Creamy Chicken Sopas

Creamy Chicken Sopas is the version I make with a full can of evaporated milk. It has chicken, elbow macaroni, cabbage, carrots, celery, and red hotdogs in a creamy broth. I also keep the water used to boil the chicken and use it for the soup instead of starting again with plain water.

Sopas was something I grew up eating for meryenda. We had it in the afternoon, especially when the weather was cool, and I still eat it that way now. Red hotdogs are what I use. I buy them at the Filipino and Asian stores here in the US, since the regular supermarkets near me do not carry them. Franks or chicken hotdogs will do if you cannot find the red ones. You can also leave the hotdogs out, the way my chicken sopas recipe does.

Saute the garlic until it turns medium brown before the onion, celery, and carrot go in. Browning it that far gives the soup a toasted garlic flavor. Celery is listed as optional, but I use it in my sopas almost every time. I prefer the broth with celery.

What is Creamy Chicken Sopas?

Filipino sopas is a creamy macaroni soup. The main parts are shredded chicken and elbow macaroni, with cabbage, carrot, celery, and red hotdogs. Evaporated milk goes in near the end and turns the broth creamy.

If you prefer a clear soup instead, my chicken noodle soup keeps the broth light. Chicken mami is another one that does not use milk. It uses fresh egg noodles, and it is topped with lots of toasted garlic.

Why This Creamy Chicken Sopas Recipe Works

• The water used in boiling the chicken becomes the soup base. It picks up enough chicken flavor in 15 to 18 minutes that you do not need to make stock separately.
• The macaroni is cooked in the pot along with everything else. It takes in the seasoned broth as it softens, and thickens the soup a little at the same time.
• Add the evaporated milk last. Everything else is already cooked by then, so 3 minutes is enough.
• The cabbage only gets 3 to 5 minutes. Cooking the cabbage longer will make it too soft.

Creamy Chicken Sopas Ingredients

• Chicken breast – I use chicken breast for this recipe. You can also use boneless chicken thigh, which stays juicier than the breast. Bone-in breast with the skin on will work too. Just remove the bones later while you are shredding.
• Elbow macaroni – Measure this properly. The amount of macaroni that you add will determine how much liquid the soup needs later on.
• Evaporated milk – One 12 oz can, added near the end. See the substitutions below if you do not have any.
• Hotdogs – Red Filipino hotdogs are the traditional choice. Regular franks, wieners, or chicken hotdogs work too. Slice them into rounds.
• Cabbage – Use regular green cabbage. Napa cabbage works too, but it softens faster.
• Celery – This one is optional. Chop it or slice it thinly.
• Carrot – Fresh, frozen, or pre-shredded carrots all work here.
• Onion – Use yellow or white onion, minced or diced.
• Minced garlic – This goes in first. Cook it until it becomes medium brown before adding the rest.
• Knorr Chicken Cube – Stir it until it dissolves. Chicken powder can be used instead.
• Cooking oil – Use any neutral cooking oil.
• Salt and ground black pepper – Add these at the end, after the milk goes in.

Read the label on the can before you open it. Sweetened condensed milk comes in the same size can and usually sits on the same shelf. It is thick and syrupy, and using it by mistake will ruin the soup.

1. Boil 3 cups of water in a medium pot. Add the chicken breast.
2. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes. Add more water if needed.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. Reserve the water used to boil the chicken.
4. Shred the chicken and set it aside.

Check the thickest part of the chicken before removing it from the pot. It should reach 165°F. The meat should also be white all throughout, with no pink parts remaining.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a large soup pot. Sauté the garlic until it turns medium brown.
2. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Continue sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes.

1. Add the shredded chicken. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the sliced hotdogs and stir briefly.
3. Pour in the reserved water from boiling the chicken, followed by the remaining water. Let it come to a boil.
4. Add the Knorr Chicken Cube and stir until dissolved. Cover the pot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

1. Add the elbow macaroni. Cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add the cabbage and stir. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add more water if the sopas becomes too thick.

1. Pour in the evaporated milk and stir. Let the soup come to a boil, then cover and cook for another 3 minutes.
2. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve hot. Share and enjoy!

What to Serve with Chicken Sopas

• Pandesal – Soft bread rolls. Tear them in half and dip them into the soup.
• Saltine crackers – Crush them into the bowl, or eat them on the side so that they stay crisp.
• Steamed white rice – You can also serve sopas with rice if you want a more filling meal.
• Fried chicken – This works well if you want to serve sopas as a complete meal.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Let the soup cool down first, then store it in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. Note that the macaroni will continue to absorb the broth overnight. What you take out the next morning will be much thicker than what you served. Keep some water and evaporated milk on hand so that you can bring it back.
• Freezer: Finished sopas does not freeze well. The macaroni becomes too soft after thawing, and the milk does not thaw well either. What you can do instead is freeze the shredded chicken and the chicken water in separate containers for up to 3 months. The macaroni, cabbage, and milk can be cooked fresh when you are ready.
• Reheating: Reheat the sopas in a pot over low heat. Add a splash of water and a little evaporated milk to loosen it. Heat it until it is steaming hot, but do not let it boil. A microwave will also work for a single serving. Stir it halfway through so that it heats evenly.

More Filipino Soup Recipes

• Filipino Chicken Macaroni Sopas – The chicken is simmered for 45 minutes to make the broth. Chopped ham and elbow macaroni are added afterwards.
• Creamy Macaroni Soup ala Jollibee – A copycat version that uses cream of mushroom soup mix, along with diced chicken, ham, and corn.
• Chicken Sotanghon Soup – Glass noodles with shredded chicken, carrots, and cabbage in a light broth colored with annatto.
• Filipino Chicken Noodle Soup – This one uses bacon, chicken liver, and fish sauce. It is finished with toasted garlic.
• Chicken and Corn Soup – An egg drop soup made with ground chicken and sweet corn.

• Evaporated milk – Fresh milk, or powdered milk mixed with water to make the same amount. Whipping cream will also work, although it has more fat and will make the soup richer.
• Chicken breast – Boneless chicken thigh, or bone-in breast with the skin on. Remove the bones while shredding.
• Elbow macaroni – Shells, farfalle, or rotini. Check the package instructions first, since thicker shapes will need more than the 10 minutes in this recipe.
• Hotdogs – Regular franks, wieners, or chicken hotdogs.
• Cabbage – Napa cabbage, sliced the same way.
• Knorr Chicken Cube – Chicken powder. You can also skip it and use chicken broth or stock in place of the water.
• Carrot – Frozen or pre-shredded carrots.