Chicken Noodle Soup: what is your secret recipe?

[stephanier.1765]

My chicken noodle soup tastes bland to me. My family likes it but I need more flavor. I want a soup with a good, rich broth. 

 

Does anyone have any secrets to making this soup that they'd be willing to share with me?

[meena]

I've been using this recipes for years, adapted to suit our tastes: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-chicken-noodle-soup

 

I usually sauté the vegetables (with the exception of the garlic) until they are light or medium browned. This helps give the broth a richer flavor. Once they are ready, I add about 1 tablespoon of butter to the pot. I then add the garlic and spices right over the melted butter to let them sauté and release their flavors. After about 30 seconds I add the flour and let it cook until lightly browned before adding the broth.

 

For the broth I usually use Costco's Kirkland brand stock and water--2:1 ratio, and add Better Than Bouillon Turkey base to taste (it's pretty salty so I take care to add a little at a time, tasting after each addition). If I have homemade broth on hand I use that in place of the Kirkland stock but still use water and Turkey base. The recipe calls for evaporated milk in the broth. It sounds kind of weird but it's amazing. It makes the soup rich and smooth without overpowering the other flavors.

[bolt.]

Water

Chicken flavour better-than-bullion

Finely chopped chicken (cooked already)

Extra-fine (or fine) egg noodles

Spices: parsley, pepper, onion powder

 

Boil & serve.

[Slache]

I sautee my chicken in onions, garlic, and pesto. My broth is one part chicken broth, one part marinara sauce with a splash of honey. Fresh chopped cabbage, carrots, celery, bell peppers, etc. go in last minute to retain crunchiness. What are noodles? Kidding. Sometimes I put potatoes in, but we just aren't noodle people.

[Mrs Mungo]

I put veggie flavor in via two methods. First, I cook the chicken in a chicken broth by boiling it with a bunch of veggies that I rough chop and tie in a piece of cheesecloth-2 white onions, chopped in half, several cloves of garlic, 3-4 pieces of celery, thyme and 2 bay leaves. I chop and sauté carrots, celery, onions and garlic separately to keep in the soup.

[wapiti]

add fresh pressed garlic

[kewb]

How do you normally make chicken soup?

[SparklyUnicorn]

I make my own broth and I dump all the stuff on the bottom of the pan from the roasted bird in with it.  I add lots of chopped fresh herbs, garlic, peppercorns, and really whatever I have in the fridge that needs to go (anything from left over mashed potatoes to tomatoes).  It might even be something as simple as you aren't adding enough salt.  I don't like super salty foods, but salt makes the flavor stronger.  Also at the end of making the final soup I add in a bit of red wine or apple cider vinegar.  The acidity brightens it up.  Another tip is to not overcook the chicken meat you put in the final soup.  So if you boil a whole chicken for broth, for example, take the meat off just after it is cooked, not hours later when the broth is done.  The meat will lose all flavor.  And I don't skim all of the fat off.  That will vary in terms of what your preference is.  I don't want an oil slick, but the fat adds flavor too. 

[stephanier.1765]

How do you normally make chicken soup?

 

I can't find my recipe. I must have got frustrated and threw the darn thing out.  :hurray:  Anyway, this is the closest one I could find to what I make.

http://www.firsthomelovelife.com/2012/07/best-chicken-noodle-soup.html

[SparklyUnicorn]

I can't find my recipe. I must have got frustrated and threw the darn thing out.  :hurray:  Anyway, this is the closest one I could find to what I make.

http://www.firsthomelovelife.com/2012/07/best-chicken-noodle-soup.html

 

Do you make your own broth? 

 

Other cuts of chicken have more flavor too.  Like thighs.  Almost no flavor in chicken breast. 

 

Fresh chopped herbs on top are good too. 

 

If you are using the recipe with boxed/canned broth there is almost no fat in it.  Going by the picture on the website there is definitely fat (see the circles that sort of look like bubbles?).  That adds flavor.  Doesn't have to be tons, but yeah it's flavor that will make a difference. 

[stephanier.1765]

Do you make your own broth? 

 

Other cuts of chicken have more flavor too.  Like thighs.  Almost no flavor in chicken breast. 

 

Fresh chopped herbs on top are good too. 

 

If you are using the recipe with boxed/canned broth there is almost no fat in it.  Going by the picture on the website there is definitely fat (see the circles that sort of look like bubbles?).  That adds flavor.  Doesn't have to be tons, but yeah it's flavor that will make a difference. 

 

This helps a lot. I almost exclusively keep chicken breasts in the freezer because they can go in so many recipes but I never thought about them not adding a lot of flavor. I also never made my own broth, it's so tempting, but it looks expensive. Is it? I have no idea how much a whole chicken costs because the idea of pulling the giblets out sort of grosses me out. On the other hand, that fat floating around sure looks good and I'd be willing to bet that's a big part of the richness of the broth.

 

Much food for thought.

[Eagle]

My chicken soup secrets:

- Add whole garlic cloves while soup cooks. Mash them into the broth when they are soft.

- Use chicken thighs with bones and skin on. Cook whole, then remove and discard skins/bones and chop chicken back into broth.

- Add tarragon.

[kewb]

Okay, having looked at the recipe you need more veggies. Throw in a turnip and a parsnip for richer flavor. Add a few cloves of garlic and some peppercorns. A sweet potato if you have it adds nice color. Also dill or parsley towards the end of cooking. And dark meat will add more flavor.

[Susan in TN]

Get rid of the noodles. Add lemon juice, a dash of Tabasco, and tarragon. Cream if you have it.

[Nemom]

Homemade broth is so yummy and simple. You do not need to use a whole chicken. Buy a pack of chicken thighs when they are sale. Throw the thighs in a big pot with water and veggies of your choice. I use celery, carrots, bay leave, parsley, peppercorns, onion, salt and garlic. I don't worry about chopping the veges at this point because I use the first batch to make my broth only.

 

Cook the chicken until it is done, 45-60 minutes maybe, and then pull the meat off the bone and throw the bones back in the pot. Simmer on low for as long as you can. I have started my broth as early as first thing in the morning and just let it simmer slowly for hours. Strain the broth 30-45 minutes before you want to eat. Throw in the fresh chopped veges, noodles or rice and cook until soft. Throw the chicken back in and enjoy.

[heartosunshine]

I add a splash of Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Sauce at the end of cooking. Tastiest soup ever!

[SparklyUnicorn]

This helps a lot. I almost exclusively keep chicken breasts in the freezer because they can go in so many recipes but I never thought about them not adding a lot of flavor. I also never made my own broth, it's so tempting, but it looks expensive. Is it? I have no idea how much a whole chicken costs because the idea of pulling the giblets out sort of grosses me out. On the other hand, that fat floating around sure looks good and I'd be willing to bet that's a big part of the richness of the broth.

 

Much food for thought.

 

No way it's not expensive.  Buy whole bone in chicken, make that for dinner one night, pull off any left over chicken to add to the soup, use the bones from that for the broth.  You can throw in a carrot, piece of celery, half an onion, or whatever you have.  Sometimes I put stuff like the parsley stems, the celery leaves, the carrot that has seen better days, etc.  You strain it after you boil it.  Those things are good enough to add flavor and you aren't going to eat them.

You can also do a sort of cheater broth.  Take a couple of leg quarters and boil that in boxed broth.  It's very flavorful. 

 

If you want to remove some of the fat you put the strained broth in the fridge and that all floats to the top.  Skim it off the next day. 

 

I often use my crock pot to make the broth so I don't even have to pay attention to it. 

 

[Seasider]

A generous glug of white wine and lots of thyme.

 

That in addition to the standard chicken, organic chicken broth, fresh garlic, onion, celery, carrots and black pepper.

 

I like to use broken bits of lasagna for the noodles.

[Critterfixer]

I don't make soup with noodles, but my secret to my chicken stew is good homemade stock. It's pretty traditional stuff: chicken legs, salt, black pepper, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme, parsley and a sprig of rosemary with two secret ingredients, about four whole cloves and some dried mushrooms. 

After the stock is cooked I strain it, poach the chicken of the stew in that broth, and add vegetables close to the end of cooking time. I finish the stew with a thickening of cornstarch and whole milk. Pretty tasty.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Oh yeah a tip with noodles is to boil them separately and keep them separate.  Put some in the bowl and ladle the soup on top.  If you don't then the noodles tend to absorb all the liquid and by the next day you have something that more resembles stew.  Which is ok.  You can still eat it, but yeah it's not quite as nice.

 

 

[Slartibartfast]

Are you forgetting to add an acid?

 

You need to add some lemon juice or white wine to brighten it up.

 

The recipe is pretty low on veggies and I  prefer fresh thyme. I usually throw in some herbs de provence and some fresh thyme and/or rosemary. My dh doesn't like bay so I don't usually use it. I also add some Italian parsley.

 

I like scallions in mine.

 

I usually make my own noodles but you can find better noodles in the freezer section.

[Bambam]

We enjoy this recipe from a strange place - Consumer Reports. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/01/chicken-noodle-soup-taste-test/index.htm

 

Easy to make and freeze without the noodles so you can reheat and just add noodles when needed.

 

[KungFuPanda]

If the stock is homemade and I add a lot of the "Italian herbs" mix, my family is pretty happy.

[Mergath]

My secret is to use homemade stock and lots of dill.

[Heidi]

6-8 cups of water and bullion. Add three frozen chicken breasts, bring to boil and simmer with lid on for 40 min.

Chop onions, celery, and carrots, about a cup each and sauté. (You could probably cook the veggies with the chicken but I think they would end up too soft.)

When chicken is cooked, shred it and add it back to the pot along with the sautéed veggies, about 2 cups of noodles (I use egg, shells, or macaroni... Whatever I have) and Italian seasoning. Cook for 10 min or whatever the noodles require.

I make this every other week.

[LibraryLover]

Yes on onions, carrots, celery. 

 

Oftentimes, folks are afraid to salt. Rich broth is important (bones make good broth, as do chicken feet. ;) Whole Foods sometimes has them, as do Asian markets. Seriously, chicken feet, and a long, slow simmering of said bones, feet, carcass ),  and thyme, imo.  My kids love the noodles. I do broken fetticine pasta when I do noodle soup. I also like to use rice or orzo.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

FWIW, one of my secret ingredients is mushrooms, both in my homemade stock and then again in the soup. Lots of them. Even my oldest DD, who doesn't like mushrooms or chicken soup, commented on the improvement in the flavor. I also use a good concentrated stock rather than adding a lot of water to it, and I use several bay leaves in the stock and then again in the soup. And yes, salt!

[Snickerdoodle]

Are you forgetting to add an acid?

 

You need to add some lemon juice or white wine to brighten it up.

 

 

 

This.

 

Plus I like a generous amount of turmeric in my broth too.

[Mrs Mungo]

I agree with adding lemon or white wine at the end. I use the frozen noodles or make homemade.

[Tap]

I make soup pretty fast, so this takes me about 15 minutes of prep and about 20 to cook. I add veggies to all my soups so this is more of a chicken/veggie/noodles soup. 

 

Put about 2 quarts of water on to boil and add a couple globs of Better than Bouillon~~ or start with stock (either homemade or storebought). 

 

I chop two chicken breasts rough cut into one-half inch chunks. Toss in hot skillet with olive oil and half of a whole, diced onion. Season with salt, pepper and Tuscan Sunset (Italian seasoning from Penzys). Saute til the chicken is pretty much done and toss in the pot of water. The chicken will continue to cook in the stock so there is no reason to waste time cooking it all the way through. 

 

I chop a cup or so of carrots, half cup of celery and a quarter of the remaining onion and saute them till about 1/2-3/4 done.  Add to pan.

 

If the skillet is looking brown on the bottom, I add a cup of water to loosen the goodies and toss that into the water pot. 

 

I chop half a zuchinni and half a yellow squash, brown them lightly in the skillet and toss in the water pot. Add another cup of water to pick up the brown bits and add to stock pot. 

 

I am not looking for the skillet to cook the veggies, just slightly cook them in the oil and to give some gentile brown edges.  It adds a lot of flavor to the pot to saute the veggies first! 

 

I add a handful of chopped green beans and frozen corn and any other veggies I have laying around that I would like to get rid of. If I am going to add veggies like shallots or leaks, I back down the onion a bit. 

 

I toss in a couple of cubes of frozen mushed garlic and a couple of fresh basil.

 

I finish seasoning with salt/pepper and Tuscan Sunset and then add a half teaspoon of Sate from Penzys.  

 

I like skinny egg noodles, so I break them up to 1-2 inch sections add those and let the pot lightly boil until  the noodles are done...about 15 minutes and then serve.

 

 

The whole process takes me about 35 minutes.

 

 

[Forget-Me-Not]

Homemade stock and homemade noodles. I was never a big fan of chicken noodle soup until a friend brought us some with homemade noodles one night. They're easy, just a bit time consuming to make. I make a big batch and put some away in the freezer.

[Okra]

I think the trick is to make homemade chicken broth with bone-in chicken.  It's not hard.  Buy chicken thighs (bone-in) when they are on sale.  Here a great recipe.  Easy to change and add what you want also.  To me, broth like this has a flavor and richness that you just can't get from bouillon.

 

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-the-best-chicken-noodle-soup-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-178790

 

 

 

 

[KatieJ]

I have made my chicken soup with Watkins chicken soup base for years.  I am out right now and it's become rediculously expensive to buy online. Interestingly I happened to catch America's Test Kitchen taste test on chicken broth today. 

THe winner is Better than Bouilon.  It's a paste that you can safely store in your fridge for up to 2 years AFTER it's been opened.

I am going to try it.

 

If you are buying premade broth, they recommend Swanson low sodium broth in the box.

 

I very often will cook up poultry carcasses of all sorts. Turkey, deli chicken, thighs ( extra's from cutting up whole birds cuz no one eats the thighs) and I freeze it until I am ready to make soup.  A little bit of soup base helps get the seasoning correct.  I usually make it with rice, but have been know to throw in egg noodles.  My soup is just onions, carrots, celery, water/broth, chicken and rice.  I put everything but the precooked chicken in the crock pot and let it cook for 4-6 hours.  I put the chicken in just to heat thru before I serve it.