Chicken Clear Soup Recipe
Light, hearty, and delicious, Chicken Clear Soup is super easy to make at home. It is made using simple ingredients and comes together in under 30 minutes. This soul-soothing soup is gluten-free and low-carb, too.
Here are some more soup recipes that you may like: Tom Kha Soup, Thai Pumpkin Curry Soup, Spicy Jambalaya Soup, and Tomato Florentine Soup.
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Table of Contents
About Chicken Clear Soup
Soup comforts me instantly when I am feeling sick or not at my best. That’s when a simple meal, such as this Chicken Clear Soup, recharges me and helps me walk extra miles.
Made using simple ingredients and in under 30 minutes, this clear soup is light, delicious, and soul-soothing. It’s gluten-free and low-carb, too.
Clear Soup is basically a richly flavored clear broth made using any meat, veggies, spices, herbs, and other flavorings. The ingredients are simmered for a long time, resulting in deep, rich flavors. It is great to serve if you have a cold or a fever.
This Chinese-style Clear Soup right here is just perfect, as it is neither too heavy on the stomach nor it is too light. It is both filling and wholesome. You just need some simple ingredients such as bone-in chicken, onions, garlic, bay leaves, some whole spices, salt, and pepper, and you are sorted.
This chicken clear soup recipe can be made in an Instant Pot or a traditional stovetop pressure cooker. You can double or triple it, too.
Ingredients
Chicken – This soup is best made with skinless, bone-in chicken, as the bones release a lot of flavor into the broth. I used curry-cut chicken from Indian grocery stores, but you can use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or legs.
If you are not comfortable with bone-in chicken, then use boneless chicken breasts.
Veggies – You will need carrots, red onions, and garlic. To make the soup even more flavorful, add some chopped celery.
Others – You will also need bay leaves, fresh thyme, salt, and freshly cracked pepper.
If fresh thyme is unavailable, you can use dried thyme instead.
How To Make Clear Chicken Soup
Step 1: Wash 10 oz (300 g) of skinless, bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) well under running water.
Note – It’s good to use chicken with bones to make a clear soup, as the bones add a lot of flavor. If bone-in chicken is unavailable or you are not comfortable with it, use 7 oz (200 g) of boneless chicken.
Cook The Chicken
In An Instant Pot
Step 2: Add the chicken to an instant pot along with the following ingredients and stir gently.
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (smashed)
- ¼ cup of chopped carrot
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2-3 sprigs of thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 3 cups of water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Step 3: Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
Step 4: Press the PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer to 2 minutes at high pressure.
Step 5: Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Add the chicken to a stove-top pressure cooker along with the following ingredients and stir gently.
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 3-4 cloves of garlic (smashed)
- ¼ cup of chopped carrot
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2-3 sprigs of thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 4 cups of water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Pressure cook for 2 whistles on high heat.
Remove the pressure cooker from the heat. Let the pressure release naturally, then open the cooker lid.
Make The Soup
Step 7: Strain the soup using a fine-mesh strainer.
Step 8: Take out the chicken pieces and shred them into small pieces. Discard the bones and veggies.
Step 9: Add a few shreds to each serving bowl, then pour the clear soup on top.
Step 10: Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot.
Chicken Clear Soup FAQs
If you want to make a Mexican version of this soup, add some chopped tomatoes and taco seasoning along with the veggies before cooking the chicken.
Once the soup is ready, top it up with grated cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.
To make a Thai version, add garlic, fresh ginger, green onions, cilantro, lemongrass, and lime zest, along with the veggies, before cooking the chicken. Once the soup is ready, add some lime juice, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Garnish the soup with chopped red chilies and cilantro.
Yes, you can. Once the soup is ready, keep the pot over low heat (or press SAUTE button if making it in an Instant Pot). Then slowly pour a whisked egg while whisking with the other hand. Cook for a minute until the egg is cooked and forms ribbons. Serve.
If you end up with some shredded chicken after serving the clear chicken soup, you can use it to make sandwiches, wraps, or burritos. Use it just like you would use boiled, shredded chicken in any of your recipes.
Pro Tips By Neha
If you don’t have a pressure cooker (or Instant Pot), then you can make the soup in a pan. Add 1 cup of extra water. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is tender. Follow the rest of the recipe as mentioned.
You can add more vegetables, such as green beans, potatoes, and celery, along with the chicken, to make the clear soup even more nutritious and wholesome.
Want to make your meals more filling? Then add some boiled noodles, chicken dim sum, or veg dim sum to the clear soup.
You can also experiment with the seasonings. Add herbs like fresh parsley or rosemary, and spice powders like sumac, taco seasoning, and Cajun seasoning.
Make sure you do not overcook the chicken; otherwise, it won’t shred well.
You can also add finely chopped chicken pieces instead of shredded chicken to the soup.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve clear chicken soup on its own for a light dinner or with some hot steamed momos, fried rice, Hakka noodles, or dim sum. I like to add some boiled noodles or rice to it for a filling meal.
Serve it as a starter for your Indo-Asian meals or even for your house parties.
Top the soup with sliced scallions before serving.
Storage Suggestions
Clear Chicken Soup stays good for 3 to 4 days. In fact, its flavor improves after a few days of making. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To further extend the soup’s shelf life, you can freeze it. Cool it completely, then store it properly in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags; it can stay good for 1-2 months. Thaw before using, heat well, and serve.
Other Soup Recipes We Recommend
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Chicken Clear Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounce skinless bone-in chicken (300 g, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces)
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 3-4 whole garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)
- ¼ cup chopped carrot
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2-3 sprigs thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Wash the chicken well with water.
Cook The Chicken
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Add the chicken to a stove-top pressure cooker along with onions, garlic, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, 4 cups of water, salt, and black pepper, and stir gently.
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles on high heat.
- Remove the pressure cooker from heat. Let the pressure release naturally and then open the lid of the cooker.
In An Instant Pot
- Add the chicken to an instant pot along with onions, garlic, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, 3 cups of water, salt, and black pepper, and stir gently.
- Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press the PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer to 2 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
Make The Soup
- Strain the soup using a fine-mesh strainer.
- Take out the chicken pieces and shred them into small pieces. Discard the bones and veggies.
- Add a few shredded pieces to each serving bowl and pour the clear soup on top.
- Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot.
This chicken clear soup sounds so comforting and nourishing. I really like how simple the ingredient list is, yet the method brings out so much flavor from the bones and herbs. Perfect for sick days or when you just want something light but satisfying. The storage tips and variations are also very helpful. Definitely bookmarking this one.
Thanks for your kind words Hasan
It was delicious and super easy to make! Thank you!
I’ve always loved the taste of clear soups at restaurants and wondered if it was because of taste enhancers! But this soup was definitely restaurant quality with clean and minimal ingredients! I’ve seen a lot of recipes and I usually get tired of just looking at the ingredients! Was sick today and decided to make this cause it was simple but, boy! I was in for a real treat! This is going to be staple in our house! Thank you so much!
Thank you for this recipe.
I added a potato, a leek and noodles and I used curry leaves instead of bay leaves and thyme.
I also added a dash of Worcestershire sauce and chilli oil at the end.
I’m usually quite bad at making soups but this one came out really well 😅
Thank you!