Chicken soup is the one pot almost everyone comes back to. It is cheap, it stretches, it reheats without complaint, and a single roast chicken carcass or a supermarket rotisserie bird can start the whole thing off.
This is 25+ chicken soups from our archive, chosen to cover the full range rather than forty versions of chicken noodle. There are creamy gnocchi and wild rice bowls, Tex-Mex tortilla and enchilada soups, a run of white chicken chilis, a proper corn chowder, ramen, and several slow cooker recipes that cook while you are out.
Times run from 25 minutes to a full working day in the crockpot, and the table below lets you sort by whichever matters more tonight. Every one links through to the full recipe.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
- Best overall: Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup Recipe – sun-dried tomatoes and cream, ready in 30 minutes.
- Fastest: Mexican Street Corn White Chicken Chili Recipe – 25 minutes for something that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
- Best set-and-forget: Crock Pot Italian Chicken Soup Recipe – twelve ingredients in the slow cooker and eight hours to yourself.
- Best for a crowd: Sicilian Chicken Soup Recipe – serves eight, built on bone-in dark meat for a richer broth.
- Lightest: Rotisserie Chicken Soup Recipe – 211 calories a bowl and a shop-bought chicken does the hard part.
What Makes a Good Chicken Soup
- Start with the right cut. Thighs and bone-in pieces stay tender through a long simmer and give a far better broth. Save breast for the quick soups where it goes in at the end.
- Soften the aromatics first. Onion, carrot and celery cooked in butter or oil before the liquid goes in is the difference between flat soup and soup with depth.
- Rotisserie chicken is not cheating. It saves an hour, shreds in seconds, and the skin and bones can go into the pot for extra flavour before you fish them out.
- Add dairy at the end, off the heat. Cream, cream cheese and shredded cheese all split if you boil them. Stir them through once the pot has stopped bubbling.
- Cook pasta, rice and gnocchi separately if you are freezing. They keep swelling in the fridge and turn to mush. Freeze the soup base and add starch when you reheat.
40 Chicken Soup Recipes
1. Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup Recipe
The soup that turned a viral skillet dinner into a weeknight pot. Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil bring concentrated sweetness, tomato paste deepens the base, and cream pulls the whole thing together in thirty minutes flat. Serves six, and it is the one on this list most likely to earn a permanent place in the rotation.
Key ingredients: yellow onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, tomato paste, chicken broth, Italian seasoning
💡 Cook’s tip: Baby spinach — fresh spinach keeps the soup bright; avoid frozen.
Total time: 30 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 16
2. Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
A close copy of the restaurant version, and honestly not a difficult one. Soft potato gnocchi thicken the broth as they cook, thyme and garlic do the heavy lifting, and spinach goes in right at the end. Thirty minutes, serves four, twelve ingredients.
Key ingredients: celery, white onion, garlic, carrots, low-sodium chicken broth, thyme
💡 Cook’s tip: Spinach — fresh spinach wilts perfectly; don’t use frozen as it can make the soup watery.
Total time: 30 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 12
3. Crack Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Bacon, cream cheese and cheddar stirred through chicken noodle soup, which is exactly as indulgent as it sounds. Ten steps and 540 calories a bowl, so treat it as a proper dinner rather than a starter. Serves six and reheats beautifully.
Key ingredients: cooked chicken, onion, garlic, carrots, celery stalks, chicken broth
Total time: 45 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 15 | Calories: 540
4. Best Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe
Everything good about chicken pot pie without any pastry to make. Egg noodles replace the crust, peas and carrots stay sweet in the creamy broth, and it comes together in 35 minutes with eleven ingredients. Serves four at 370 calories.
Key ingredients: cooked chicken, peas, dry egg noodles, carrot, celery stalk, onion
Total time: 35 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 11 | Calories: 370
5. Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup Recipe
Ham, chicken and Swiss cheese in a creamy broth, which is the cordon bleu flavour without any rolling or breading. Paprika and a proper mirepoix base keep it from tasting flat. Forty-five minutes, sixteen ingredients.
Key ingredients: yellow onion, carrots, celery, garlic, paprika, chicken broth
💡 Cook’s tip: Heavy cream — makes the soup silky and creamy; half-and-half works for a lighter version.
Total time: 45 min | Ingredients: 16
6. Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Homestyle rather than clever, which is the whole point. Rice thickens the broth as it swells, Italian seasoning carries the flavour, and cream goes in at the end. Twelve ingredients, 45 minutes, serves four at 420 calories.
Key ingredients: stick celery finely, carrots and finely, onion, garlic, chicken broth, Italian seasoning
💡 Cook’s tip: Heavy/whipping cream — makes the soup creamy and smooth; don’t swap with low-fat versions.
Total time: 45 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 12 | Calories: 420
7. Chicken And Wild Rice Soup Recipe
Wild rice blend gives this a nutty chew that plain white rice cannot match, and it holds up far better in leftovers. Chicken breast shreds easily into the creamy broth after simmering. An hour start to finish, fourteen ingredients.
Key ingredients: uncooked wild rice blend, carrots about 2 medium, celery about 3 ribs, garlic clove, low-sodium chicken broth, each dried thyme
💡 Cook’s tip: Skinless chicken breast halves — chicken breasts cook quickly and shred easily; thighs could be used too but may need a bit more cook time.
Total time: 60 min | Ingredients: 14
8. Creamy Chicken Soup with Pasta and Spinach Recipe
Built for speed: cooked chicken means the pot only needs to soften vegetables and cook pasta. Fresh spinach wilts in during the last minute so it stays green. Thirty minutes, fourteen ingredients, and a good use for leftover roast chicken.
Key ingredients: chicken breast cooked and, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, onion, carrots, celery, garlic cloves
💡 Cook’s tip: Chicken breast cooked and — using cooked chicken saves time and lets it soak up flavour beautifully.
Total time: 30 min | Ingredients: 14
9. Chicken Potato Soup Recipe
Ten ingredients, most of them already in the cupboard. Potatoes break down just enough to give body without any flour or cream needed early on. Thirty-five minutes, serves five, 350 calories a bowl.
Key ingredients: cooked chicken, potatoes, onion, carrots, celery stalks, chicken broth
Total time: 35 min | Serves: 5 | Ingredients: 10 | Calories: 350
10. Creamy Winter Lemon Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
Lemon zest and juice cut through the cream, which is what stops a gnocchi soup feeling heavy halfway down the bowl. Thyme, oregano and basil build the background. Forty minutes, serves four, fourteen ingredients.
Key ingredients: Organic chicken breasts, Extra virgin olive oil, Lemon + lemon zest, Sea salt + black pepper, Potato gnocchi, Garlic cloves
💡 Cook’s tip: Herbs & spices — thyme oregano, parsley, basil, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder.
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 14
11. Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe
Russet potatoes are the right call here because they break down slightly and thicken the chowder naturally. Sweetcorn and a flour roux do the rest. An hour, serves eight, so it is one of the better options when you are feeding a table.
Key ingredients: onion, carrot, celery, garlic, all-purpose flour, russet potatoes
💡 Cook’s tip: Russet potatoes — russet works nicely because they break down a little and give body to the chowder; peel if you prefer.
Total time: 60 min | Serves: 8 | Ingredients: 14
12. Quick Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
Eight ingredients and 25 minutes, largely because shop-bought cheese tortellini does most of the work. Spinach, carrot and celery keep it from feeling like a shortcut. Serves four at 350 calories.
Key ingredients: cooked chicken, cheese tortellini, carrot, celery stalks, spinach leaves, chicken broth
Total time: 25 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 8 | Calories: 350
13. Rotisserie Chicken Soup Recipe
A supermarket rotisserie chicken saves hours and gives a better broth than plain breast ever does. Ten ingredients, 40 minutes, and only 211 calories a serving, which makes it the lightest bowl on this list. Serves four.
Key ingredients: rotisserie chicken, carrots, celery stalk, garlic clove, green beans, parsley
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 10 | Calories: 211
14. Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Poblano peppers and corn tortillas fried in the pot give a smoky depth no spice packet replicates. Cilantro stems go in with the aromatics rather than being thrown away. Thirty-five minutes, sixteen ingredients, serves six.
Key ingredients: corn tortillas and into strips, yellow or white onion, poblano peppers, garlic, fresh cilantro stems, ground cumin
💡 Cook’s tip: Corn tortillas and into strips — fresh strips add crunch and that signature tortilla flavor.
Total time: 35 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 16
15. Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
The creamy variant, built on green chilies and a cream-enriched broth rather than a clear one. Thirteen ingredients and 35 minutes, serving four at 350 calories. Load the bowls with avocado, lime and crushed chips.
Key ingredients: onion, garlic, skinless chicken breasts, chicken broth, tomatoes, corn
💡 Cook’s tip: Olive oil — helps soften the aromatics and keeps the chicken from sticking.
Total time: 35 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 13 | Calories: 350
16. Low Carb Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Nine ingredients, no beans, no tortillas, and heavy cream instead of flour for thickening. Low-carb salsa carries most of the seasoning, which keeps the shopping list short. Ninety-five minutes, mostly unattended.
Key ingredients: non-stick spray, chicken breast, low carb salsa, chicken broth, Mexican cheese, heavy cream
💡 Cook’s tip: Mexican cheese — I like using a fresh blend of cheddar Monterey Jack, and queso for extra richness.
Total time: 95 min | Ingredients: 9
17. Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Twenty-two ingredients, but nearly half are spices you already own — chili powder, cumin, mustard powder, a pinch of cinnamon. That spice blend is what makes it taste like enchilada sauce rather than tomato soup. Three steps, 45 minutes.
Key ingredients: chili powder, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cinnamon
💡 Cook’s tip: Garlic — fresh garlic gives better flavor than powders alone.
Total time: 45 min | Ingredients: 22
18. Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
A genuine one-pot weeknight meal: taco seasoning, black beans, corn and chicken in a single pan. Seventeen ingredients, 40 minutes, serves six at 320 calories. Set out cheese, sour cream and chips and let people build their own bowl.
Key ingredients: onion, garlic, packet taco seasoning, chili powder, ground cumin, black beans
💡 Cook’s tip: Corn — canned corn is sweet and quick to use or sub 1 cup frozen corn.
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 17 | Calories: 320
19. Chicken Fajita Soup Recipe
Charred peppers and onions with fire-roasted tomatoes, plus long-grain rice cooked right in the broth. Eighteen ingredients and 45 minutes. It fills out more than most soups here, so it works as a full dinner on its own.
Key ingredients: dry long-grain white rice, bell peppers, yellow onion 2 small, garlic, low-sodium chicken broth, fire-roasted tomatoes
💡 Cook’s tip: Dry long-grain white rice — I prefer long-grain for fluffiness; rinse before cooking to prevent stickiness.
Total time: 45 min | Ingredients: 18
20. Chicken Queso Soup Recipe
Pepper jack melted into a butter-and-broth base, which is where the 564 calories come from — this is a rich bowl. Green chiles add mild heat and smoke. Twelve ingredients, 35 minutes, serves six.
Key ingredients: salted butter, onion, carrot, garlic, chicken broth, cheddar cheese
💡 Cook’s tip: Green chiles — mild heat and a slightly smoky tang. Canned is perfectly fine!.
Total time: 35 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 12 | Calories: 564
21. Southwest Chicken Soup with Cream Cheese Recipe
Eleven ingredients, most of them tins, and a packet of ranch seasoning doing an unreasonable amount of work. Cream cheese melts in at the end for body. Four hours largely unattended, serving eight.
Key ingredients: and black beans, un whole-kernel corn, un tomatoes, chicken broth, green chilis un, dry ranch seasoning mix
💡 Cook’s tip: Green chilis un — these give heat and flavor depth; choose mild/medium/spicy depending on your tolerance.
Total time: 255 min | Serves: 8 | Ingredients: 11
22. Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe
Coconut milk instead of dairy, which makes this the rare buffalo soup that is genuinely dairy-free and still creamy. Carrots, green beans and bone broth keep it substantial. Fifty minutes, serves six at 340 calories.
Key ingredients: chicken breasts, chicken bone broth, full-fat coconut milk, yellow onion, carrots, green beans
💡 Cook’s tip: Chicken breasts — skinless boneless, fresh or thawed; gives lean protein without making the broth greasy.
Total time: 50 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 18 | Calories: 340
23. White Chicken Chili Recipe
White beans, green chilies and cumin instead of tomatoes and kidney beans, giving a mellower chili. Neufchatel cheese melts in for creaminess without heaviness. Forty minutes, eighteen ingredients, serves eight.
Key ingredients: onion, garlic cloves, chicken broth, green chilies, ground cumin, paprika
💡 Cook’s tip: Neufchatel cheese — softens into a creamy rich broth; cream cheese works too.
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 8 | Ingredients: 18
24. Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe
The creamier take on white chili, and it starts from cooked chicken so it moves fast. Smoked paprika and cumin give it depth beyond the tin of chilies. Forty-five minutes, fifteen ingredients, serves five.
Key ingredients: yellow onion, garlic, chicken broth, each green chilies, cumin, smoked paprika
💡 Cook’s tip: Cooked chicken — rotisserie or leftover chicken makes this recipe fast and flavorful.
Total time: 45 min | Serves: 5 | Ingredients: 15
25. White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
Sixteen ingredients, chicken breast or thigh, and a proper spice base of cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika. White beans thicken it as they soften. Forty minutes, serves four at 350 calories.
Key ingredients: onion, garlic, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika
💡 Cook’s tip: Olive oil — helps sauté the onions and garlic while adding a rich base flavor.
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 16 | Calories: 350
26. Mexican Street Corn White Chicken Chili Recipe
Twenty-five minutes, which is remarkable for something that tastes this developed. Sweet corn, jalapeño, sour cream and Monterey Jack give it the elote profile. Seventeen ingredients, serves six.
Key ingredients: skinless chicken breasts, yellow onion, jalapeño, chicken bone broth, sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese
💡 Cook’s tip: Sweet white corn — the sweet corn gives the “Mexican street corn” feel; frozen works well since it’s picked at peak ripeness.
Total time: 25 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 17
27. Turkey Chili Recipe
Nine ingredients and lean ground turkey, so it lands at 280 calories a bowl — the lightest chili here. Kidney beans and tinned tomatoes do the rest. Forty-five minutes, serves six, and it freezes without any trouble.
Key ingredients: lean ground turkey, onion, garlic, bell pepper, canned tomatoes, canned kidney beans
Total time: 45 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 9 | Calories: 280
28. Crock pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili Recipe
Everything goes into the slow cooker and cream cheese is stirred through at the end. Six hours of hands-off cooking, sixteen ingredients, serves six at 350 calories. Chicken breasts shred straight in the pot.
Key ingredients: skinless chicken breasts, onion, garlic, green bell pepper, tomatoes, kidney beans
💡 Cook’s tip: Skinless chicken breasts — lean protein that shreds beautifully after slow cooking.
Total time: 375 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 16 | Calories: 350
29. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe
Buffalo sauce, two kinds of beans and corn, left alone for six hours. Choose mild or hot sauce to set the heat level, since the long cook will not soften it much. Serves seven.
Key ingredients: skinless chicken breasts, buffalo sauce, white beans, black beans, tomatoes, corn kernels fresh or canned
💡 Cook’s tip: Buffalo sauce — choose a high-quality brand for bold flavor; mild or hot based on your spice tolerance.
Total time: 370 min | Serves: 7 | Ingredients: 15
30. Crock Pot Italian Chicken Soup Recipe
Eight hours on low and twelve ingredients, most of them tins and store-cupboard seasoning. It is the closest thing here to a soup that makes itself while you are at work. Italian seasoning and garlic salt carry the flavour.
Key ingredients: Onion 1 medium, tomatoes 1 can, Red bell pepper 1, Carrots 2, Italian seasoning 2 tsp, Garlic salt 1 tsp
💡 Cook’s tip: Chicken broth 4 cups — provides a rich, savory base; low-sodium is a healthier option.
Total time: 495 min | Ingredients: 12
31. Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Soup Recipe
Chicken parmesan reworked as a soup: tomato broth, basil, oregano and a lot of melted cheese. Six hours in the slow cooker, thirteen ingredients, eight steps. Serve with garlic bread and skip the pasta.
Key ingredients: skinless chicken breasts, tomatoes, chicken broth, basil, oregano, garlic powder
💡 Cook’s tip: Tomatoes — this adds depth and tang; avoid using diced for a smoother soup base.
Total time: 360 min | Ingredients: 13
32. Crockpot Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe
Bright and light for a slow cooker recipe, which is unusual — most come out heavy. Lemon goes in near the end so it keeps its edge. Thirteen ingredients, four hours, serves four.
Key ingredients: skinless chicken breasts, chicken broth, onion, carrots, celery stalks, garlic cloves
Total time: 255 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 13
33. Slow Cooker Spinach-Artichoke Chicken Stew Recipe
The dip turned into dinner. Artichoke hearts, spinach, cream cheese and Greek yogurt over seven hours, with low-sodium broth so you control the salt. Fourteen ingredients, serves six.
Key ingredients: low-sodium chicken broth, canned artichoke hearts, spinach, cream cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, onion
💡 Cook’s tip: Low-sodium chicken broth — creates a flavorful base while letting you control salt levels. Homemade broth is even better.
Total time: 420 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 14
34. Best Chicken Stew Recipe
Thighs rather than breast, which is why this stays tender through nearly an hour of cooking. Flour thickens it into something you eat with bread rather than a spoonful of broth. Seventeen ingredients, serves six.
Key ingredients: skinless chicken thighs, carrots, onion, celery, all-purpose flour, rosemary
💡 Cook’s tip: All-purpose flour — helps thicken the stew; part used at start, part as a slurry later.
Total time: 55 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 17
35. Sicilian Chicken Soup Recipe
Bone-in dark meat, potatoes and peppers, simmered long enough for the broth to take on real body. Seventy-five minutes and it serves eight, so it is a genuine crowd option. Fifteen ingredients, three steps.
Key ingredients: bone-in, onion, celery, carrots, yellow or red bell pepper, russet potatoes
💡 Cook’s tip: Bone-in — dark meat delivers deeper flavor and richness.
Total time: 75 min | Serves: 8 | Ingredients: 15
36. Lemon Chicken Couscous Soup Recipe
Bone-in, skin-on thighs make the stock rather than a carton doing it for you, which is the whole reason this tastes different. Pearl couscous adds chew. Two hours forty, thirteen ingredients, serves six.
Key ingredients: bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, fresh parsley, yellow onion, celery ribs with leaves, Seasoning salt fennel salt, pearl couscous
💡 Cook’s tip: Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs — the skin and bones give the richest homemade stock. Thighs stay tender and flavorful.
Total time: 160 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 13
37. Anti Inflammatory Turmeric Chicken Soup Recipe
Turmeric bloomed in olive oil with leek, celery and carrot, which is what gives it the golden colour and stops the spice tasting raw. Sixteen ingredients, an hour, serves six. A useful one when someone in the house is unwell.
Key ingredients: onion, leek, carrots, celery stalks, garlic, turmeric powder
💡 Cook’s tip: Olive oil — helps sauté vegetables and allows spices like turmeric to bloom properly.
Total time: 60 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 16
38. Italian Ground Turkey Soup Recipe
Ground turkey browns in minutes, so the whole soup lands in half an hour. Stewed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and pasta make it hearty without being heavy. Fifteen ingredients.
Key ingredients: Ground turkey, Onion, Garlic, Italian seasoning, Ground black pepper, Stewed tomatoes
💡 Cook’s tip: Italian seasoning — 1 teaspoon; a blend of basil oregano, and thyme elevates the broth.
Total time: 30 min | Ingredients: 15
39. Chicken Ramen Recipe
A home ramen that does not pretend to be a twelve-hour shop broth but still gets somewhere good. Ginger, garlic, chili paste and soy build the base in forty minutes. Fifteen ingredients, serves four.
Key ingredients: onion, ginger root, garlic cloves pressed, chili paste, chicken broth, soy sauce
💡 Cook’s tip: Oil — I prefer a neutral oil like canola to sauté vegetables without overpowering the flavors.
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 15
40. French Onion Chicken Soup Recipe
Sweet onions caramelised slowly, then white wine and sherry vinegar, then chicken. Ninety minutes and most of it is standing over onions, which is exactly the point. Thirteen ingredients, serves six.
Key ingredients: sweet onion, shallot, extra virgin olive oil, all‑purpose flour, light white wine, sherry vinegar
💡 Cook’s tip: Sweet onion — sweet onions caramelize beautifully and make the soup deeply flavorful.
Total time: 90 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 13
Most of these improve after a night in the fridge as the seasoning evens out and the starches settle. If you are making one ahead, hold back a little stock to loosen it when you reheat, since nearly all of them thicken as they sit.
For freezing: the broth-based soups, the chilis and anything built on beans all keep for up to three months. The creamy ones can turn grainy, so freeze those before the dairy goes in and stir it through after reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cut of chicken for soup?
Bone-in thighs if you have the time, because the bones and skin give the broth body and the dark meat stays tender no matter how long it simmers. Boneless breast works well in the quicker soups here, but add it late and shred it rather than boiling it for an hour, or it goes stringy. A shop-bought rotisserie chicken splits the difference and is the reason several of these recipes come in under 40 minutes.
Can I freeze chicken soup?
Most of it, yes, for up to three months. Broth-based soups and the chilis freeze particularly well. The creamy ones – anything with cream, cream cheese or a lot of melted cheese – can separate or turn grainy when thawed, so freeze those before the dairy goes in and stir it through after reheating. Leave noodles, rice and gnocchi out of anything you plan to freeze and cook them fresh.
How do I make chicken soup taste less bland?
Usually it is salt and acid rather than herbs. Season in stages instead of only at the start, and finish with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar, which lifts everything without making it taste sour. Beyond that, use a decent stock rather than water, brown the chicken before adding liquid, and let the aromatics properly soften instead of rushing them.
Which of these work in a slow cooker?
Six are written for one – the Italian chicken soup, chicken parmesan soup, lemon chicken soup, cream cheese chicken chili, buffalo chicken chili and the spinach-artichoke stew. Beyond those, most of the broth-based soups adapt easily: add everything except cream, pasta and delicate greens, cook on low for six to eight hours, then stir the dairy and quick-cooking ingredients in during the last twenty minutes.
How long does chicken soup keep in the fridge?
Three to four days in an airtight container. Cool it down reasonably quickly rather than putting a hot pot straight into the fridge, and reheat until it is properly steaming through rather than just warm. Soups with pasta or rice are best eaten within two days, since the starch keeps absorbing liquid and softening.