Chicken Soup Recipe

I like chicken soup with plenty of broth, tender chicken, and vegetables cooked until they are really soft. My chicken noodle soup recipe uses wide egg noodles, but for this one I keep the rotini on the lighter side because it keeps soaking up the broth as it sits. My kids usually go for the broth first and dip soft dinner rolls into it, so there is always plenty in the pot.

Bone-in thighs and drumsticks work well for this because they add more flavor to the broth while they cook. I use chicken broth instead of water too. The onion, garlic, and bay leaf go in from the start, while the carrots and celery go in later so they have enough time to get really soft without completely falling apart. The rotini goes in last.

Once the pot starts boiling, turn the heat down and let everything simmer gently. You do not need a hard boil here. The chicken stays tender and holds together better until it is time to shred it.

What is Chicken Soup?

This is the kind of chicken soup I think of when I want a simple bowl with plenty of broth. It has tender pieces of chicken, soft carrots and celery, and just enough rotini to make it more filling without making the soup heavy.

It is different from my Filipino Chicken Noodle Soup, which uses miki noodles with chicken liver and bacon. Chicken Sopas is different too because it has macaroni and milk. This one stays simple with a clear broth.

Why This Chicken Soup Recipe Works

• Bone-in thighs and drumsticks instead of breast – The dark meat and the bones give the broth more chicken flavor and more body as they simmer.
• I keep the onion and garlic in larger pieces – The onion is quartered and the garlic is crushed, then both simmer with the chicken from the beginning.
• Carrots and celery join for the last 10 minutes – That gives them enough time to get really soft without completely falling apart.
• 1 1/2 cups rotini for 7 cups of broth – I keep it there because I still want plenty of broth in the bowl. Two cups starts turning this into more pasta than soup.

Chicken Soup Ingredients

• Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks – Buy them with the skin on or off, whichever is cheaper. Two pounds of mixed pieces is enough for eight bowls.
• Rotini – Any short pasta works here.
• Carrots – Slice them about 1/4 inch thick.
• Celery – Sliced the same thickness as the carrots so both are ready at the same time.
• Yellow onion – Quartered, not chopped. The pieces soften into the broth and are easy to spot and set aside later.
• Garlic – Crushed with the flat of a knife rather than minced. It stays in the pot the whole time.
• Dried bay leaf – One is enough for 7 cups. It comes out before the pasta goes in.
• Low-sodium chicken broth – I use this instead of water for a fuller-tasting broth. Stick with low-sodium because you can always add salt after the chicken cooks.
• Ground black pepper and salt – Add the salt after the chicken comes out, once you can taste the broth on its own.
• Fresh parsley – Chopped and stirred in at the very end.

1. Place the chicken, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and chicken broth in a wide cooking pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the surface.
2. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

1. Add the carrots and celery to the pot.
2. Cover and continue simmering for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches at least 165°F in the thickest part.

Check the thickest drumstick first. It is usually the last piece to reach 165°F.

1. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool enough to handle. Discard the bay leaf.
2. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred it. Discard the bones.
3. Season the broth with the ground black pepper.
4. Taste the broth and add salt as needed.

1. Bring the broth back to a gentle boil. Add the rotini and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
2. Return the shredded chicken to the pot during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
3. Stir in the chopped parsley once the pasta is done.
4. Transfer the chicken soup to individual bowls and serve hot. Share and enjoy!

What to Serve with Chicken Soup

• Soft dinner rolls – My kids dip theirs straight into the broth. Pandesal works the same way if that is what you have.
• Steamed rice – You can spoon the soup over rice for a more filling meal.
• Saltine crackers – Crushed into the bowl or eaten alongside it.
• A simple green salad – Something cold and crisp next to a hot bowl.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Keep the soup in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Rotini holds its shape better than egg noodles, but it still takes up broth overnight, so expect a thicker pot the next day. Add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.
• Freezer: Freeze the broth and chicken without the pasta for up to 3 months. If I know a batch is going into the freezer, I stop after the shredded chicken goes back in and leave the rotini out entirely, then cook fresh pasta on the day I serve it.
• Reheating: Warm it on the stove over medium heat, stirring now and then, until it is steaming hot. Keep it below a hard boil so the chicken pieces do not break apart.

More Chicken Soup Recipes

• Chicken Sotanghon Soup – Shredded chicken and glass noodles with carrots and cabbage in a light broth.
• Nilagang Manok – Boiled chicken with potato, saba banana, and bok choy in a clear broth.
• Pesang Manok – Chicken in a ginger broth with potato and cabbage, served with fish sauce on the side.
• Chicken and Corn Soup – An egg drop style soup made with ground chicken, cream-style corn, and egg poured in ribbons.
• Asian Chicken Noodle Soup – Thin rice vermicelli in a broth finished with toasted garlic and scallions.
• Chicken Asparagus Soup – Shredded chicken with asparagus and spinach.

• Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks – A cut-up whole chicken works. Boneless thighs cook faster, so start checking at 20 minutes. Breast can be used, though the broth comes out lighter.
• Rotini – Elbow macaroni, ditalini, or broken spaghetti. Follow the package time for whichever one you use.
• Low-sodium chicken broth – Regular chicken broth works if you leave the salt out and taste at the end instead. Homemade chicken stock works too if you have some.
• Fresh parsley – Chopped green onion, or dried parsley in a smaller amount.
• Bay leaf – Leave it out rather than swapping in another dried herb.

Serve the soup once the rotini is al dente, while there is still plenty of broth in each bowl. My kids like having theirs with soft dinner rolls on the side.