I have to start by disclosing that I am not an expert cook. For the longest time, I avoided cooking. It seemed tedious and hard. However, things have changed. As I learned more about health, I realized how important it is to learn how to cook. That way, you can fully control what you’re putting into your body. But, I don’t like doing hard things. So, my recipes must be easy, healthy, and delicious. This easy homemade chicken soup recipe has become a staple in my home. I make it every single week.
Why I Love This Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe
I love this chicken soup recipe because it is easy to digest and amazing for your gut! It is also very customizable; you can leave it as is or add some noodles or rice towards the end to make it more filling.
I do a long fast every month and I make this soup to break my fast every time. It is perfect to break a 24 hour fast since it is easy to digest, provides fiber, has collagen and electrolytes, and tastes amazing!
Related: Intermittent Fasting For Women: Benefits, Mistakes, How To Start
Health Benefits of This Chicken Soup
I grew up believing that eating healthy doesn’t equal eating delicious food. And when I got diagnosed with breast cancer, food played a big role in my healing journey. I am determined to convince everyone that you can make healthy foods taste amazing!
Here’s how this delicious and comforting homemade chicken soup recipe supports your health:
Boosts Immunity: The combination of garlic, onions, and bone broth can provide antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Supports Gut Health: Bone broth is rich in gelatin and amino acids like glutamine, which help repair and strengthen the gut lining. The prebiotic fiber from onions and celery also feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
Provides Essential Vitamins & Minerals: Carrots, celery, and onions offer a mix of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants that support overall health. The addition of leafy greens (if you choose to add them) would boost this even more!
Balances Blood Sugar: Protein from chicken and fiber from vegetables help keep blood sugar stable, preventing energy crashes and cravings. If you opt for wild rice or quinoa, you’ll also get more fiber and complex carbs for sustained energy.
Hydration & Electrolytes: The bone broth keeps you hydrated while providing electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which are essential for muscle function and energy levels.
How to Make This Chicken Soup Even More Nutrient-Dense
If you want to take this already nourishing homemade chicken soup recipe to the next level, here are a few simple ways to boost its nutrient profile:
Use Bone Broth Instead of Regular Broth: Swap regular chicken broth for homemade or high-quality bone broth. I like the Bonafide brand. Bone broth is packed with collagen, amino acids, and minerals that support gut health, joint function, and immune resilience.
Add More Garlic & Onions: Both garlic and onions contain compounds that support the immune system and detoxification pathways. Garlic is especially rich in allicin, a powerful antimicrobial, while onions provide prebiotics that fuel gut-friendly bacteria. Fun tip: chop up the garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes before cooking it, this way it releases even more allicin.
Include More Herbs & Spices: Adding turmeric to the mix can bring anti-inflammatory benefits, while fresh parsley or cilantro at the end will boost vitamin C and detoxification support. A pinch of cayenne or black pepper can also help enhance absorption of certain nutrients, like curcumin in turmeric.
Incorporate Leafy Greens: Stirring in some baby spinach, kale, or Swiss chard in the last few minutes of cooking adds an extra dose of vitamins A, C, and K, along with fiber to support digestion.
Add a Healthy Fat Source: A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a spoonful of grass-fed butter at the end gives the soup extra richness while supporting brain and hormone health. Healthy fats also help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins from the veggies.
Squeeze in Some Fresh Lemon Juice: A splash of lemon right before serving enhances flavor while providing vitamin C to support immune function and iron absorption.
Let’s Talk Ingredients
Butter or Avocado Oil—This adds some healthy fats and gives the soup some richness. It also helps soften up the veggies. I usually go for avocado oil or grass-fed butter since they have a higher smoke point, meaning they can withstand high temperatures without burning. This is what makes them the healthiest options in my opinion.
Onion—A must-have for building flavor. I typically use a yellow onion since it’s a good balance of sweet and savory, but white onions work too.
Celery & Carrots—They bring just the right amount of natural sweetness and texture to the broth.
Garlic—Just a couple of cloves make a huge difference in depth of flavor. Fresh is always best, but if you’re in a pinch, a little garlic powder will do the trick.
Chicken Broth—I always go for a high-quality organic chicken broth. I love the brand Bonafide. If you have homemade bone broth, even better! I would love to learn how to make it myself, but not there yet! so I can control the seasoning.
Herbs & Seasonings—I like to keep it simple with Italian seasoning, oregano, and bay leaves. You could also add some dry thyme, and other fresh herbs if you have them. I personally do not like anything citrusy in my soup, but if a little squeeze of lemon can add more flavor.
Chicken—I usually go with pasture-raised chicken breast, and then shred it manually once it is cooked. If you have left over rotisserie chicken, this recipe is perfect for using it!
Rice, Noodles, or Low-Carb Swaps—I usually skip the traditional noodles to keep it gluten-free and add rice instead. For a low-carb version you could leave it as it or stir in some cauliflower rice.
How to Prepare this Chicken Soup Step-by-Step
This chicken soup is extremely easy to prepare! The only downside? It takes a while to cook, so it requires a bit of patience. But, it tastes amazing so it’ll be worth it.
1. Saute the Garlic & Onion
Start by melting the butter or adding some avocado oil in your large pot over medium heat. Once it’s melted, add your diced onion and garlic. Stir occasionally and let them cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and it starts smelling good.
2. Add the Carrots & Celery
Add your carrots and celery to the pot and stir occasionally. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, or until they’ve softened. I usually rush this part because I let the soup cook for 45 minutes to one hour, so there is plenty of time for the carrots to soften. Do not worry about it if you’re impatient (like me), your veggies won’t be crunchy once the soup is ready.
3. Add the Bone Broth + Seasonings
Next, add the bone broth along with the bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.
If you don’t have enough bone broth, don’t worry, just add filtered water. I usually cook 8 servings of chicken soup, and only use 3 cups of chicken broth, the other 8 cups of liquid is just filtered water. Will this reduce the flavor of your soup? No, it won’t. We’ll be adding seasonings and it’ll be cooking for one hour so it’ll still have plenty of flavor.
4. Add the Chicken Breast
Once the mixture is boiling, you’ll add the chicken breast and you’ll bring the temperature down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 minutes.
5. Cook the Noodles or Rice
If I’m adding noodles, I like to cook them in a separate pot since they absorb a lot of water. Cook them for around 5 minutes. They shouldn’t be completely cooked before transferring to the soup pot, since they’ll still cook with the soup. You don’t want them to get sticky and too soft.
If I’m adding rice, I add it to the same pot and let it cook for about 10 minutes or until it’s tender. Rice doesn’t absorb as much water as noodles.
This is where you’ll also add your cauliflower rice or quinoa if you’re option for a low-carb chicken soup.
6. Shred the Chicken
At the 40 to 45 minute mark, the chicken should be fully cooked and soft. This is when you’ll shred it. I like just using two forks to shred the chicken, but you can also use a food processor or your hands. Once it is completely shredded, add the chicken back into the pot.
Variations & Swaps
One of the best things about this healthy chicken soup recipe is how adaptable it is.
Here are a few variations and swaps you can make:
- Gluten-free: Swap out the egg noodles for your favorite gluten-free pasta or rice noodles.
- Vegan: You can make this soup vegan by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Throw in tofu for added protein!
- Low-carb: If you’re following a low-carb diet, simply skip the rice and noodles and add some veggies instead or leave as is. When I was doing the keto diet, I would simply eat it as is, or I would add some zucchini noodles.
Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or butter
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lb carrots
- 1 lb celery
- 2 chicken breast
- 10 cups bone broth you could also use water, or use both if you run out of bone broth
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp salt you can add more or less depending on your preference
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 0.75 cup rice or half a pound of noodles
- 8 oz noodles but feel free to measure with your heart
Instructions
- Saute the garlic and onionStart by melting the butter or adding some avocado oil in your large pot over medium heat. Once it’s melted, add your diced onion and garlic. Stir occasionally and let them cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and it starts smelling good.1 tbsp avocado oil or butter, 1 yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the Carrots & CeleryAdd your carrots and celery to the pot and stir occasionally. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, or until they’ve softened.1 lb celery, 1 lb carrots
- Add the Bone Broth and SeasoningsNext, add the bone broth along with the bay leaves, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.10 cups bone broth, 1 tsp italian seasoning, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tbsp salt
- Add the Chicken BreastOnce the mixture is boiling, you'll add the chicken breast and you'll bring the temperature down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 minutes.2 chicken breast
- Cook the Noodles or RiceI like to cook the noodles in a separate pot since they absorb a lot of water. Cook them for around 5 minutes. They shouldn't be completely cooked before transferring to the soup pot, since they'll still cook with the soup. You don't want them to get sticky and too soft.If I'm adding rice, I add it to the same pot and let it cook for about 10 minutes or until it's tender. Rice doesn't absorb as much water as noodles.This is where you'll also add your cauliflower rice or quinoa if you're option for a low-carb chicken soup.8 oz noodles, 0.75 cup rice
- Shred the ChickenAt the 40 to 45 minute mark, the chicken should be fully cooked and soft. This is when you'll shred it. I like just using two forks to shred the chicken, but you can also use a food processor or your hands. Once it is completely shredded, add the chicken back into the pot.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use store-bought rotisserie chicken?
Of course! It saves time and it is an amazing way to use up leftover chicken.
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes! The texture of the noodles might change though. But if you’re not adding any noodles, the soup will stay the same when reheated.
What’s the best way to reheat it?
Reheat on the stove over medium heat until warmed through. If it has thickened, just add a splash of broth or water to loosen it up. You can also microwave it in 30-second increments, stirring in between.
Can I use a different cut of chicken?
Totally! You can use chicken thighs, they add more flavor and tenderness.
There’s nothing quite as comforting and nourishing as a homemade chicken soup recipe, whether you’re making it to warm up on a chilly day, boost your immune system, or simply enjoy a cozy, wholesome meal. With simple, high-quality ingredients and a few nutrient-dense upgrades, this soup is a go-to for both flavor and wellness. Give it a try, and don’t be afraid to make it your own! If you do, I’d love to hear how it turned out—tag me on social media with your version. Happy cooking!
