat to maintain this temperature range, allowing it to bounce slightly but stay above 150°F and below 170°F. Cook until the thickest part of chicken breasts registers 150°F, about 1 hour. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside.
- Continue cooking the broth: Bring the soup to a simmer and continue cooking for 1 additional hour, skimming as needed to remove impurities. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Remove all chicken pieces from the pot.
- Shred the chicken: Pull meat from bones, shredding it into bite-size pieces. Discard skin and bones. If the broth appears cloudy, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to clarify.
- Cook vegetables in broth: Return all shredded chicken to the pot except the breast meat. Return to a simmer. Add diced carrot, turnip, onion (or leek), parsnip, and celery. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add minced fresh herbs and remove from heat.
- Finish and serve: Dice reserved chicken breasts and stir into the soup along with any accumulated juices. Serve the soup hot, garnished with additional fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- The best chicken soup is homemade, yet so fast and easy, you can throw it together even when you’re not feeling 100%.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approximately)
- Calories: 417 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 918 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 133 mg
