Chicken Soup for the Mind, Body and Soul

I grew up eating soups. But I have to say I was not a fan when I was forced to eat them as a child. I learned to appreciate their nutritional benefits later in life. Regardless, I credit my ability to turn a few simple ingredients into a delicious and substantial meal to my Eastern European upbringing. Thick, rich and delicious soups take centerstage in our cuisine.

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Soups are so good for you.  Especially, a chicken soup. Chicken soups offer lean protein, and if you boil the bones, minerals and collagen too. They contain a variety of vitamin-packed vegetables, strength-giving carbs and fuelling fibre in the form of beans, rice, noodles or grains. Not to mention their supreme hydration and soothing steaminess. 

I’ve rounded up no fewer than 15 chicken soup recipes for you to choose from when you need a little homely self-care and comfort. In the line-up you’ll find:

• soup bases to suit your mood: clear broth or stock, cream, tomato, miso
• recipes to serve between 4 and 6 people
• total cook times between 30 minutes and an hour and 10.

Finally, no soup should be without the perfect hunk of bread. For most, you’ll want a firm crust and a dense crumb to withstanding dunking. Try making your own tangy sourdough, malty rye, or cakey Irish soda bread.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

5 from 5 votes

Budget-friendly, flu-fighting, and low-maintenance, nothing beats this classic soup when you’re feeling down. Lift the spirits with plenty of tender, shredded chicken, soft carrot and slurpy noodles in a clear broth.

Pro tip: Cut corners and make maximum use of the Sunday roast by boiling the bones for stock and using the pre-cooked chicken (or turkey) to top.

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Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

5 from 16 votes

Decadently thick, this luxuriously cosy soup is a duvet day in a bowl. Brimming with chicken, wild rice, and carrot you can even make this cream-based soup dairy free.

Pro tip: Swap wild rice for long grain for a quicker cook time.

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Chicken Vegetable Soup

Packed with a variety of vegetables and tender orzo pasta in a clear and delicate broth, this simple soup is low in calories and sky-high in nutrients. 

Pro tip: You don’t have to stick to the ingredients list- use whatever vegetable odds and ends are available.

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Chicken Mushroom Soup with Bulgar

Comfortingly thick with bulgar grains, nutty with mushrooms and sweet with simmered chicken breast. This surprisingly filling clear broth soup is a nostalgic and tender delight from my childhood. 

Pro tip: Replace bulgar wheat with rice or omit completely if you’re off gluten.

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Chicken and Bean Soup

Another nutritional powerhouse! Full of fibre- making use of two types of bean, vitamin-packed winter squash, iron-rich spinach, and of course, pure protein chicken thighs, all in a simmery, steamy chicken stock. It’s a dream for your digestion.

Pro-tip: Make meat free by skipping the chicken and using vegetable stock instead. 

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Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

A riff off the popular Chinese recipe, this stock-based soup is fragrant with garlic and ginger, thick with whole eggs and creamed corn, and succulent with shredded chicken breast. The bold golden liquid and unusual texture make it a kid-friendly offering too. 

Pro tip: Finish with sliced green onions and a swirl of chilli oil 

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Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tailor your tortilla soup so it suits you. My tomato-based soup is stacked with heat-giving spices: cumin, coriander, paprika and chilli. Chorizo sausage and chipotle layer up smokiness while black beans, sweetcorn and bell peppers, bring texture and veg. There’s also generous amounts of chicken and optional rice. Plus, tortilla chips on the side make it literally a taco in soup form.

Pro tip:  Serve with small bowls of sour cream, fresh chillies or jalapeños, coriander, and grated cheddar cheese for DIY taco toppings.

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Thai Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup

Irresistibly coconutty with a gentle chilli heat, this yellow curry-inspired soup is rippled with noodles and chicken, and bobbing with mushrooms and spinach. This this creamy soup is made with coconut milk and completely dairy free.

Pro tip: Use a jar of convenient, store-bought yellow curry paste to save making your own.

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Chicken Meatball Soup with Tortellini

5 from 1 vote

One of the speediest soups on the list thanks to pre-prepared frozen meatballs and ready-made tortellini. I’ve used chicken meatballs and spinach and ricotta filled pasta parcels to compliment the basil and tomato-based soup, but go ahead and swap for your family’s favourite. 

Pro tip: Make your own beef meatballs from scratch or de-case sausages and roll into balls for a pork version. 

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Chicken and Dumpling Soup

5 from 9 votes

Homemade herb and garlic buttermilk dumplings make this a soup granny would be proud of. An aromatic broth of parsley, dill, bay and peppercorns bathes tender chicken and doughy dumplings in this ultra comforting recipe.

Pro tip: Leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken takes you on a quick shortcut.

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Creamy Chicken Bacon Gnocchi Soup

5 from 3 votes

Decisions, decisions… pasta or soup? Why compromise? All the steamy comfort of chicken soup with the satisfying fill and chew of pasta in a cream sauce.  I’ve added a salty edge with chopped bacon, and complexity with garlic and thyme in this cream-based recipe.

Pro tip: Add a green vegetable (I chose kale) to give a flash of colour.

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Slow Cooker Thai Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4.60 from 5 votes

Slow-cooking soup is ridiculously convenient! All the ingredients go in and an intensely flavoured, perfectly cooked meal comes out. Magic! This Thai-inspired soup is a tangy tomato base with fresh lime and a dash of fish sauce, and sweetened with juicy chicken, crunchy peanuts and palm sugar. 

Pro tip: Dim the sourness of this soup by adding a can of coconut milk to the pot at the very end of cooking. 

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Mulligatawny Soup

5 from 19 votes

This is one of my all-time favourite soups; beautifully vibrant buttery yellow, brimming with warm spices, and bursting with nourishing ingredients. And full of time-saving hacks and frugal tricks! The famous curry-style soup can be on the table in 30 minutes.

Pro tip: If you have leftover rice in the fridge- now’s its chance!

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Peanut Miso Chicken Ramen

My rich homemade miso soup base replicates bone broth in a mere 30 minutes. A muddle of noodles, beansprouts and mushrooms are in the middle, topped with sesame marinated chicken and a sticky-centred egg. I’ve included carrots and bok choy for colour and crunch.

Pro tip: Slice green onions and sprinkle black sesame seeds for a restaurant finish.

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Spicy Chicken and Rice Soup – Georgian Soup Kharcho

Georgian kharcho is a reviving, remedy soup. I regularly turn to it when I’m ill. The nourishing chicken and fortifying rice in a tomato-based broth contains a special mix of six spices well-used in the region.

Pro tip: Double up your batch and freeze one for those days when a cold catches you off guard.

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