Food & Cooking Recipes Soups, Stews & Stocks Soup Recipes Basic Chicken Soup 4.1 (307) 30 Reviews This simple recipe delivers classic chicken soup flavor and comfort in less than an hour. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 20, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Servings: 6 Jump to recipe Chicken soup is good for the soul. It’s a comforting, hearty meal to serve as the weather gets cooler or if you are feeling under the weather. Our chicken soup recipe is streamlined, delivering maximum comfort and ultimate flavor with minimum time and effort. Simmering for over an hour, it fills your kitchen with the most delicious aromas. The soup begins with a whole chicken. You’re essentially making stock and soup at the same time and the bones and skin from the whole chicken add depth of flavor to the soup as it simmers. Not only is this technique a huge time saver, but it also creates a rich chicken stock. Cutting the whole chicken into pieces helps to keep the stock concentrated. Doing this means the pieces fit more snugly into the pot without needing to add more water to cover, which would dilute the flavor. It’s flavored simply with onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, which makes it endlessly adaptable. You'll want to eat this rich, fragrant golden soup all winter. Diana Chistruga 24 Nourishing Soup Recipes That Feed a Crowd The Best Chicken for Chicken Soup We prefer using a whole chicken in this soup. Chicken bones contain a lot of collagen, and the skin adds fat and flavor to the stock. If you use chicken breasts or thighs instead, use bone-in, skin-on pieces. You’ll need a whole chicken cut into pieces, for this recipe. You can follow these instructions for cutting up a whole chicken or ask the butcher to do it. 4 Ways to Customize Chicken Soup Stir in cooked egg noodles, orzo, or white rice to make this soup even heartier. Add even more protein—a hard-boiled egg or sliced kielbasa sausage will ensure this soup will keep you satiated for a long time. Go heavy on the vegetables—in addition to the recipe, frozen vegetables, green beans or corn will add color and fiber to your soup. Top it off with fresh herbs like chopped dill or parsley. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into pieces (including back) 8 cups water Coarse salt 3 medium onions, thinly sliced (4 cups) 2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick 4 garlic cloves, crushed 6 medium carrots, sliced ½ inch thick Directions Diana Chistruga Bring chicken and water to a boil: Bring chicken, water, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Diana Chistruga Add onions, celery, and garlic and simmer: Skim foam. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Diana Chistruga Skimming the soup: We recommend periodically skimming the surface of the soup. Coagulated proteins and other impurities will inevitably rise to the surface as the chicken cooks. Use a large spoon to separate these bits from the stock so you end up with a clear, appetizing soup. Remove breast, add carrots, and cook: Remove chicken breast, and set aside. Add carrots. Simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Diana Chistruga Remove rest of chicken and cut meat into pieces: Remove remaining chicken; discard back and wings. Let cool slightly. Remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces. Diana Chistruga Add chicken to soup and season with salt: Stir in desired amount of chicken; reserve the rest for another use. Skim fat. Season with salt. Diana Chistruga How to Store Chicken Soup After the chicken soup has cooled completely, place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth? The difference between chicken stock and chicken broth is that stock is made using bones, while chicken broth is usually made without. Broth relies on meat and vegetables for flavor. This recipe uses a whole chicken to make stock, which turns into a flavorful soup. What can I add to the soup for extra greens? For extra greens in this chicken soup, consider adding baby kale or spinach. Add a handful or two to the soup when it is almost ready to serve. They can be stirred in at the end as they do not need time to cook. How can I thicken the chicken soup? There are several ways to thicken chicken soup. One is by mixing cornstarch and water to form a slurry and stirring that into the soup carefully—then stirring the soup as it cooks and thickens. Another method is to blend some of the soup, then add the blended portion back to the soup to thicken it. Can you make ahead and freeze this chicken soup? Yes, you can make ahead and freeze the chicken soup. Simply follow the recipe and make the soup as directed. Once it has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container and freeze. You can keep the soup frozen for up to six months. More Chicken Soup Recipes to Try Test Kitchen's Favorite Chicken Soup Made with a Whole Chicken Peruvian Chicken Soup with Rice and Potatoes Restorative Chicken Soup with Ginger Classic Chicken Vegetable Soup Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Chicken Barley Soup Chicken Zoodle Soup Chicken and Chickpea Soup Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, January 2010 Rate It PRINT Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to MarthaStewart.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.