I’ve been a soup lover my entire life. Tony would tell you that it’s true because he’s the one stuck eating my delicious soup recipes that I bust out weekly.
This chicken soup recipe came to me after I came down with the WORST cold ever. I was on the verge of getting better, then all of a sudden I took a turn for the worst and spent an entire weekend sneezing, coughing and barely able to breathe.
I finally put the recipe on the blog back in 2018 — 6 years and over 1,000 5-star reviews later, it’s safe to say this chicken soup is one of the most popular recipes on Ambitious Kitchen!
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Cold-fighting chicken soup
I know MANY of you have been struggling with cold and flu season this year, so I thought why not make a cold-fighting chicken soup recipe that you can come back to year after year.
Whenever I’m sick I love a good, soul soothing soup. In fact, did you know that soup can actually help to reduce the length of your cold? Especially this one, which is loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients like ginger, turmeric, and lots of garlic. Amazing news, because I bet this will be one of your favorite soups of all time.
Normally, I love making my healing vegetarian curry whenever I’m sick, but ever since I’ve made this chicken soup recipe I’ve been OBSESSED with how delicious, flavorful and hearty it is. THIS AIN’T NO CAMPBELL’S PEOPLE. IT’S LIKE PROGRESSO ON CRACK. ALSO BETTER THAN PANERA.
And yes, caps were necessary there — I really needed to get my point across about how damn good this chicken soup is.
Ingredients in the best chicken soup recipe
The best part isn’t just how delicious this chicken soup is, but also how wonderful the anti-inflammatory, cold-fighting ingredients are.
- Ginger: great for digestion and a powerful anti-inflammatory agent to use in recipes.
- Garlic: truly the best when you’re sick. Garlic is full of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. That’s why we use 6 cloves of garlic in this soup. That’s right, you’re going to sick this cold’s ass.
- Turmeric: super trendy and very good for you. Best when consumed with a black pepper to help for optimal absorption. This recipe calls for fresh turmeric (if you can find it).
- Chicken: we’re packin’ this recipe with protein too — and guess what? The chicken actually cooks in the soup broth, leaving it tender and making it easy for you to cook!
- Fresh herbs: rosemary & thyme add additional flavor in this recipe.
- Pearl couscous: besides the veggies, the couscous is really the star because it helps to thicken the broth and keep the soup hearty. You’ll want to use pearl couscous in the recipe. It just provides the perfect texture for the soup. This is what pearl couscous looks like. I also know that they sell it at most Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Optional ingredient swaps
Because the ingredients in this chicken soup are fairly simple, there are plenty of easy ways you can customize it:
- Make it gluten-free: swap the pearl couscous for rice, quinoa, or your favorite gluten-free pasta shape.
- Try a vegetarian version: use vegetable broth and stir in a can of chickpeas in place of the chicken.
Easy homemade chicken soup in 5 steps
- Cook the veggies. Warm oil in a large pot, then cook down the veggies until the onions soften.
- Combine the soup. Stir in the ginger & turmeric for 30 seconds, then stir in the rest of the soup ingredients.
- Add the couscous. Bring the soup to a boil, stir in the couscous, then simmer uncovered until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the cooked chicken with a slotted spoon and shred it with 2 forks, then add it back to the pot.
- Finish & serve. Stir in the frozen peas, taste and adjust any seasonings, and enjoy!
How to store & freeze this soup
- To store: store this chicken soup in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Feel free to reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop! You may find that the couscous thickens the soup up as it cools, so feel free to add a bit more broth if you’d like.
- To freeze: let the soup completely cool and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container (or multiple containers for meal prep purposes). I recommend freezing the soup without the couscous so that it doesn’t get too thick and mushy when it thaws. Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, first let the soup thaw in the refrigerator, then heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can then cook couscous separately and add it to the soup once you’ve reheated it.
Watch me make the best chicken soup recipe
More healthy soup recipes to try
- Healing Ginger Coconut Chicken Brown Rice Soup
- Butternut Squash Green Chile Chicken Soup
- Classic French Onion Soup
- Healing Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
- Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Get all of my soup recipes here!
If you make this chicken soup recipe, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram or leave a comment and rate the recipe below! Thank you — I appreciate it. xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The Best Chicken Soup You'll Ever Eat
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)*
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme, stems removed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- ⅔ cup frozen peas (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Place a large dutch oven or pot over medium high heat and add in oil. Once oil is hot, add in garlic, onion, carrots and celery; cook for a few minutes until onion becomes translucent.
- Next add in grated ginger and grated turmeric. Saute for 30 seconds to let the spices cook a bit, then add in chicken broth, chicken breast, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Bring soup to a boil, then stir in couscous. You’ll want the chicken to be covered by the broth so make sure you stir them down to the bottom.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Once chicken is cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board to shred with two forks. Add chicken back to pot then stir in frozen peas. If you find that you don't have enough broth, feel free to add in another cup. Everyone likes their soup differently. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on February 19th, 2018 republished on January 5th, 2020, and republished on December 11th, 2024.
I’ve been following ambitious kitchen since before 2020 and always been a fan of the recipes. I make this soup at least 4-5 times a year and it’s a hit with my toddlers and everyone I’ve shared it with. Sometimes I add lentils in place of couscous if I don’t have it. 100% the best soup! Always hits nice when you have a cold too. Thank you for your recipes. Keep them coming!
MADE THIS SOUP AND OH MY GOODNESS, IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE HIT!!
I DIDN’T HAVE ANY COUSCOUS SO I USED BULGUR WHEAT. ALSO ADDED ONE LEEK. ADDED CHILLI POWDER TO SPICE IT UP A LITTLE. AT THE END I ADDED A CAN OF COCONUT CREAM AND CHOPPED PARSLEY. INSANE! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE, WILL BE COOOKING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
I need to compliment you. I never make comments but this by far, is one of the best soups that I come to. I don’t change a thing except maybe double it up when I’m sharing with others, delicious!
So happy to hear that!!
It really is the best chicken soup you’ll ever eat… I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made this. Worth it to do fresh ginger + turmeric – sometimes I do dried rosemary + thyme if I don’t have it on hand. This one is winner – whether you are sick or not.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
One of my go to chicken soups when someone is not feeling well. I use the instant pot and sub broken spaghetti noodles for the cous cous at end and just boil for about 10 min.
Perfect! Such a healing soup!
Loved this recipe! Easy to follow. I used Tastefully Simple’s Garlic Garlic instead of garlic cloves. Easy to use and added flavor. My mom who has a bad cold enjoyed it! I liked making a soup with herbs and spices that could potentially help.
Perfect! I hope she’s feeling better!
Wonderful recipe, thank you! The whole family loved it.
I wanted to use homemade broth, so I bought 1 chicken carcass and 2 chicken thighs (bone in with skin). I gave the thighs a quick sautee, took them out and then sauteed the onion,celery and carrots. I then took the veg out and put the thights back into pot with the carcass. I added water to cover chicken, about 9 cups. I simmered this for 1.5 hours. I then removed the chicken and strained the broth to ensure no small bones would be in the broth, and put the sauted veg into the broth plus I added a large potato cut very small (I didn’t want to add pasta or rice, so I opted for potato). I added the ginger, tumeric, garlic (ginerger, tumeric and garlic were heaping tsp, as I had extra broth), thyme and rosemary. I let everything simmer for about 50 minutes. Meanwhile, I shredded the chicken. After the 50 mins, when everything was soft, I took out 3/4 of the contents and used an immersion blender to blend everything and give it a thicker broth. I then added it back into the pot and added the shredded chicken as well and simmered for another 10 minutes. Along with the chicken, I added a little more thyme. I also added more salt than indicated, more like 1 or 1.5 tsp.
It was wonderful! Very warm and nourishing. Thank you for a great recipe!
Amazing! So happy everyone enjoyed (and the homemade broth sounds perfect!)
THANK YOU! This is truly my favorite version of chicken “noodle” soup. We love it so much in our house that this is the only way I make a traditional chicken soup anymore. The additions of the tumeric, couscous, ginger, and peas just make it so much more flavorful. It’s the first go to when anyone sneezes or just needs a cozy but healthy comfort meal. Delish! 🙂
So happy to hear that! Ours, too!
This is by far my favorite chicken soup!! Been making it now for several years now and passed it on to all my friends and family… super easy to make and soooo 😋…. Love this soup!!!
So happy to hear that!!
Delicious! Would this soup freeze and reheat well?
Yes! I’d recommend freezing it without the couscous though, and adding that after you thaw and reheat the soup 🙂
My son said “I’m not hungry” and proceeded to eat 3 bowls. Nuff said. I used high protein pasta instead of couscous. I didn’t have rosemary but it would have been better with it. I grow my own thyme, and I just put the entire stem in and pull it out at the end cuz I’m too lazy to take off the leaves.
Love that! Dinner win!
This was a delicious soup. It was the first time I used the actual turmeric root. My husband got a bad cold after our vacation and he felt it was so nourishing! Hopefully it will prevent me from getting sick! I did add chopped can tomato as my mother always did. Thank you again!
This one is so healing and nourishing! I hope he feels better soon!
Made this recipe for my family and it was a hit!! It has a ton of flavor, so this may not be for the types who prefer a classic American chicken soup. I really loved the ginger, turmeric and herbs, it was comforting AF. Next time I am putting potatoes in it! Thank you and love your recipes!! 🙏💓
So happy to hear that! Potatoes would be lovely in here 🙂
Tastes like medicine, chicken soup should not have ginger in it
Sorry to hear that you didn’t love this one! The ginger is what makes it a more unique, healing version of classic chicken soup, but everyone’s tastes are different.
I LOVE ginger in soups. It’s super healthy and adds a lemony taste to the soup.
I read the reviews and everything look good. But when I went to go print the recipe, it was forcing me to subscribe to some printer will post thing to promote their own products, not interested. I don’t like being forced to do something.Is there a waste of my time
Take a screenshot if it and chill
My favorite chicken soup. Follow the recipe exactly and it tastes amazing every time. 10/10 recommend.
So happy to hear that!
Our favourit soup recipe. Delicious and healing… yes! We add a good amount of lemon zest and juice with a pinch of chilli at the end. Today we’re making it for guests who can’t eat onion or garlic… so put some ground cumin seed in for another flavour layer. Any other suggestions for garlic and onion substitutions appreciated. Thank you for this absolute gem!
So happy to hear this is a favorite! Garlic and onion are such staples for soup bases, but you could try adding extra celery, carrots, and dried herbs.
There is a spice called Asafoetida that is an excellent substitute for alliums when people have a sensitivity. My sister is allium-sensitive so I have learned through trial and error. Can be found online and in some stores.
Amanda, I can’t tolerate onions and garlic either. I generally replace onions with zucchini (yes I realize it’s not the same) and use garlic olive oil instead of actual garlic, which can be tolerated due to the way it is processed. So you get the flavour without the repercussions.
Truely the best chicken I’ve ever had. Make it!
I’m so glad!!
Very good! I made this for my daughter who had a cold, so I really wanted to make it as full of nutrients as possible. Kettle & Fire makes a chicken bone broth with turmeric and ginger in it, so I saved some time and used that instead of broth with those spices mixed in. I also sliced up a zucchini to add some more veggies. Great flavor – thanks!
That broth is perfect for this! And I’m all about extra veggies. I hope she loved it and is feeling better!
I made this soup when I was feeling run down and knew that all of the ingredients would be good for me. This was delicious and I will definitely be making it again soon.
The perfect healing soup! I hope you’re feeling better!
This recipe absolutely lives up to its name! I prefer to use chicken drumsticks instead of breast so then I halve the broth and add 3-5 cups of water. I let the soup boil for about 10 minutes before I add the cous cous and turn the heat down, just to give the drumsticks a bit more time to cook.
Perfect! Glad you love this one!