Grandma's Chicken Soup From Scratch (2024)

FAQs

Why does grandma's chicken soup work when you are sick? ›

Drinking the liquid and inhaling the vapors increase the temperature of nasal and respiratory passages, which loosens the thick mucus that often accompanies respiratory illnesses. Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus.

Whether it's white wine or vinegar, a touch of acid added to the simmering pot will create a richer finished product. That's because acid helps break down the cartilage and other connective tissues in the bones of the chicken, which helps speed up the formation of gelatin in the stock.

An additional reason for elevating your chicken soup with lemon rather than other acidic ingredients is the health benefits. Lemons are high in vitamin C, help with digestion, and are full of antioxidants. Many soup recipes are made with good-for-you, healing ingredients and lemon fits right into that.

Ensure you've added enough salt and black pepper. Too little salt means your soup's flavors will remain hidden. When you know your soup is salty enough, move on to other seasonings like herbs and spices.

Chicken soup has long been used as a home remedy for cold and flu. Some scientific evidence indicates that the soup could be anti-inflammatory. Though research is scant, experts say chicken soup is worth a try when you're sick.

Bone broth serves as a great way to replenish the fluids that you're losing, while also providing your body with valuable electrolytes from the sodium in the broth. These electrolytes will also help you absorb the water more easily.

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.

In the refrigerator

Chicken soup usually lasts three to five days. Creamy soups will most likely last three days, and seafood soup two or three days.

Apple cider vinegar makes a great 1:1 substitution for white wine vinegar in any dish that might benefit from sour apple notes. Try it in German potato salad or warm farro salad, or use it in the pickling liquid for giardiniera or the marinade for sheet pan honey-Dijon chicken and vegetables.

Adding cooked chicken to your soup isn't the only way to bulk it up and improve the flavor. You can also try stirring in some other additions. A similar option is to mix in some extra vegetables. Remember, heating up canned soup means you don't cook the broth as long as you would if you were making it from scratch.

What acid do you add to chicken soup? ›

Add acidic ingredients.

Lemon works well with chicken broth; vinegar is great with beef broths; and white wine is awesome with broths when you are making a sauce.

When you simmer a fresh chicken — complete with bones, skin, and meat — you extract the collagen from the bones. This collagen in the bones is what is causing your soup to gel. It's completely natural, and it only happens in rich, well-made chicken stock. It can be a little freaky, though, if you're not expecting it!

Lemon Zest and Juice: Adding a bit of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end of cooking can brighten up the soup. This adds a fresh, tangy contrast to the rich flavors of the chicken and broth. Mushrooms for Depth: Incorporate sliced mushrooms, such as cremini or shiitake, for an earthy depth of flavor.

Garlic and roasted onions add depth. Simmering mushrooms down concentrates flavors for mushroom soup. Simmering most vegetables down also adds more concentrated flavors and reduces the water in them. Herbs, salt and pepper also help.

Also, chicken soup is an easy way to get important micronutrients, macronutrients, and fluids when you're sick and may not have an appetite for other foods. “Chicken soup can be an easy and soothing way to get in some protein, carbs, and veggies when we're otherwise limited,” said Collier.

Chicken Soup

The protein in chicken also helps bolster your immunities. Add plenty of extra veggies for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which are an additional ally in your fight against cold and flu. Eat it: Load up on soup when you're sniffly, but avoid high-sodium canned soups—homemade is best.

As it does with turkey, the body uses tryptophan from chicken to make melatonin—which can help you rest—and serotonin, the chemical that signals your nerves and makes you feel happy and at ease. Both of these are reasons chicken soup is associated with comfort food: you literally feel a physiological sense of comfort.