14 Chicken Soup Recipes for Your Repertoire

Khao soi gai in a white ceramic bowl, with additional small bowls containing condiments on the periphery.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai

In our opinion, chicken soup is one of those essential dishes that all (omnivorous) cooks should master—and there are so many versions to choose from. Here, we’ve collected our meticulously improved recipes for classics like avglomeno, matzo ball, and chicken and rice soup, as well as some spicier options we’re particularly fond of. Whether you’re trying to warm up or ward off the sniffles, there’s a chicken soup recipe here that should do the trick.

Homemade Chicken Soup

A bowl of homemade chicken soup.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Thoughtfully attending to the basics—starting with a flavorful stock and gently poaching the chicken—makes this classic winter warmer better than ever.

The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup

Overhead view of a bowl containing the ultimate chicken soup.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

With just a few extra steps, you can transform your chicken noodle soup from beige and boring to flavor-packed gold. Roasting off two pounds of chicken wings gives the broth of this soup wonderful deep savory notes. Meanwhile, gently cooking the chicken breast ensures moist, perfectly cooked results.

Classic Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken and rice soup fills two white bowls. Two spoons lay beside them.
Serious Eats / Tim Chin

The beauty of this comforting classic is all in the details. Charred onion and roasted chicken wings add savory depth to the broth. Cooking the rice separately ensures that it’s perfectly cooked and keeps the consistency of the broth nice and light. If you’re in a hurry, Tim also wrote up a pressure cooker version of this recipe.

The Best Matzo Ball Soup

Overhead view of matzo ball soup
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

We’ve tested every trick to figure out how to make the perfect matzo balls. (Hint: opt for the schmaltz and seltzer.) For a spicy, pun-inspired spin on this classic Jewish dish, try Daniel’s recipe for masa ball soup.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon-Egg Chicken Soup)

Overhead view of Avgolemono Soup
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

Avgolemono is a mixture of eggs and lemon used to thicken soups and sauces in Greece, and here it’s used to make a tangy and creamy chicken soup.

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut and Galangal)

Overhead view of Tom Kha Gai
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

This sour, savory, and creamy tom kha gai is made with chicken stock, chicken thighs, plenty of galangal, and coconut cream.

Sopa de Albóndigas de Pollo (Nicaraguan Chicken Meatball Soup)

Overhead view of Sopa de Albóndigas de Pollo
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

This soup features flavorful chicken-masa-herb dumplings in a delicate broth flavored with sour orange juice, culantro, and mint.

Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken and Rice Soup)

an overhead photo Arroz Caldo (Filipino chicken and rice soup)
Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

This hearty, congee-like chicken soup is topped with eggs and crunchy fried garlic.

Real-Deal Khao Soi Gai (Northern Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup With Chicken)

Khao soi gai in a white ceramic bowl, with additional small bowls containing condiments on the periphery.
Serious Eats / Qi Ai

This rich and creamy soup features tender braised chicken in a coconut-y curry broth with both boiled and fried noodles. For a brothier Northern Thai chicken soup, try Kenji’s recipe for yum jin gai.

Khao Piak Sen (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup)

Closeup of a garnished bowl of khao piak sen.
Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

This delcious Laotion specialty starts by simmering a whole chicken with onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaf, and cilantro stems. The poached chicken is added to soup bowls, along with fresh homemade noodles. The broth is ladled into the bowls, and savory, fragrant toppings are added at the last minute, including crispy fried shallots and little nuggets of fried garlic.

Ozoni (Japanese New Year’s Soup) With Mochi, Chicken, and Vegetables

Closeup of a bowl of ozoni soup.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Every New Year’s Day in Japan, families sit down to eat a bowl of ozoni, a soup studded with tender, chewy mochi, and lots of other tasty bites.

Sopa de Lima (Yucatán-Style Lime Soup)

A bowl of sopa de lima.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

This Yucatecan twist on classic Mexican tortilla soup is brightened up with a combination of lime and grapefruit juice to mimic the flavor of Mexican sour limes.

30-Minute Pressure Cooker Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

Closeup of a bowl of pressure cooker pho ga soup.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

This wholesome and restorative chicken pho comes together in no time with the aid of a pressure cooker.

One-Pot Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)

A bowl of pozole verde, garnished with radish, chile, avocado, and cilantro.
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

This weeknight version of the hearty Mexican classic comes together in just over an hour—a small time investment if you consider that traditional recipes take the better part of a day.