What spices would you put in chicken noodle soup

[georgevan]

I am weak on spices even though I have many bottles of them most of which I never use. I feel guilty for spending all that money on them because they are expensive. So what spices would you put in chicken noodle soup.

[taxlady]

When I don't know what herbs to put with chicken, I think of that song about Scarborough Fair. "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" Those all work well with chicken. It's a nice combo.

I think the classic spice for chicken soup would be turmeric, but in many dishes, including chicken soup, it's mostly for colour.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I regularly use the following hers, and spices in my chicken soup. First, are you making the soup with fresh, whole chicken, chicken white meat, or a ready cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocers? I like to use whole chickens, or Cornish game hens for my soup.

Herbs & spices:
Thyme
fresh parsley
Rubbed Sage
Ground Thyme
granulated garlic powder
granulated onion powder
Ground ginger
Ground turmeric
White pepper
Black pepper
MSG
Smoked paprika
Salt

Not all of these are required. All of them pair well with the chicken. If using whole chicken, cut the chicken into breasts, back, wings thighs, and drumsticks. Remove the meat from the bones, Roast the bones in a 400' F. oven for 20 minutes to add flavor. Place roasted bones into soup pot, covered with water, Bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove skins from the meat, and place into a dry, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Fry until crispy. Add skins to the soup pot. Dice the chicken meat, and gently fry until the just start to brown. Season with a sprinkling of salt, and pepper. Remove to a bowl.

When the bones & skins have simmered for 30 minutes, remove them from the broth. The skins can be placed unto a blender with a cup of broth, and blended until smooth, for extra flavor.

Add herbs, spices, sliced celery, diced carrot, and sliced onion to the broth, along with the noodles. Cook for ten minutes. Add the chicken meat. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve with crusty bread & soft butter.

Hope this helps.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[georgevan]

Originally Posted by Chief Longwind Of The North

I regularly use the following hers, and spices in my chicken soup. First, are you making the soup with fresh, whole chicken, chicken white meat, or a ready cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocers? I like to use whole chickens, or Cornish game hens for my soup.

Herbs & spices:
Thyme
fresh parsley
Rubbed Sage
Ground Thyme
granulated garlic powder
granulated onion powder
Ground ginger
Ground turmeric
White pepper
Black pepper
MSG
Smoked paprika
Salt

Not all of these are required. All of them pair well with the chicken. If using whole chicken, cut the chicken into breasts, back, wings thighs, and drumsticks. Remove the meat from the bones, Roast the bones in a 400' F. oven for 20 minutes to add flavor. Place roasted bones into soup pot, covered with water, Bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove skins from the meat, and place into a dry, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Fry until crispy. Add skins to the soup pot. Dice the chicken meat, and gently fry until the just start to brown. Season with a sprinkling of salt, and pepper. Remove to a bowl.

When the bones & skins have simmered for 30 minutes, remove them from the broth. The skins can be placed unto a blender with a cup of broth, and blended until smooth, for extra flavor.

Add herbs, spices, sliced celery, diced carrot, and sliced onion to the broth, along with the noodles. Cook for ten minutes. Add the chicken meat. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve with crusty bread & soft butter.

Hope this helps.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Would you tell us how much of each spice you would use

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

For 4 cups of soup, I would use the following:
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Onion powder
1/2 tsp. Rubbed Sage
1/ tsp. Thyme
1/8 tsp. Ground ginger
1/2 tsp. Summer Savory
1 tbs. White pepper
1 tbs. Black pepper
1 tbs. Salt
2 tbs. Smoked paprika
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. Turmeric
1 tsp. MSG

That should get you into the ballpark. Adjust the salt to your taste. Remember, start light with herbs and spices. You can always add more if need be. But once it's added to the soup, you can't remove it.

Some people like to add a bit of anchovy, fish sauce, or Worcestershire sauce to increase the umami flavor.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[summer57]

For chicken soup, I add sprigs of fresh thyme when I sweat the veg (onions, carrots, celery). Minced Italian parsley or dill at the end.
When I make the stock, I might add some sliced ginger but not always. I don't want to overwhelm the flavour of a chicken soup.

[georgevan]

Originally Posted by Chief Longwind Of The North

For 4 cups of soup, I would use the following:
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Onion powder
1/2 tsp. Rubbed Sage
1/ tsp. Thyme
1/8 tsp. Ground ginger
1/2 tsp. Summer Savory
1 tbs. White pepper
1 tbs. Black pepper
1 tbs. Salt
2 tbs. Smoked paprika
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. Turmeric
1 tsp. MSG

That should get you into the ballpark. Adjust the salt to your taste. Remember, start light with herbs and spices. You can always add more if need be. But once it's added to the soup, you can't remove it.

Some people like to add a bit of anchovy, fish sauce, or Worcestershire sauce to increase the umami flavor.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Thanks for the info but only 4 cups? You mean you only used 4 cups broth? That seems like a lot of spices for only 4 cups.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I believe you are correct. I should have stated to start with 4 cups of broth. Add 2 more cups once the herbs, and spices have simmered for about ten minutes. You will need another 2 to 3 cups to replace the broth ansorbed by the noodles, or rice.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[CharlieD]

Not sure about American chicken noodle soup, but Jewish chicken noodle soup requires only few thing: Dill and Parsley, which are not spices anyway, and just a dash of black pepper. That is all good chicken soup needs.

[Cooking Goddess]

While I like to use various seasonings on chicken when it is an entree, chicken soup is one of the plainest foods I make. Whether I use homemade or boxed broth/stock, all I add is crushed garlic, peppercorns (both contained in an old teaball dedicated for savory cooking), salt, and sprigs of parsley. Only two veggies go in, both sliced about ¼ inch: a generous dose of carrots and about half as much celery.

[summer57]

If you want to use up lots of spices in a chicken soup, try something like Mulligatawny soup, a British/Indian type of curried chicken soup.

Here's a recipe I've used: https://www.seriouseats.com/mulligatawny-soup-recipe
Other chicken soups that use spices include Tom Yum, laksa, other Asian-style soups that might not be what you're looking for.
To me, a chicken soup with herbs like thyme or dill, carrots, onions, and celery, is perfectly good.

[georgevan]

Originally Posted by taxlady

When I don't know what herbs to put with chicken, I think of that song about Scarborough Fair. "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" Those all work well with chicken. It's a nice combo.

I think the classic spice for chicken soup would be turmeric, but in many dishes, including chicken soup, it's mostly for colour.

As I understood things turmeric was mainly to add color

[msmofet]

The only spices I use in chicken soup are salt and pepper.
My stock consists of chicken carcass from a rotisserie chicken (skin, bones, wings, and any other leftover meat), water or stock/broth, carrots, celery, onion, parsley stems, and green leek tops. Which are simmered for 2 hours then strained out. Leaving only the liquid.

The soup itself has the above stock/broth just simmered, diced rotisserie chicken breast, carrots, celery (hearts, leaves, and tender light green stalks), onion, chopped parsley leaves, and the white and light green leek bottom. Taste, adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Serve over rice or noodles. Top with fresh grated hard Italian cheese if desired. My mom would sometimes add extras like diced tomato, peas or tiny mild meatballs (no Italian herbs just grated cheese, egg, salt, ground pepper and bread crumbs added to ground beef).

[Roll_Bones]

Salt pepper and a small pinch of thyme. Thyme can overpower so go easy. Easy!

[HeyItsSara]

fresh dill. fresh parsley. both preferably in a soup sock.

some add a little ginger and garlic.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The herbs & spices I listed all will work in chicken soup. If you like it, you can make a great chicken egg drop soup with just salt, pepper, and beaten egg drizzled into the hot broth (not boiling), and topped with chopped green onion. You can make a hot and sour soup using fresh ginger, soy sauce, garlic, onion, and dried peppers.

The point of this is that chicken soup can be made in so many ways, with or without carrots, with or without tomatoes, etc. You can add curry flavors, or Chinese 5 spice, bok choy, egg noodles, vermachelli, any shape pasta you want. You can make it with spaetzle, oe noodle type dumplings, biscuit type dumplings. Put raviolies in it, or won tons. You can play with it and create your own recipe. There is not just one way to make chicken soup. It's limited only by what you are willing to try. I've even seen chicken soup made from leftover BBQ chicken, with BBQ sauce. So go ahead; experiment. You might fiscover that you created something extraordinary.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[georgevan]

I made some chicken noodle soup and it was a total disaster. I think it might have been the 15 or so peppercorns. But I threw a whole bunch of spices and herbs in thinking it would turn out. Lesson? Just go by what recipe says no more no less.

[Cooking Goddess]

Less IS more, george. You can easily add more seasonings. Taking them out? Not so easy.

[GotGarlic]

Sorry to hear that. Once you have some experience, you can riff on recipes.