26 Chicken Soup Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (2024)

FAQs

Why does Grandma's chicken soup work when you are sick? ›

The famous chicken soup study from 2000 focused on its impact on inflammation. “The 2000 study basically found that chicken soup inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis, which is a fancy way of saying it helped temporarily decrease inflammation so those who were sick could temporarily breathe easier,” Pike said.

Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus. The herbs and spices sometimes used in chicken soup, such as pepper and garlic, also loosen mucus. The broth, which contains water and electrolytes, helps with rehydration.

Cold-poaching the chicken breasts, then removing them until the end of the cooking process, guarantees a perfectly tender and juicy texture. Using stock reinforces the flavor of the broth, creating a more deeply flavorful soup.

Bone broth serves as a great way to replenish the fluids that you're losing, while also providing your body with valuable electrolytes from the sodium in the broth. These electrolytes will also help you absorb the water more easily.

“The warm broth itself may also help to open up congested nasal and throat passages, which helps to better manage cold and flu symptoms.” Also, chicken soup is an easy way to get important micronutrients, macronutrients, and fluids when you're sick and may not have an appetite for other foods.

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.

Use aromatic vegetables, like carrots, celery and onions. Adding some egg noodles or pasta can make the soup more thicker and turn it into a complete meal as well. Add some fresh herbs of your choice to add another layer of flavour to your dish.

Eating chicken noodle soup as your main meal daily may provide some benefits, but it's important to consider your diet's nutritional balance and variety. It's important to remember that chicken noodle soup alone may not provide all the nutrients your body needs.

What soup is good for cough and phlegm? ›

Lotus Root & Pork Soup is a traditional Chinese soup recipe that has been used for centuries to help relieve coughs. This soup is made with lotus root, pork, and ginger, and is believed to help nourish the lungs and remove phlegm.

All those bits of carrot, celery, and onion commonly found in chicken noodle soup are a great source of vitamins C and K, as well as other antioxidants and minerals. “Not only does this help build a healthy immune system to fight off viruses, it also helps your body recover from illness more quickly,” Allonen says.

You can cook the chicken at a high-enough temperature to kill bacteria by turning up the heat on the broth, but for a much safer and tastier method, brown your chicken first. Browning or searing the chicken in a separate pan is not only far more foolproof, but adds richness and extra umami to your soup.

Vegetable broth is a simple one-to-one substitute that can stand in just about anywhere. This broth is made by steeping vegetables or vegetable scraps—and sometimes spices—instead of chicken in water.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

When chicken cooks in soup, an amino acid called cysteine is released. Cysteine thins mucus in the lungs, aiding in chest decongestion and faster healing. Chicken also provides a great source of protein that is particularly helpful to muscles when your body feels weakened and drained during illness.

Chicken is especially rich in a compound called carnosine, and it's this that studies suggest helps reduce that stuffy, congested feeling in your nose and throat. It's thought that carnosine minimises inflammation in the upper respiratory tract by stopping the migration of white blood cells.

Chicken soup actually can help treat your cold symptoms, especially if you're sipping a low-sodium, veggie-packed recipe. In fact, it's been used as a remedy as early as the 12th century. Here are more home remedies to help you sleep through a cold.

Research shows that chicken soup carries immunity-boosting benefits thanks to a mild anti-inflammatory effect found in the broth. The protein in chicken also helps bolster your immunities.