Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup | Easy Chicken Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make chicken noodle soup a little thicker? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.

→ Follow this tip: Adding noodles to the soup should be the very last thing you do before taking the pot off the heat. Wait until the soup is just about finished, mix in the noodles, and simmer until the noodles are about halfway cooked. The residual heat from the soup will continue to cook the pasta.

“Chicken is also high in tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin that can enhance your mood and give you the feeling of 'comfort' that helps make chicken noodle soup a true comfort food,” Allonen says.

By cooking noodles in a separate pot, you're giving them the best chance to become the best version of themselves—well salted and well cooked. After boiling the noodles, I like to drain them, add a portion to each bowl, and ladle broth (and whatever is in the broth) on top.

About this method: One of the most common ways to thicken sauces and soups is with a starch-based slurry, and cornstarch is a popular choice. Cornstarch is flavorless, easy to mix up, and versatile, which makes it a go-to pantry ingredient.

Herbs and Spices:Fresh or dried herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, and dill can add depth to the flavor. Bay leaves are commonly used in chicken soup for a subtle earthy taste. Ground black pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes can add a hint of heat.

To avoid soggy and limp noodles, I recommend cooking for only 3-5 minutes (5 if you're cooking more than 1-2 spiralized zucchinis) and tossing frequently. You want a slightly al dente noodle.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add in the oil. Once the pan is hot, add the zoodles in and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes or until the noodles are warmed through. Don't overcook, just warm up the noodles to keep them from becoming watery and mushy.

Salt and wrap your zoodles.

Post-spiralizing the zucchini, lightly salt your zoods with kosher salt and wrap them in paper towels. Let them sit for about 10–15 minutes — just enough time for the salt to extract the moisture.

What soup is good for cough and phlegm? ›

Which soups can help with a cough that brings up phlegm? Soups with ingredients like loquat leaf, apricot kernel, and bitter almond are believed to be effective in reducing phlegm. You can also try soups with herbs like platycodon root and fritillary bulb, which are believed to have expectorant properties.

Chicken soup is a staple for upset stomachs for a reason. It provides vitamins, protein and other nutrients, and it can help keep you hydrated. You don't need to use a lot of different ingredients to get the benefits either. This basic chicken soup recipe can help you feel better in no time.

Bring broth to a boil. Add noodles (either uncooked homemade egg noodles, or dry store-bought pasta) and cook just until noodles are al dente. If using store-bought noodles, be cautious not to overcook them! Remove pot from heat as soon as they are just barely tender.

To prevent noodles from getting mushy in chicken noodle soup, you can follow these tips: Cook Noodles Separately: Cook the noodles separately from the soup and add them just before serving. This allows you to control the cooking time of the noodles independent of the soup broth.

Simmering and Boiling

In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency, but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—leave the lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.

Mash beans, lentils, rice, or bread.

Rice, lentils, and beans release a lot of starch and naturally thicken soups simply from simmering, but you can also mash half the cooked rice/lentils/beans before adding to the soup for a simple way to thicken your dish.

There are also fast starches like plain flour, or corn starch that can work in anywhere from a few minutes to a few seconds. The easiest way I've found to add them is to mix them with a little bit of cold water to form a slurry, and then pour the slurry into the boiling soup while stirring rapidly.

Add more liquid: The simplest solution is to add more liquid, such as water, broth, or milk. Start by adding a small amount and gradually add more until you reach the desired consistency. Use a blender: If you have a blender, you can puree the soup in batches, adding more liquid as needed.