Chicken noodle soup is a comfort food often served to cure a cold or the flu.
The best seasonings for chicken noodle soup are probably the ones your mother used. People tend to enjoy the foods they grew up on the most. Barring that recipe, there are other seasoning combinations to try in your quest for the best chicken noodle soup.
The Basics
The basic seasonings common to most chicken soup recipes are aromatic vegetables. Most recipes include celery, carrots, onions or leeks and sometimes garlic. Stir fry the vegetables in a little olive oil before adding the broth. Some cooks finish this off by adding a little poultry seasoning to the broth. Others use a combination of herbs to add a depth of flavor.
Bay Leaf, Thyme and Parsley
In addition to the aromatic vegetables, there are different herb combinations that enhance the flavor of the soup. Food Network chef Tyler Florence flavors his chicken noodle soup with a bay leaf, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and a handful of parsley added with the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lemon Juice
Cookbook author and cooking show host Alton Brown recommends cooking the broth, chicken and aromatic vegetables together, then adding a combination of fresh tarragon and fresh parsley as a garnish, along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Lemon juice is also the main flavor in the traditional Greek chicken noodle or rice soup known as Avgolemono. It adds an acidic lemon flavor that pairs well with chicken.
Italian Flavors
Another seasoning combination favors Italian herbs. Add two bay leaves along with a pinch of oregano and thyme. Add the herbs with the chicken and simmer until it is done before adding the noodles. You can top it off with a little Parmesan cheese, if you like.
Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
The Vietnamese take chicken noodle soup to a whole new level with the addition of ginger, coriander, cloves, star anise, fish sauce and hot peppers. They use rice noodles and fresh vegetables such as bean sprouts, mushrooms, raw onions, and add fresh mint and cilantro to the bowl at serving time. The flavors are complex and spicy with a variety of textures: the soft rice noodles and the crunch of fresh vegetables.
Tags: aromatic vegetables, chicken noodle, along with, before adding, Chicken Noodle, Chicken Noodle Soup