Making Homemade Chicken Soup: A Cozy, Mix-and-Match Recipe
Pin this soup now for your next rainy day!
Soup Season Never Ends (And Here’s Why!)
Everyone thinks soup season starts in the fall, but no one talks about when it ends! I’m here to say—it doesn’t have to. As long as there’s a chill or a mood, making homemade chicken soup isn’t over until you and your desire say it is.
Here in the north, we’re known for grilling in the dead of winter and souping through summer, mainly because the weather likes to keep us guessing. Last week, it was in the 60s—and now, apparently, an arctic snowstorm is on its way. I’m glad I prepped this bone broth ahead!
Whether it’s a cozy night in or a get-well-soon remedy, this favorite homemade chicken soup will hit the spot. It comes together in minutes—because prepping a few things ahead is always a gift to your future self. And the best part? This soup isn’t just one recipe—it’s a flexible formula you can mix, match, and make your own. Want extra veggies? No beans? This broth and the method below lets you build the best version for you. With just a little prep, this soup can be simmering away in no time—here’s how I make it!
How I Prep Ahead to Make Soup Easy (So You Can Too!)
While you can make this soup in one cooking session, I like to make it easy during the week by prepping the parts ahead of time, as I do for my personal chef clients!
Soup Night, Simplified: What to Prep Ahead
- Broth – Make my homemade bone broth or buy this store-bought version from Thrive, which is good too!
- Roasted Chicken – Prep this chicken in advance or cook raw chicken in the broth (see recipe).
- Bacon – If I make bacon, I like to freeze 2-3 strips uncooked for the coming week. (If you freeze bacon for at least 30-60 minutes, it will be easier to chop and cut!)
- Kale – Rinse or soak multiple times to clean, dry, de-stem, and store in a container with a dry paper towel.
- Mirepoix (Celery, Onion, Carrots) – Chop and store in a container in the fridge, I like to keep onions separate if I’m not using the day of. Why? Because onions permeate everything!
Mirepoix is a flavorful mix of onions, carrots, and celery—the foundation of many soups and stews. Traditionally, the classic ratio is two parts onion to one part carrot and one part celery. However, as you can see, I lean into carrots because I like a little natural sweetness in this soup. Check out the tips below to mix and match mirepoix and soup ingredients to suit your preferences!
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Step-by-Step: The 3 Simple Steps to Making Chicken Soup
Step 1: Build the Base
- Prep and cook the bacon, if using.
- Stir in onion, celery, and carrots, coating with bacon fat.
- Season generously with salt + pepper.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes to soften.
- Time Required: 10 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to sauté
Step 2: Simmer the Soup
- Next, add the broth & additional vegetables.
- Add chicken. See the recipe for instructions on raw or cooked.
- Check for seasoning now and again at the end.
- Add beans and simmer!
- Time Required: 15 minutes if you cook raw chicken or more vegetables in broth, 5-10 minutes if chicken is pre-cooked.
Step 3: Final Touches + Serving
- Taste for a balance of flavors and adjust with salt, pepper, and lemon if needed. See customization tips below.
- Finally, stir in kale if using, just until it is wilted!
- Serve and enjoy!
- Time Required: 2 minutes
Customize Your Homemade Chicken Soup
Tips
Making Homemade Chicken Soup: A Cozy, Mix-and-Match Recipe with Beans & Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb bacon, diced (about 2-3 slices)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (if needed for sautéing)
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium large stalks of celery small diced
- 2 medium-large carrots small diced
- 1-2 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups chicken stock or 1 batch of homemade broth, strained
- 1 cup rutabaga, peeled and chopped into ½-inch cubes
- 2 cans, 15 oz white northern, cannellini, or navy beans, drained
- 2 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts, roasted, deboned, and diced (about 2 cups diced chicken) Could also use 1-1.5 lbs of raw chicken breast or thigh meat, see instructions below.
- 1/2 bunch kale, washed, dried, de-stemmed, and cut into thin 1-inch ribbons.
- 1/2 lemon, optional
Instructions
Slice + Cook the Bacon
- To make slicing easier, place bacon slices on a plate in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to firm up.
- Once firm (or if skipping the freezing step), cut the slices into ¼-inch thick strips, then small dice into small dice.
- Add the diced bacon to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat starts to render.
Build the Flavor Base (Mirepoix + Seasoning)
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the bacon in the pot. Stir to coat with bacon fat.
- Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- If the mixture seems dry, add a glug of olive oil as needed. You don't want the ingredients to stick to the pan.
- Stir, then cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften.
Add the Broth + Rutabaga
- Pour in 8 cups of strained broth and stir to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add chopped rutabaga and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Let simmer for about 15 minutes until the rutabaga is fork-tender.
Adjust Seasoning
- Taste the soup—does it need more salt? Is the rutabaga softened?
- Adjust seasoning as needed.
If Adding Cooked Chicken + Beans:
- Add diced cooked chicken (½-inch cubes) and drained beans to the soup. Skip to the finishing step below.
If Adding Raw Chicken + Beans:
- Place raw and boneless chicken breasts or thighs into the simmering broth. Cook breast meat for about 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness. Cook thighs for about 10-12 minutes. Pull out the thickest pieces and test for the temperature to be 160° before moving on if unsure.
- Remove the whole cooked chicken pieces, slice them into bite-sized pieces, and return them to the soup with drained beans.
Finish with Kale + Final Adjustments
- Taste the soup again—do all the parts taste balanced?
- Optional: Stir in a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor or balance the sweetness from carrots to your preference.
- Adjust or add salt and pepper as needed. Simmer for up to 5 minutes to warm the chicken and beans. Stir in chopped kale, if using, for the last 2 minutes so it can soften and wilt.
- Let the soup cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Equipment
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Nutrition
Meal Prep & Freezing Tips for Chicken Soup
- For Meal Prep: Store without beans (to save space). Add 1-2 drained cans when it’s time to heat the soup. (For one 32-oz jar of soup without the beans added, I’d add about one 15-oz can of drained beans when you are ready to reheat!)
- To Freeze: Use glass canning jars with lids (I LOVE these), leaving 1-inch space at the top for the liquid to expand as it freezes! (If you don’t leave the 1-inch space, your jar could (will!) bust open in the freezer!)
- When Reheating: Bring to a gentle simmer and heat through (about 5 minutes), adding kale for the last 2 minutes. (Other greens like spinach need seconds to wilt, not minutes like kale!)
Did You Make It?
Mention @heatherbursch so I can see your soup creations!
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Last Updated on March 16, 2025 by Heather Bursch
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