Basic chicken soup ingredients:
A handful of basic ingredients form the foundation of this soup:
- Carrots
- Celery: Save the leaves if your bunch has any attached so you can use them to decorate the soup. They have a delicate flavor and lovely wispy texture.
- Onion: yellow or white onion
- Garlic
- Pasta: Look for wide pappardelle, dried egg noodles or fettuccine. To make them easier to spoon up, I break them into pieces.
- Low-sodium chicken broth will give you more control over the seasoning. This is my personal favorite store-bought brand of chicken broth, second only to homemade.
- Chicken thighs: You’ll need 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The dark meat tastes great, keeps well in soup, and doesn’t dry out. The same quantity of chicken breast meat is good too.
How to spice up chicken noodle soup
A great way to experiment with different seasonings is to combine cooked chicken with soup. I usually keep things simple so that the flavor is the star.
Here’s what I use in this soup:
- Turmeric: I use this golden spice to give the soup a lovely, appetizing color, but you won’t really taste it because there isn’t much of it. You can leave it out if you don’t have it.
- Lemon: A couple of slices of fresh lemon juice give the broth a zesty flavor.
- Parmesan rind: This is totally optional. When there’s not a chunk of Parmesan cheese in the refrigerator, I get nervous, so I always save the rinds. They add a layer of umami flavor to soups and sauces that are perfect.
- Dill: More than any other herb, the grassy, fresh flavor of dill screams “homemade chicken soup.” Try substituting parsley or basil if you don’t like it. You could also add a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh thyme leaves!
What’s the Difference Between Sodium and Salt?
Sodium is a mineral found in several foods. Additionally, for the proper functioning of our muscles and nerves, our bodies require a specific amount.
Because table salt is composed of sodium chloride, the terms salt and sodium are frequently used interchangeably.
While Americans generally consume far more sodium than the recommended upper limit of 2,300 mg per day—3,400 mg on average—we all need a certain amount of sodium.
Here are some examples of how a few days of a meal plan might look in terms of sodium intake, for comparison. For reference, one teaspoon equals 2,300 mg of sodium:
- 1 fast food breakfast sandwich = 1,360 mg
- Clam Chowder soup + crackers = 2248 mg
- 2 slices of deep dish supreme pizza = 1,570 mg
TOTAL: 5,178 mg
- 1/2 cup milk + 1 cup cereal = 380 mg
- 4 oz. orange juice = 0 mg
- 6 oz. yogurt = 70 mg
- 1 banana = 2 mg
- turkey sandwich with two slices of bread, tomato, lettuce, mayo, and mustard = 310 mg
- 5 oz. salmon = 90 mg
- 1 cup broccoli = 20 mg
- 1/2 cup brown rice = 5 mg
TOTAL: 877 mg
For more ways to lower your sodium intake, visit the Mayo Clinic.
