Ina Garten's Chicken Soup Recipe | The Nosher (2024)

Jewish Basics

This liquid gold will transform your cooking.

ByIna Garten|

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I think of homemade chicken stock as liquid gold. Nothing available on the market has the depth of flavor or richness of homemade stock. It gives anything you make with it such great body and aroma. Just having a big pot of chicken stock simmering away on my stove makes me feel good.

Recipe courtesy of MODERN COMFORT FOOD: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Copyright © 2020 by Ina Garten. Photography by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Note: Pack the stock in containers and refrigerate for up to a few days or freeze for up to 6 months.

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Ina Garten’s Chicken Soup Recipe

★★★★★4.7 from 7 reviews
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A classic, easy chicken stock recipe that will enhance your cooking.

  • Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 56 quarts 1x

Ingredients

Scale

  • 3 (5 lb) roasting chickens
  • 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
  • 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
  • 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
  • 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half
  • 20 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 15 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 20 sprigs fresh dill
  • 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
  • 2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp whole black peppercorns

Instructions

  • Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt and peppercorns in a 16- to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 4 hours.
  • Allow the stock to cool for 30 minutes. Strain the contents of the pot through a colander into a large bowl and discard the solids. Pack the stock in containers and refrigerate for up to a few days or freeze for up to 6 months.
  • Author: Ina Garten
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Soup
  • Cuisine: Ashkenazi

18 comments

Leave a Comment

  • HelaineOctober 18, 2023

    What do you mean by discard the solids? All those vegetables should be thrown away? Or can they be eaten as is? Or can they be emulsified in a blender added stock for a kind soup?

    Reply

    • Mr BradleyJanuary 5, 2024

      The theory behind stock is that the long slow cooking pulls all the flavor and nutrients out of everything in the pot. Place the birds in a cheesecloth bag to save the them for salad, etc. Pureeing the veg for gravy is always an option, too. However, if you did the stock correctly, nothing will have any flavor left.

    • Marsha FlemingJanuary 15, 2024

      If you are just making chicken stock for future use, then puree everything in a blender. If you are eating soup, there is nothing better than the boiled chicken, veggies and matza balls. I earned a hard lesson the first time I made chicken soup. I added in all of the green veggies and green spices at the beginning of the cooking process. Guess what I ended up with? Yes, green soup. Shades of Bridget Jones. In the 50 plus years I’ve been making chicken soup, I only add parsley as a garnish to my clear broth.

    • Donna GJanuary 16, 2024

      I usually use the vegetables separately or add them to the broth later. If you keep them together without straining the broth becomes cloudy. It just means keep them out of the broth. Cool before refrigeration.

  • Diane BarrettOctober 18, 2023

    That’s what I am wondering!

    Reply

    • D. SmithJanuary 4, 2024

      Three 5 LB chickens is what it clearly states

    • Mr BradleyJanuary 5, 2024

      Go to your butcher and ask for 3 lb. fryers. Roasters are 4-5 lbs., so too big. you want the three smaller birds to get all the collagen out of the skin and bones.

  • Ruth DaggersOctober 19, 2023

    I have been making chicken soup for decades, and I would always leave all the vegetables in. After all, they are roughage, and we all need fibre. Just discard the herbs, if you have left them whole. If you are making stock, then you do discard the solids in the pan and boil to reduce the liquid if you are freezing it, so it takes up less room in the freezer. This recipe is for 5-6 quarts, though, so, unless you are feeding the entire synagogue, I imagine you could take some liquid out to make stock and leave the solids in situ as an enjoyable part of the soup.

    Reply

    • Simon BosworthDecember 15, 2023

      This is Chicken Stock, not soup. Its a misleading title. You can use this stock to make chicken soup later…. or as a base for almost any soup.

  • HarryOctober 19, 2023

    “Discard,” in this case, means “put aside to eat.” We usually “discard” a bit of broth and have the solids as a hearty soup, but you can use them as is, too.

    Reply

    • SimonDecember 15, 2023

      Its stock. not soup. People always discard the solids in Stock or feed it to the dog. It tastes of nothing… all the flavour is in the stock.

  • RamonaOctober 19, 2023

    I keep all the solids and eat them with matzo balls…

    Reply

  • Vera PolyakovaNovember 29, 2023

    In our family, we never boil dill, especially stocks. They give bitterness to the soup and the dill aroma would be greatly diminished.
    We add fresh chopped dill fronds directly to the plates before eating.

    Reply

  • VeraNovember 29, 2023

    In our family, we never boil dill, especially stocks. They give bitterness to the soup and the dill aroma would be greatly diminished.
    We add fresh chopped dill fronds directly to the plates before eating.

    Reply

  • D. SmithJanuary 4, 2024

    Three 5 LB chickens is what it states

    Reply

  • Lill CoombesJanuary 25, 2024

    How much is a quart of water?

    Reply

    • The NosherJanuary 29, 2024

      32 fluid ounces or 4 cups.

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Ina Garten's Chicken Soup Recipe | The Nosher (2024)

FAQs

How to make can chicken soup better? ›

How To Make Canned Soup Taste Like Homemade
  1. Sauté some onions and/or garlic: Low and slow is the way to go. ...
  2. Add protein: Leftover chicken or steak, some cooked diced ham or bacon or sausage (just a little — that soup is already salty). ...
  3. More vegetables: This is a great place for leftover cooked veggies.
Apr 25, 2023

How do you make soup taste richer? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

How to make chicken soup without drying out the chicken? ›

Cold-poaching the chicken breasts, then removing them until the end of the cooking process, guarantees a perfectly tender and juicy texture. Using stock reinforces the flavor of the broth, creating a more deeply flavorful soup.

Why does chicken soup always make you feel better? ›

According to the study, undertaken by Nebraska Medical Center, chicken soup achieves these results by inhibiting something known as neutrophil chemotaxis. Basically, white blood cells behave differently after chicken soup, resulting in added anti-inflammatory activity.

What brings out the flavor in chicken soup? ›

Here are a few ideas:
  1. Add a variety of herbs and spices to the broth - try adding some oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and cumin.
  2. Even better - add some garlic and onion for additional flavor.
  3. You can also throw in some veggies like carrots, celery, and potatoes for an added crunch.
Mar 5, 2023

What thickens chicken soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

What not to do when making soup? ›

Common mistakes with soups:
  1. Using inferior stock. Most of my soups are based on good stocks usually made at home. ...
  2. Not sautéing onions, celery and garlic before adding. ...
  3. Adding ingredients in the wrong order. ...
  4. Not adding umami. ...
  5. Not garnishing. ...
  6. Not tasting.
Feb 5, 2021

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

How do you add depth to chicken soup? ›

Herbs and Spices:Fresh or dried herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, and dill can add depth to the flavor. Bay leaves are commonly used in chicken soup for a subtle earthy taste. Ground black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes can add a hint of heat.

Is it OK to put raw chicken in soup? ›

The best way to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked is to bring the soup to a boil, add the raw chicken pieces, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches the appropriate temperature. Yes, you can add raw chicken to your broth.

Do you simmer chicken soup covered or uncovered? ›

Place the chicken in a 6- to 7-quart soup pot and add the water (it should cover chicken). Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce to a bare simmer and skim foam as it rises to the surface.

How do you fix weak chicken soup? ›

  1. Start with a flavorful broth. Use a good quality low sodium chicken broth or make your own.
  2. Add aromatic vegetables, such as onions, garlic, carrots, and celery.
  3. Add herbs and spices. ...
  4. Try adding some acidity. ...
  5. Add dairy. ...
  6. Experiment with different proteins. ...
  7. Try adding a grain. ...
  8. Add some crunch.
Jun 25, 2022

Is chicken soup actually good for you? ›

All those bits of carrot, celery, and onion commonly found in chicken noodle soup are a great source of vitamins C and K, as well as other antioxidants and minerals. “Not only does this help build a healthy immune system to fight off viruses, it also helps your body recover from illness more quickly,” Allonen says.

What happens to your body when you eat soup everyday? ›

Your gut health may improve.

Along with adding fiber, getting a variety of vegetables in your soup can "help diversify the good bacteria in the gut, which studies have shown helps keep it healthy and in tip-top shape," says Michalczyk.

Why does chicken soup make you sleepy? ›

It's sleepy-time

Chicken is a protein that is known to be high in tryptophan levels,” explains Duffell. “Tryptophan helps produce serotonin, which promotes sleep. After eating, there is a multi-step process where the tryptophan is broken down before becoming serotonin.

How do you make canned chicken taste better? ›

In order to improve the taste of this canned protein, you need to add texture to it. For example, add cranberries and pecans to your next chicken salad for a textural boost. Toss your drained canned chicken in a bowl with mayonnaise, dried cranberries, pecans, and a scant amount of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.

How do you make canned chicken broth taste better? ›

Woody herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, tarragon, and marjoram release tons of flavor as they slowly simmer in stock. Give them a rinse and toss in a big handful of sprigs per quart of store-bought stock.

How do you make canned chicken broth taste like homemade? ›

Turns out, it could hardly be any easier. I pour a box of stock into a saucepan. To that, I add a minced carrot, a minced celery stalk, some peppercorns, a chopped onion, and, if these flavors will work with the dish I'm eventually going to make, some garlic and herbs. And I just let that simmer for a while.

What seasonings can I add to canned chicken soup? ›

If you love food with some zing to it, drizzling in some hot sauce can be a great way to bring on the heat and give your soup an extra edge. Or, mix in some parsley, dill, or other fresh herbs to lend different tasting notes to your meal.

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