Chicken noodle soup is a classic comfort food that has been beloved for generations. It’s warm, soothing, and fills you up on a cold day. But chicken noodle soup is so much more than just noodles and broth – it also has the ability to nourish the soul.
The term “chicken soup for the soul” is used to describe something that provides comfort, reassurance, and warmth. It’s a metaphorical phrase that means food for our spirits and minds, not just our bodies. Chicken noodle soup is often turned to when we are feeling under the weather, but its healing powers go beyond physical ailments.
Origins
Chicken noodle soup has its origins as a traditional home remedy. When someone was feeling ill, a pot of chicken soup was prepared using a whole chicken, vegetables, and noodles. This nutritious soup was thought to help the person recover more quickly.
The tradition of chicken soup as “Jewish penicillin” has been around for centuries among Jewish families. Chicken soup was embraced as a natural elixir that could soothe and heal.
During the influenza epidemic of 1918, doctors even started advising their patients to consume chicken soup to build up strength. Clear broth, chicken protein, and nutrients were recommended as easily digestible options when sick.
So while chicken noodle soup was always seen as a comfort food, its history is also deeply linked to the idea of it as a healing food for the body and soul.
Composition
Chicken noodle soup has several ingredients that come together to create a nourishing and restorative effect.
Chicken – Chicken provides protein which supports the immune system and is easy to digest. Chicken also contains the amino acid cysteine which helps thin mucus when you’re congested or have a cough.
Vegetables – Onions, carrots, celery, and other veggies add important nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium. This helps hydrate the body and get needed minerals.
Noodles – Egg noodles or rice noodles provide carbohydrates for energy. They also absorb some of the chicken broth to infuse the noodles with savory flavor.
Broth – The broth incorporates flavors from the chicken, aromatic veggies, and sometimes herbs and spices. Liquid is comforting and the warmth itself can relax and soothe when you’re feeling ill.
So all of these components work together to deliver a brothy, satisfying soup that helps you feel better in multiple ways. It’s nutritious, comforting, and healing.
Psychological Benefits
Beyond just the physical benefits, chicken noodle soup also provides psychological comfort. This spans several areas:
Memories – Positive memories of being cared for as a child often include being fed chicken noodle soup by a parent. This subconsciously brings us back to feeling safe and nurtured.
Ritual – Preparing chicken noodle soup involves rituals like simmering the soup pot on the stove, adding the ingredients, and finally ladling it into bowls. Rituals are reassuring.
Connections – Making soup for others who are sick forges social connections. You feel that others are looking out for you when you receive homemade chicken noodle soup.
Pampering – Being brought a bowl of hot soup in bed allows you to rest and be pampered while sick. The act feels soothing.
Control – When suffering from an illness we cannot control, eating chicken noodle soup is a small act that restores a sense of control and order.
So on both conscious and unconscious levels, chicken noodle soup taps into emotions and psychology in ways that provide comfort.
Variations Around the World
While chicken noodle soup in its traditional form took root in American and Jewish culture, cultures around the world have their own beloved versions of soothing, brothy soups with noodles, meat, and vegetables:
China – Chinese egg drop soup with wispy beaten eggs and scallions. Can also contain tender chicken meat and glass noodles.
Vietnam – Phở featuring beef and rice noodles in a rich, aromatic broth flavored with star anise and ginger.
Japan – Ramen, with multiple regional varieties of noodles in chicken, pork, or fish broth. Often topped with ingredients like marinated eggs or bamboo shoots.
Korea – Gukbap based on anchovy broth with vegetables. Also, samgyetang which is a ginseng chicken soup.
Italy – Stracciatella, an egg drop soup garnished with spinach and parmesan cheese.
Mexico – Sopa de fideo, a chicken broth and tomato based soup with vermicelli pasta.
Thailand – Tom yum soup flavored with galangal, lemongrass, and chilies. Can contain shrimp, chicken, or mushrooms.
These global versions provide insight into how cultures worldwide turn to soothing, protein-rich soups to provide both physical and spiritual nourishment.
Studies on Benefits
Beyond being anecdotal tradition, there are many scientific studies demonstrating why chicken soup with all its components has measurable therapeutic benefits:
| Study | Findings on Chicken Soup Benefits |
|---|---|
| The American Journal of Therapeutics, 2000 | Chicken soup’s hot temperature helps break up congestion. Broth keeps airways moist. Soup overall has a mild anti-inflammatory effect, stimulates the immune system, and prevents neutrophils from migrating to inflamed areas. |
| Chest, 2000 | Hot chicken soup was shown in a lab study to inhibit neutrophil chemotaxis, which are cells that lead to inflammation. This demonstrates an anti-inflammatory effect. |
| The American Journal of Therapeutics, 2008 | A study on chicken soup made from whole chicken versus commercial soup cubes or bouillion found the homemade soup delivered a strong anti-inflammatory capacity and also inhibited the migration of certain white blood cells related to colds and infection. |
Research has confirmed that many of the traditional beliefs around chicken soup are valid. It provides real benefits for upper respiratory infections and other common ailments when we’re under the weather.
Commercialization
The cultural love for chicken noodle soup led to it becoming commercialized and sold in cans starting in the 1930s. Campbell’s in particular helped popularize canned, condensed chicken noodle soup.
While canned soup cannot provide quite the same therapeutic benefits as homemade, companies have tried to include ingredients that deliver on the “soup as medicine” reputation of chicken noodle soup. Many brands highlight that they use chicken raised without antibiotics and include celery, onions, carrots, and noodles made from enriched wheat flour.
Campbell’s states their chicken noodle soup contains chicken protein to deliver nutrients, egg noodles cooked al dente, wide egg noodles that scoop up broth, and salty seasonings to replenish electrolytes lost when sick. So commercial soup makers are aware of the expectations around chicken noodle soup providing comfort and healing.
Cultural Importance
Chicken noodle soup has cemented itself as a cultural icon and tonic. Expressions like “soup for the soul” and “feeds the soul” communicate the deeper meaning behind this dish.
Its significance can be seen in the popularity of things like:
– The famous book series Chicken Soup for the Soul which contained inspirational stories to uplift the spirit.
– Chicken Soup for the Soul brand soups marketed for their soothing ingredients.
– Traditional chicken noodle soup referenced in media and entertainment as a comforting remedy.
While some view chicken soup as a cultural cliché, its nostalgia and connections to childhood and being cared for when sick run very deep. There’s a reason chicken noodle soup has been immortalized in stories, songs, TV, and movies.
Conclusion
Chicken noodle soup transcends being just a dish and has become a powerful symbol of comfort food. Its health benefits span physical, mental, and emotional domains.
When we’re under the weather, nothing compares to a steaming bowl made from scratch by someone who cares for us. The ritual, aromas, tastes and textures are both physiologically and psychologically restorative.
Chicken noodle soup nourishes us body and soul. Its ability to heal and soothe during times of distress make it the ultimate food for the spirit. A bowl of chicken noodle soup is so much more than the sum of its parts.