Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep noodles from getting mushy in chicken noodle soup? ›

Rinse the Noodles: Once the noodles are cooked to al dente, drain them and rinse under cold water. This stops the cooking process and washes off excess starch, preventing them from absorbing more liquid and becoming mushy.

How do I make canned chicken noodle soup better? Just before eating, add a pat of butter. You can also add chives, croutons, chopped green onions, parsley, a bit of garlic powder, chopped fresh herbs, etc., but the butter always works for a quick and easy soup upgrade.

We first make the stock and later add the raw chicken meat to cook near the end of the soup-making process. You could also cook the breast and thigh chicken pieces whole, in the broth, and remove them after 15 minutes of cooking or so, cool them and shred them to be added at service.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

Bring broth to a boil. Add noodles (either uncooked homemade egg noodles, or dry store-bought pasta) and cook just until noodles are al dente. If using store-bought noodles, be cautious not to overcook them! Remove pot from heat as soon as they are just barely tender.

Add Some Herbs

Start by melting a little butter in a pan and add some fresh herbs like ground pepper, oregano, thyme, and basil. Mix the sauteed herbs into the broth to add flavor to a boring canned soup. You can also toss a sprig of rosemary or fresh sage into the pot while you heat up the soup.

Brown or Sear the Meat

If you are adding meat to a soup, sear or brown it in a sauté pan before you add it to the soup. This adds a deeper savory flavor to the whole soup. This trick is especially useful for things like chicken and sausage, which can sometimes get bland and rubbery while floating in a brothy soup.

You can upgrade your favorite chicken noodle soup by adding an egg or some crackers. Freshly grated parmesan, hot sauce, or sausage can also amp up a can of soup.

As a result, stock is usually a healthier product, delivering a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth. Stock is a versatile culinary tool that can deliver taste to any number of dishes. Darker in color and more concentrated in flavor than broth, it's ideal for use in soups, rice, sauces and more.

How long do you leave chicken soup on the stove? ›

Simmer for at least 1 or up to 3 hours.

The chicken is ready as soon as the meat registers 165°F and easily falls off the bone, after about 1 1/2 hours, but you can continue simmering for up to 3 hours for richer flavor — just keep an eye out that the chicken doesn't start to disintegrate or turn the soup cloudy.

In most cases, stock and broth are interchangeable. If you're in the soup aisle and can't remember whether the recipe called for stock or broth, either will do for making soup, gravy, or a flavorful pot of rice or grains. Keep in mind that stock is unseasoned, and broth is seasoned.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

Lots of herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage or poultry seasoning. If you start your soup with frying the veggies, add your seasonings now. If you are stewing a chicken and you added the veggies later or not, be sure to take 20 minutes before tasting so that the herbs, fresh or dried, will have a chance to infuse.

Herbs add a fresh note to a bland chicken soup. Add a sprig or two and let them steep as the soup simmers for 10 to 30 minutes, or chop the herbs and toss them in for near-immediate color and flavor. No fresh herbs on hand? Dried herbs and powdered spices can add more flavor.

You see, the reason those noodles in your homemade soup end up a soggy mess is that they're low alkaline. That means once submerged in a liquid and placed in the fridge, the noodles begin to absorb the liquid. If noodles absorb too much water, then they become soft and gummy as a result.

If you are making a double batch of soup to serve at a later time, you may consider cooking them separately and adding noodles to each individual bowl before adding the soup. This helps prevent the noodles from getting mushy in the refrigerator.

The trick with noodles is to get some that will soak up the broth's nourishing, savory flavor and not go mushy. You want your noodles to maintain their structural integrity. Egg noodles are usually best, particularly if you're making them at home yourself!