Chicken soup is a classic comfort food that warms the soul. While simple chicken broth with veggies and noodles can certainly hit the spot, there are many ways to add richness and depth of flavor to your homemade chicken soup recipes. Here are some tips for creating a chicken soup that is anything but bland.
Use a Whole Chicken
For the most flavor, use a whole chicken rather than just chicken pieces. Simmer the whole chicken in water with aromatic veggies like carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Once cooked through, remove the chicken and let cool. Reserve the broth. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. Discard skin and bones, shred or dice the chicken meat and set aside. Use the flavorful broth and shredded chicken meat for your soup.
Sauté Veggies in Fat
Before adding veggies like carrots, celery and onions to the broth, sauté them first in olive oil, butter or chicken fat. Let them get nicely browned. This deepens their flavor and adds a richness to the broth once simmered.
Roast the Bones
For extra chicken flavor, roast the bones, carcass and any other chicken parts before simmering to make broth. Roast at 400°F for about 30 minutes to caramelize the bones. Then place in a pot with other broth ingredients.
Use Plenty of Herbs and Spices
Don’t be shy with the herbs and spices! Many aromatic ingredients will give your broth layers of flavor. Try bay leaves, parsley, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, sage and more. You can wrap herbs in a cheesecloth bundle so they can steep in the broth and be easily removed.
Simmer the Broth for Hours
A quick broth won’t have much depth. Simmer your homemade chicken stock slowly for 2-4 hours to extract the most flavor from the ingredients. The longer you simmer, the richer the broth.
Add Chicken Feet
Chicken feet are full of collagen. Simmer them in the broth for added body, texture and nutrients. Strain them out before serving.
Include Vegetable Broth
For an extra boost, include some vegetable broth along with the chicken broth. This adds more layered flavors.
Finish with Cream or Coconut Milk
After straining and shredding, finish the soup by stirring in a bit of heavy cream, half and half or full-fat coconut milk. This creates a silky richness.
Top with Egg Yolks
For an elegant finish, slowly drizzle in beaten egg yolks while stirring the hot soup. The yolks add luxurious creaminess.
Add Umami Flavor
Boost savory flavor with ingredients high in natural umami. Browning meats and veggies adds umami. You can also add ingredients like mushrooms, tomato paste, fish sauce, anchovies, Parmesan rind, soy sauce or miso paste.
Garnish with Fresh Herbs
Right before serving, garnish the soup with fresh soft herbs like parsley, cilantro or dill. This adds a pop of color and brightness.
Simmer with Potato
Adding potato while simmering the broth lends a velvety texture. You can remove before serving or mash it into the soup.
Finish with White Wine
For a touch of acidity and sophistication, finish the soup with a splash of white wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
Top with Croutons
Croutons add crunch and soak up the rich broth beautifully. Bake your own or use store-bought. Garlic croutons are ideal.
Add Some Creaminess
Mix in some starchy elements to add body and creaminess. Try instant mashed potato flakes, cornstarch, arborio rice or pureed root vegetables.
Include Dark Meat
Along with white breast meat, be sure to shred and add some dark chicken thigh meat. Dark meat has more fat and flavor.
Finish with Lemon
A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the broth right before serving. It cuts through the richness.
Swirl in Pesto
Add a dollop of basil or other pesto and swirl it in for a pop of herbaceous flavor and color.
Top with Parmesan
Garnish bowls of soup with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It adds a savory, salty bite.
Add Hearty Grains
Mix in grains like barley, farro or wild rice during simmering or as a topping. This adds belly-warming whole grains.
Include Rich Veggies
Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and celery root become deliciously tender when simmered into soup. Mushrooms add earthiness.
Finish with Olive Oil
Drizzle with high quality extra virgin olive oil before serving. This adds fruitiness and pepperiness.
Conclusion
With a few simple techniques, it’s easy to take a basic chicken soup recipe from bland to brilliant. Simmering bones for hours, sautéing veggies in fat, adding herbs and spices, and finishing with creamy or acidic elements are some easy ways to pack your chicken soup with rich, complex flavor. Use these tips next time you make chicken soup from scratch for soul-warming goodness in every bowl.