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Here are 10+ healthy chicken soup recipes to inspire you to try a new twist on this classic comfort food. Whip up one of these recipes and get cozy!
In general, homemade soups are a great way to pack a ton of nutrition into a meal. And chicken soup in particular is thought of as the quintessential cure-all for winter’s ailments.
With a variety of vegetables, a good amount of protein, nutrient-dense broth, as well as cold and flu-busting ingredients like lemon, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and/or fresh herbs, you have a powerhouse of a meal that’s a force to be reckoned with! Not to mention, a cozy bowl of comfort.
With everything from Chicken Matzo Ball Soup (lovingly known as Jewish Penicillin) to the most basic, yet satisfying Simple Chicken Soup, Creamy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, and Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup) you’re sure to find something here to strike your fancy. This list will show you that healthy chicken soup recipes are as versatile as they are nutrient-rich.
A few of these easy chicken soups come together in just 30 minutes or less, making them perfect for weeknight dinners. And several of them are great for meal prep. I like to make a big batch of healthy soup and freeze it in individual portions so I can thaw as many servings as I need for quick lunches and dinners.
These recipes are good choices for when you or a loved one is feeling under the weather, but don’t wait until then to make them!
Healthy Chicken Soup Recipe FAQs
How Do You Add More Flavor to Chicken Soup?
There are several options for how to fix a bland chicken soup once it’s made:
- Salt – I know this one sounds obvious, but sometimes we think we need something fancy to add a ton of flavor when in reality the food is actually just under seasoned! Years ago I remember Ina Garten saying in an episode of one of her cooking shows that if you don’t season chicken broth enough it’ll taste like dirty dishwater. She’s right. Sometimes you just need a little more salt!
- Garlic – Yup, raw garlic. Not only will this add pungent flavor, but it’ll boost the nutrition as well.
- Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice (not the bottled stuff) is the way to go! Sometimes when a slow-cooked soup lacks flavor, all it needs is a little splash of fresh lemon juice added at the end of the cooking process to wake it up. Or you could add a fresh lemon slice to the bowl when you serve it. (If you don’t have fresh lemon juice on hand, you can use red or white wine vinegar instead. Start with a small amount – around 1/2 tablespoon or so – and add more to taste.)
- Herbs – Fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, oregano, thyme, or rosemary add bright flavor to soup.
Can I Turn a Regular Chicken Soup Recipe Into Creamy Chicken Soup?
Yes! Start with a basic recipe for chicken vegetable soup or chicken noodle soup, then add one of the following:
- Milk instead of broth – I find that with many soup recipes you can replace up to half of the broth with milk. This is good if you want a creamy broth, but don’t want a thick soup. To help prevent curdling: 1) make sure your milk is at room temperature (or temper it with some hot broth), and 2) don’t let the soup boil vigorously after adding the milk.
- Heavy cream – Start with around 1/2 cup cream for a 3 to 5-quart pot of soup and add more if desired. Treat cream similarly to milk; don’t add cold cream to soup, and don’t boil soup vigorously after adding the cream. Like adding milk, this option will make the soup creamy without making it a lot thicker (but it will be a bit thicker than if you use milk).
- Coconut milk – For a vegan and paleo option to make soup creamy, try canned unsweetened coconut milk! Use light coconut milk the same way you’d use milk, and full-fat coconut milk similarly to heavy cream.
- Sour cream – Around 1/2 cup sour cream for a 3 to 5-quart pot of soup is a good starting point. To see a creamy soup that’s made with sour cream, check out Zupa Ogórkowa (aka Polish Dill Pickle Soup).
- Cream cheese – Approximately 2 ounces of cream cheese for a 3 to 5-quart pot of soup works well just to make it creamy. Note that making a creamy soup with cream cheese will slightly thicken the broth and give it a more velvety mouthfeel.
What Thickens Chicken Soup?
There are a ton of different easy ways you can thicken chicken soup. Here are just a few:
- Cornstarch slurry – Mix 1 part cornstarch with 2 parts cold water, and whisk it into the soup. Bring up to a simmer, and then serve. For a 3 to 5-quart pot of soup, start with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 4 tablespoons cold water and work up from there if necessary.
- Flour slurry – This is the same idea as a cornstarch slurry, but uses all-purpose flour instead of cornstarch. Flour has about half as much thickening power as cornstarch, so for a 3 to 5-quart pot of soup you’ll want to start with a slurry made of 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour mixed with 8 tablespoons cold water. Once you add the flour slurry to the soup, bring it up to a boil to cook the flour, and then serve.
- Cream cheese – To thicken soup, start with about 4 ounces of cream cheese for a 3 to 5-quart pot of soup. This also lends a creamy texture.
- Beurre manié – Use about 1/4 cup of softened butter mixed with about 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour for a 3 to 5-quart pot of soup. Make sure to bring the soup to a boil to fully cook the flour.
- Puréeing – Once the soup is cooked, right before serving you can purée a cup or two of the soup and stir the purée back into the soup. You can use an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor. This works particularly well if the soup has root vegetables (such as potato), winter squash (such as butternut), or beans.
What to Serve with These Healthy Chicken Soup Recipes
- Garlic Bread Drop Biscuits
- Low Carb Biscuits (Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Copycat)
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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