A rich, well-made broth is the foundation of flavorful chicken soup.Roasting bones and aromatics deepens flavor and adds color.Even store-bought broth improves with browned bones and vegetables.
When it’s cold and flu season, sometimes there’s nothing like a classic—classic chicken soup, that is. And while sometimes a can of soup will do, homemade chicken soup is what really soothes. I’ve made my share of batches, but sometimes I’ve found the resulting soup disappointing: thin broth, soft vegetables, bland flavor. I’ve varied my own recipe over the years to make a reliably good soup, but I thought some professional advice could help take my soup to the next level. So I asked a couple chefs for their opinion on how to upgrade chicken soup. Both say that, to set the stage for a perfect soup, you need to start with the broth.
Why Broth Matters
I live in Portland, Oregon, and anyone who’s anyone in Portland knows that the best chicken soup is Elephants Cure Chicken Soup from Elephants Delicatessen, a local chain. I spoke with Executive Chef Scott Weaver about what makes their version so special. While Elephants’ recipe includes some nontraditional ingredients like lemongrass, chili and ginger, the broth is the key. The recipe says you can use canned, reduced-sodium broth or homemade stock and notes, “nothing’s better than homemade.”
Beyond contributing rich flavor to your soup, a good broth also offers health benefits. Weaver says a good broth provides vitamins and minerals and “contains collagen, gelatin and amino acids that support joint and skin health.” Broth is also good for the gut because it “may help heal the gut lining and improve digestion due to its rich gelatin content,” he says. Finally, when you’re sick, you need to hydrate, so broth not only hydrates but does so with additional nourishment due to the above benefits.
Why Homemade Broth Is Better
While you can get away with store-bought broth straight out of the box or can—especially if you’re including high-quality ingredients elsewhere—it is worth it to go an extra step when preparing your chicken soup base. Michael Handal, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education, says to use “brown chicken stock, not just regular stock.”
To make brown chicken stock, Handal says to cut off the wings from the chicken you’re going to use for the soup and remove the backbone from the chicken, so you can use those parts for the stock. Regarding the deeper flavors of a brown broth, he says, “This can easily be achieved by simply roasting or pan-searing chicken bones and aromatic vegetables before the stock preparation formally starts.” Aromatic vegetables include garlic, onion and ginger. This method ensures that seared-on flavors will come through in your broth.
When you’re sick or caring for someone who is, you may not have time or energy to make chicken soup completely from scratch. In that case, Handal says roasting or pan-searing the bones is “a step you can add even if you are using store-bought stock or broth from a can or box.” Taking the extra effort to brown the stock is “a fantastic way to add flavor, color and dimension to your stocks, either fresh or store-bought and then enhanced,” he said.
The Bottom Line
While high-quality ingredients across the board will make your chicken soup flavorful and nutrient-rich, the key to upgrading your chicken soup is in the broth. Chefs encourage home cooks to make their own stock or broth or to enhance store-bought broth by pan-searing chicken bones and vegetables before adding liquid.