12 Homemade Chicken Soup Recipes for Cozy Weeknight Bowls

The best homemade chicken soup recipes share the same foundation: a broth with chicken depth, tender meat, and vegetables that soften into the pot. Chicken thighs give you richer flavor and stay tender longer than breast, while carrot, celery, and onion round out the broth’s sweet-savory base. The versions below take that foundation in very different directions, from creamy to spicy to brothy and bright.

Start with Classic Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup if you want tradition, or go to Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup for something brighter. Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup brings real heat, coconut version is fragrant and light, and Chicken Meatball and Pastina Soup is quickest weeknight rescue.

Which Chicken Soup Should You Make?

Classic Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the one to make when you want a bowl that tastes like a slow Sunday, with clear golden broth, soft carrots, and noodles that stay firm.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: 1.4 kg (3 lb)
• Mirepoix mix, diced: 500 g (4 cups)
• Garlic cloves, smashed: 4
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 2 L (8 cups)
• Wide egg noodles: 250 g (5 cups)
• Fresh parsley, chopped: 15 g (1/4 cup)
• Kosher salt: 2 tsp, or to taste
• Ground black pepper: to taste
• Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Season the chicken all over with 1 tsp of the kosher salt and a little black pepper. Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers, then lay the thighs in skin side down. Leave them alone for about 8 minutes, until the skin releases easily and you see deep browning around the edges.

Step 2: Flip the thighs and brown the other side 3 minutes, then move them to a plate. Add the mirepoix mix to the same pot and cook 6 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and pick up the browned bits. You will smell the onion before it colors, and the garlic goes in for the last minute.

Step 3: Pour in the 2 L stock and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Return the chicken, skin side up, along with any juices. Bring to a gentle simmer, lower the heat so the broth barely bubbles, cover, and cook 35 minutes, until you can wiggle a leg bone freely.

Step 4: Lift the chicken out onto a board and rest it until cool enough for you to handle. Shred the meat, discarding skin and bones, while you bring the broth back to a steady simmer. Stir in the 250 g noodles and cook 7 minutes, until tender but still firm at the center, then return the shredded chicken.

Step 5: Taste the broth and add more salt or pepper if it needs it. Ladle into wide bowls and scatter the 15 g parsley over each one, serving hot with extra black pepper at the table if you like.

Cozy Chicken and Drop Dumplings

This version leans into soft, pillowy dumplings that poach right in the bubbling broth rather than baking, so you get a one-pot meal with less fuss.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 900 g (2 lb)
• Carrot and celery, cut into 1 cm chunks: 500 g (4 cups)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Unsalted butter, divided: 60 g (4 tbsp)
• All-purpose flour: 240 g (2 cups)
• Baking powder: 2 tsp
• Whole milk, cold: 180 ml (3/4 cup)
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Frozen green peas: 150 g (1 cup)
• Kosher salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Season the chicken thighs with half the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Melt half the butter in a wide pot over medium-high, add the chicken in one layer, and brown it 4 minutes per side, until golden but not cooked through. You just want the outside dark.

Step 2: Set the chicken aside on a plate. Add the remaining butter, onion, and carrot-celery chunks to the same pot, then lower the heat to medium. Cook 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion softens and the bottom of the pot turns sticky, not burnt. You will smell the vegetables sweeten.

Step 3: Sprinkle 60 g of the flour over the vegetables and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it looks dry but not brown. Pour in the 1.5 L stock a little at a time while you whisk, then return the chicken and any juices. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 18 minutes.

Step 4: Whisk the remaining 180 g flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper in a bowl. Pour in the milk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms with no dry pockets. Lift the chicken out, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Drop heaped tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the simmering broth, spacing them apart; you should hear a soft plop as each one lands.

Step 5: Cover the pot and cook 10 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed and a skewer comes out clean when you test one. Scatter in the 150 g peas and simmer another 3 minutes, just until they turn bright green and warm through.

Step 6: Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure you get both dumplings and chicken in every spoon.

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This is the thick, cozy version with nutty wild rice and a creamy base that still tastes like chicken, not just cream.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: 700 g (1.5 lb)
• Wild rice blend: 200 g (1 cup)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Carrots and celery, diced small: 400 g (2 cups)
• Unsalted butter: 45 g (3 tbsp)
• All-purpose flour: 40 g (1/3 cup)
• Whole milk: 250 ml (1 cup)
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves: to taste, plus 1 tsp thyme

Instructions

Step 1: Season the chicken breasts with half the salt and a little pepper. Melt the 45 g butter in a heavy pot over medium heat, add the onion and the carrot-celery mixture, and cook 6 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened and fragrant. You want the butter to pick up a little color but not brown.

Step 2: Sprinkle the 40 g flour over the vegetables and stir 2 minutes, until you no longer see any white streaks. Slowly pour in the 1.5 L stock while stirring, then add the 200 g wild rice and 1 tsp thyme. Bring to a simmer, add the chicken, reduce the heat, cover, and cook 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 74C (165F) when you check the thickest part.

Step 3: Lift the chicken out onto a board and rest 5 minutes. Whisk the 250 ml milk into the soup, simmer uncovered 5 minutes to thicken, then shred or chop the chicken and return it to the pot. Taste for salt as you go.

Step 4: Ladle into low bowls and grind black pepper over each. Serve hot with thick slices of whole grain bread for dipping if you want.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Brighter and lighter than the classic, this one gets its lift from fresh lemon juice stirred in at the very end so the fruit stays sharp.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 700 g (1.5 lb)
• Orzo pasta: 200 g (1 cup)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1
• Carrots, cut into 1 cm chunks: 2
• Garlic cloves, minced: 3
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Fresh dill, chopped: 20 g (1/3 cup)
• Lemon, zest and juice: 2
• Kosher salt and black pepper: to taste
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Season the chicken thighs with half the salt and a grind of pepper. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high, add the chicken, and brown it 4 minutes per side, until golden but not fully cooked, then move it to a plate. You want those brown bits left on the bottom.

Step 2: Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrots, cook 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onion softens and the carrots brighten. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, until you can smell it in the steam.

Step 3: Pour in the 1.5 L stock and scrape the pot bottom with a wooden spoon. Return the chicken, simmer 15 minutes, then lift it out and chop into bite-size pieces. Stir the 200 g orzo into the broth and cook 9 minutes, until tender but still slightly chewy. You may need to skim a little foam from the top early on.

Step 4: Return the chopped chicken, along with the zest and juice from both lemons. Simmer 3 minutes to let the flavors settle, then taste and add any remaining salt and a good grind of pepper if you think it needs it.

Step 5: Ladle into warm bowls and shower each with the dill. Serve hot with extra lemon on the side if you want.

Greek Avgolemono Chicken Soup

This version gets its velvety texture from eggs whisked with lemon, not from cream, so you end up with a rich broth that feels light.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Bone-in, skinless chicken breasts: 900 g (2 lb)
• White rice, such as arborio: 150 g (3/4 cup)
• Onion and carrot, finely chopped: 300 g (2 cups)
• Garlic cloves, minced: 2
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Eggs, room temperature: 3 large
• Lemon juice: 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Fresh dill, chopped: 15 g (1/4 cup)
• Kosher salt and black pepper: to taste
• Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Season the chicken breasts with half the salt and a little pepper. Heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high, add the chicken bone side down, brown 5 minutes, then flip and brown the other side 3 minutes. You are not cooking through, just building flavor.

Step 2: Add the onion-carrot mixture and garlic to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook 4 minutes, stirring often, until soft and fragrant. Pour in the 1.5 L stock and scrape the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 25 minutes, until you can pull a small piece of meat from the bone easily.

Step 3: Lift the chicken out, discard the bones, and shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Keep the broth at a bare simmer. Stir the 150 g rice into the pot and cook 15 minutes, until tender with a little bite; you might need to add a splash of water if it gets too thick.

Step 4: Whisk the eggs and 120 ml lemon juice in a heatproof bowl until frothy. Ladle one cup of hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs warm without scrambling, then pour the whole mixture back into the pot while you stir. Go slowly here, not rushed.

Step 5: Return the shredded chicken to the pot, heat 2 minutes without boiling while you stir. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with dill, and serve at once.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This one is for when you want a bowl with heat, tomato, and crispy tortilla strips, built on a quick toasted chile paste instead of a long simmer.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 900 g (2 lb)
• Roma tomatoes, quartered: 500 g (1 lb)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Garlic cloves, whole: 4
• Chipotle chile in adobo, seeded: 1
• Ground cumin and dried oregano: 2 tsp plus 1 tsp
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Corn tortillas, cut into strips: 6
• Vegetable oil: 3 tbsp
• Kosher salt and lime wedges: to taste, plus 2 limes cut into wedges

Instructions

Step 1: Pat the chicken dry and season it with half the salt. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pot over medium-high, add the chicken in one layer, and cook 4 minutes per side until browned but not fully cooked, then move it to a plate. You want deep color here because it feeds the broth.

Step 2: Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and cook 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion softens and the garlic turns pale gold. Add the 500 g tomatoes, the chipotle, cumin, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Cook 5 minutes, mashing the tomatoes with a spoon, until they break down into a thick paste and you smell the chile toasting.

Step 3: Pour in the 1.5 L stock, scrape the bottom, and return the chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes, until you can shred the chicken easily. Lift it out, shred the meat, and return it to the pot.

Step 4: Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium. Add the tortilla strips in batches, frying 2 minutes per batch and turning once, until golden and crisp, then drain on paper towels. You may need to work in two batches so they do not crowd.

Step 5: Ladle about one cup of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. This gives the broth body without any flour, and you can skip it if you like a thinner, more rustic soup.

Step 6: Taste, add salt or lime. Ladle into bowls, pile tortilla strips on top, and serve with extra lime for you.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

This is a fragrant, gently spicy version with coconut milk, lemongrass, and fresh lime, made with ingredients you can find at most supermarkets.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced: 600 g (1.25 lb)
• Light coconut milk: 400 ml (1 can)
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 750 ml (3 cups)
• Lemongrass stalk, tough outer layer removed, halved: 1
• Fresh ginger, julienned: 30 g (2 tbsp)
• Thai red curry paste: 2 tbsp
• Mushrooms and red pepper, sliced: 300 g (4 cups)
• Fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar: 2 tbsp plus 3 tbsp plus 1 tbsp
• Fresh cilantro, chopped: 15 g (1/4 cup)
• Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a pot over medium, add the curry paste, lemongrass, and ginger. Cook 3 minutes, stirring often, until the paste darkens and you smell toasted spices and citrus. You want the paste to sizzle, not burn.

Step 2: Pour in the coconut milk and stock, scrape the bottom, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the chicken and the mushroom-pepper mixture, then cook 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables soften. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar now, and you can taste for salt and sweetness.

Step 3: Fish out the lemongrass stalk and discard it. Let the soup bubble 2 more minutes, then adjust with extra lime juice if you want it brighter.

Step 4: Ladle into wide bowls, scatter the cilantro over, and serve hot with jasmine rice on the side if you feel like it.

Miso Chicken Soup with Bok Choy

This one goes light and savory, with a miso-enriched broth that stays clear enough to let the bok choy and chicken be the stars.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin: 500 g (1 lb)
• White miso paste: 80 g (1/4 cup)
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1 L (4 cups)
• Bok choy, halved lengthwise: 300 g (about 3 small heads)
• Fresh ginger, finely grated: 15 g (1 tbsp)
• Garlic cloves, minced: 2
• Scallions, sliced: 4
• Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
• Sesame oil: 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Whisk the 80 g miso paste with 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the stock in a small bowl until smooth; you want no lumps when it hits the pot. Set it aside.

Step 2: Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pot over medium, add the ginger and garlic, and cook 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Pour in the remaining stock, the soy sauce, and the sesame oil, then bring to a gentle simmer. You will see steam but not a rolling boil.

Step 3: Add the chicken slices and cook 5 minutes, until they turn opaque and firm, without letting the broth boil hard. Add the bok choy halves, cut side down, and cook 3 minutes, until the leaves wilt and the stems are barely tender when you poke them.

Step 4: Turn the heat low, stir in the miso mixture, and warm through 2 minutes. You must not let the broth boil, or the miso loses its delicate aroma; keep the bubbles tiny.

Step 5: Ladle into bowls, top with the scallions, and serve right away. You can pour a few drops of extra sesame oil on top if you like it toastier.

Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup

This sunny pot gets its color from fresh turmeric and ginger, with a gentle warmth that builds without chile heat.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 700 g (1.5 lb)
• Fresh turmeric and ginger, grated: 50 g (3 tbsp total)
• Yellow onion, diced, and carrots, cut into 1 cm chunks: 1 onion plus 3 carrots
• Garlic cloves, minced: 3
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Full-fat coconut milk: 200 ml (3/4 cup)
• Baby spinach: 150 g (4 cups)
• Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
• Kosher salt and black pepper: to taste
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Season the chicken with half the salt and a little pepper. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium, add the turmeric-ginger mixture and the onion-carrot mix, then cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and you see yellow oil around the edges.

Step 2: Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, just until fragrant. Pour in the 1.5 L stock, bring to a simmer, add the chicken, cover, and cook 20 minutes, until you can pull the meat apart with a fork. Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot.

Step 3: Whisk the coconut milk and 2 tbsp lemon juice into the pot, simmer uncovered 5 minutes, then stir in the spinach a handful at a time. You want the spinach to just wilt into dark ribbons, not turn gray.

Step 4: Taste and add the remaining salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve hot, maybe with steamed rice if you want a heartier meal.

Hearty Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup

This is the thick, meal-in-a-bowl version with chewy barley and a big pile of vegetables, built to keep you full on cold nights.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs: 1.1 kg (2.5 lb)
• Pearl barley: 200 g (1 cup)
• Yellow onion, diced: 1
• Carrots and celery, cut into 1 cm chunks: 500 g (4 cups)
• Zucchini, cut into 1 cm cubes: 1 medium
• Green beans, trimmed and halved: 150 g (1 cup)
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 2 L (8 cups)
• Canned diced tomatoes, with juices: 400 g (1 can)
• Kosher salt and black pepper: to taste
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Season the chicken thighs with half the salt and a good grind of pepper. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high, add the chicken skin side down, and brown 6 minutes until deep golden, then flip and brown the other side 3 minutes. You are building the broth’s backbone right now.

Step 2: Set the chicken aside. Add the onion and carrot-celery chunks to the same pot, lower the heat to medium, and cook 7 minutes, stirring often, until softened and sweet. You will smell the onion before it colors, then pour in the 2 L stock, tomatoes with their juices, and scrape the bottom before returning the chicken.

Step 3: Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 25 minutes. Lift the chicken out, shred the meat, discard the bones, and return the meat to the pot. Stir in the 200 g barley and cook uncovered 30 minutes, until tender but still chewy; you may need to top up with a cup of water if it thickens too much.

Step 4: Add the zucchini and green beans, simmer 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are just soft and you can smell the fresh green note in the broth. Taste and add the remaining salt and a generous grind of pepper.

Step 5: Ladle into big bowls, making sure each one gets plenty of barley and chicken. Serve hot, and you can let leftovers sit for a day if you want the flavor to deepen further.

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

This is a clean, restorative whole-bird soup where each bowl gets a soft, fall-apart chicken and a broth that tastes like the ginseng and garlic steeped in it.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

• Small whole chickens or Cornish hens, about 700 g (1.5 lb) each: 2
• Sweet rice, soaked 1 hour and drained: 100 g (1/2 cup)
• Fresh ginseng root or dried ginseng slices: 2 small roots or 6 slices
• Garlic cloves, whole: 6
• Jujube dates, rinsed: 4
• Green onions, sliced: 4
• Kosher salt: to taste
• Water: 2 L (8 cups)
• Black pepper: to taste
• Toasted sesame oil: 1 tsp

Instructions

Step 1: Soak any dried ginseng slices in warm water for 10 minutes while you rinse the sweet rice. Pat the chickens dry inside and out, then season each cavity lightly with salt. You want the birds cold and dry so the rice stays put.

Step 2: Stuff each chicken cavity with half the rice, 1 fresh ginseng root or 3 slices, half the garlic, and 2 jujubes. Do not overpack, because the rice swells as it cooks; leave a thumb-width gap for you to close the opening.

Step 3: Set the chickens breast side up in a heavy pot just big enough to hold them, pour in the 2 L water, and add the remaining garlic, green onion whites, and jujubes. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then lower the heat to a very gentle simmer. You may need to add a splash more water if the birds sit too high.

Step 4: Cover the pot and simmer 40 minutes, then use tongs to turn the chickens breast side down. Continue simmering another 30 minutes, until a skewer slides easily through the thigh and you see milky broth around the birds.

Step 5: Turn off the heat and rest the pot 10 minutes with the lid on, so the rice inside finishes steaming. You can add salt now or serve it on the side for each person.

Step 6: Lift each chicken into a deep bowl, pour the broth around it, scatter the green onion tops and a quick drizzle of sesame oil. Serve hot, and you can pull the meat apart with a spoon.

Chicken Meatball and Pastina Soup

This quick version swaps big pieces of chicken for tender homemade meatballs and tiny pasta, so it comes together fast on a weeknight.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Ground chicken: 500 g (1 lb)
• Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus panko breadcrumbs: 30 g (1/3 cup) plus 50 g (1/2 cup)
• Egg: 1 large
• Garlic cloves, minced: 3
• Pastina or small pasta: 150 g (3/4 cup)
• Carrots, cut into 1 cm chunks: 2
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Fresh parsley, chopped: 15 g (1/4 cup)
• Kosher salt and black pepper: to taste
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Combine the ground chicken, parmesan-panko mixture, egg, half the garlic, half the parsley, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Mix with your hands just until it comes together, not so long that the meat turns pasty.

Step 2: Shape the mixture into 16 meatballs, about the size of a walnut, and set them on a plate. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium, add the meatballs in one layer, and brown them 6 minutes total, turning until golden on two sides. You are not cooking them through.

Step 3: Add the remaining garlic and the carrots, cook 3 minutes, stirring gently so the meatballs stay whole. Pour in the 1.5 L stock, bring to a simmer, then add the 150 g pastina. Cook 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the meatballs reach 74C (165F) when you check one.

Step 4: Taste the broth and add the remaining salt and pepper if you like. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining parsley.

Step 5: Ladle into shallow bowls, making sure each one gets four meatballs, and serve hot. You can pass more parmesan at the table for grating over.

No matter which version you choose, the first simmer is the step that matters most. Let the chicken cook gently rather than boil hard, and you get clear broth with tender meat. Skim early, taste late, and adjust salt right before serving.

Pick one version for tonight, get the pot on, and let the kitchen fill with that smell. You know which one you want.