The best chicken soup I've ever made

With homemade stock, vermicelli rice, and herb oil

Hi, friends. I’ve been really into making chicken soup completely from scratch lately. Using up the bones of a rotisserie chicken or a few pieces of fresh chicken to make stock, adding whatever veggies I have in my fridge or am craving at the moment to turn that stock into soup, stirring in some noodles or rice before serving, and drizzling something herby on top to brighten it all up before I dig in.

It does seem like a lot of work on the one hand because I’m essentially making four different things — broth, soup, rice or noodles, and herb sauce/pesto/oil to go on top — just to have one finished meal. But the process feels so wholesome and the results are no nurturing that lately, I do it with gusto at least once a week. I appreciate that it allows me to use up things I might usually throw away (wilting herbs, half a forgotten onion, lackluster celery, rotisserie chicken bones, etc.) while creating something that feels exciting to eat.

The last version I made was so delicious, I knew immediately I had to share it with you all.

Tell me more

It’s a chicken and veggie soup, but upgraded. The homemade broth adds a depth of flavor I’m convinced you can’t buy at the store. The combination of veggies whispers, “Spring is almost here.” The vermicelli rice gives you rice and noodles, because why choose? And the herb oil on top adds zest and flavor and will convince you that everything — even soups!! — need a little sauce on top.

Before we start

• My general guiding principle when it comes to recipe development is that I only share recipes that can be made on any night of the week — meaning generally, they don’t require hours and hours. The broth here is one exception. It does need to simmer for a bit, but you can do this in a crock pot while you’re at work or just on the stove while you work from home. It’s very hands-off and can very easily be made ahead. Why not simmer it tonight while you make dinner, then use it tomorrow in soup?

• I really do think the homemade stock makes a difference here, but you can 100% use store-bought and still get a delicious, super flavorful meal.

• While we’re on the subject of broth, there are a few ways to achieve it. I like to use the carcass from a leftover whole chicken because the bones and skin add lots of collagen, plus it’s a great way to actually use up all the meat on the chicken (am I the only one that has a tough time cleaning all the meat off the bones?). You can also use fresh bone-in chicken (when filming this recipe, I used thighs) or even boneless breasts. Either way, the longer you cook it, the more flavorful it will be. If you happen to be using leftover bones without much meat on them, you can throw in an extra breast or a couple thighs when making the broth to increase the meat in the soup.

• One of my favorite things about chicken soup is the versatility — use what you’ve got, and all of that. I truly love the combination of veggies, grains, and herbs here, but you can certainly sub in what you have on hand.

• I grew up eating soup with a side of rice, often vermicelli rice. To me, it just makes sense to scoop the grains into your bowl before ladling in the soup because they can still mix and mingle with the broth without getting mushy. The other benefit is that by cooking your grains separately, you don’t run the risk of your soup become a stew as the broth gets absorbed.

• Sauce on soup might seem odd because soup… is… sauce? And you might be wondering why we can’t just stir all the sauce ingredients into the soup instead of making something separate. But trust me when I tell you, adding a drizzle of sauce to your soup feels special — I can’t explain why — while also allowing everyone to adjust their bowl of soup to their own taste preferences. This sauce is herby, acidic, and a little spicy, so you can add more to your bowl to make it more of all three of those things, or just add a touch if you want less. If there’s one thing I love, it’s adjusting recipes to please your own taste buds.

The recipe

Serves: About 4

Cook time: 5 hours (less than 1 hour active)