Chicken soup is a delicious and comforting food that can be enjoyed all year round. When making chicken soup from scratch, one of the most important steps is allowing the soup to simmer on the stovetop to let the flavors develop. But exactly how long should you let chicken soup simmer? Here is a comprehensive guide to determining the ideal simmering time for homemade chicken soup.
Why Simmer Chicken Soup
Simmering is a gentle boiling process that happens below the boiling point of water, around 180 to 200°F. Simmering chicken soup accomplishes several things:
- It evenly cooks the vegetables and chicken in the soup.
- It softens tough cuts of chicken and melds flavors together.
- It helps thicken the broth slightly by evaporating some of the water.
- It brings out the savory umami flavor of the ingredients.
Simply bringing the soup to a boil isn’t enough to get these desired results. Simmering at a gentle heat for an extended period is needed to coax the most flavor and texture out of chicken soup components.
Minimum Simmering Time
At the absolute minimum, chicken soup should simmer for 15 minutes after reaching a simmer. However, longer is better. Here is why:
- Vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes take at least 10-15 minutes of simmering to become tender.
- Tough chicken parts like breasts and thighs take 15-20 minutes to fully cook through to 165°F.
- Dried pasta, rice, or grains added to soup take 10-15 minutes to hydrate and become soft.
- 15 minutes gives the flavors only a little time to meld, so you’ll get the most flavor benefit from longer simmering.
So while 15 minutes would technically work, simmering longer is recommended.
Ideal Simmer Times
The ideal simmering time for homemade chicken noodle soup or similar clear broth-based soups is 1-2 hours. Here’s why this timeframe yields the best results:
- Chicken and vegetables reach their peak tenderness after simmering for 1-2 hours.
- The subtle flavors and savory notes have time to thoroughly blend together.
- Any pasta or grains you add will be perfectly cooked through after simmering in the broth for this length of time.
For cream-based soups like chicken and dumplings or chicken and rice, the ideal simmer time remains 1-2 hours. The creaminess develops best with extended gentle simmering.
Ideal Simmer Times for Various Ingredients
| Ingredient | Ideal Simmer Time |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, chopped | 1 hour |
| Chicken thighs, boneless | 1 hour |
| Carrots, chopped | 45 mins |
| Celery, chopped | 45 mins |
| Onion, chopped | 45 mins |
| Potatoes, diced | 30-45 mins |
| Egg noodles | 10-15 mins |
| Rice | 15-20 mins |
Tips for Simmering Chicken Soup
Follow these tips for the best results when simmering chicken soup:
- Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Bubbles should slowly break the surface.
- Uncover the pot and stir the soup occasionally.
- Add more water or broth if the soup gets too thick.
- Skim off any foam that forms on the top as it simmers.
- Add pasta, rice, or tender vegetables during the last 15-20 minutes.
Special Considerations
Canned Chicken Soup
Store-bought canned and condensed soups only need 5-10 minutes of simmering to heat through. Don’t boil or over-simmer canned soup, as the ingredients are already cooked and tender.
Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
For chicken soup made in a slow cooker, simmer times range from 4-8 hours on low. The longer timeframe produces more tender, flavorful chicken soup.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Soup
Pressure cooked chicken soup only needs 10-15 minutes under pressure. The intense heat helps infuse flavors rapidly while quickly tenderizing the vegetables and chicken.
Conclusion
Achieving the perfect homemade chicken soup requires having the right simmering time. While the bare minimum is 15 minutes, ideal simmer times are 1-2 hours for most soup broths and ingredients. This gives the chicken, vegetables, and grains time to become tender while allowing the subtle flavors to fully develop. With the right simmer time, you’ll achieve a nourishing chicken soup that is soothing and brimming with flavor.