The warmth of Grandma’s Comfort Chicken Soup with Drumsticks Recipe is a soul-soothing experience perfect for those days when you crave a cozy, homemade meal. Tender drumsticks mingle with aromatic veggies creating a nostalgic embrace of savory goodness.
This Chicken Soup with Drumsticks is not just a simple soup; it’s a timeless family recipe that takes me back to my childhood when I used to run around my grandma in the kitchen watching her prepare her delicious Chicken Noodle Soup and so many other goodies for us grandkids to savor! Each and every spoonful of this soup is a cozy, comforting, and nostalgic moment of happiness!
Grandma’s Comfort Chicken Soup with Drumsticks Recipe – Warm Hug in a Bowl
There’s something magical about the aroma of simmering homemade Chicken Soup that instantly takes you back to your childhood, to a place of warmth and coziness. Just imagine a steaming bowl of delicious chicken soup, with plump drumsticks peeking out from beneath golden egg noodles. The aroma alone is enough to make your taste buds dance with anticipation. Pair it with a chunk of crusty bread and you’ve got a meal that’s as visually appealing as it is comforting.
Why you will love Grandma’s Comfort Chicken Soup with Drumsticks Recipe
This Comfort Chicken Soup with Drumsticks Recipe is a dish that you can easily prepare without any fancy techniques or ingredients. It is also a very versatile dish that you can adapt to your tastes and preferences. You can use different herbs and spices, or additional veggies.
This Chicken Soup Recipe is a go-to choice during times of illness, having proved its “healing” power, times and again, in case of a cold or flu. The warm, flavorful broth will help soothe your sore throat, while the essential nutrients in the combination of vegetables, noodles, and protein-packed drumsticks make for a well-rounded, hearty, and satisfying dish contributing to overall well-being. It’s a complete meal in a bowl, providing a sense of fullness that leaves you feeling nourished and content.
How long can this Chicken Soup with Drumsticks be stored
If you have any leftover Chicken Noodle Soup, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container, for up to 3-4 days. Make sure you store it in the fridge within two hours of cooking.
If you want to freeze your Chicken Noodle Soup, you can place it in an airtight container, after it has cooled down, and store it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Keep in mind, however, that the texture of the noodles can be affected upon thawing. When you want to reheat your frozen soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it on medium heat until it’s piping hot. This will help preserve the quality of the soup.
Ingredients needed
- chicken drumsticks
- carrots
- parsley
- parsnips
- celery stalks
- onions
- green peas
- garlic cloves
- ginger
- bay leaf
- dried thyme
- dried basil
- dried oregano
- egg noodles
- Vegeta granulated bouillon
- black pepper
- fresh parsley (optional)
Equipment needed
- Large pot (Dutch oven)
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Skimmer spoon
- Wooden spoon
How to make Grandma’s Chicken Soup with Drumsticks
(for the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below)
Step 1 – Cut vegetables
Wash, peel, and chop all of your vegetable.
Step 2 – Add the vegetables and meat to soup pot
Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the soup pot, and add all of your vegetables and meat. Add a few cups of water on top.
Step 3 – Cook vegetables and meat
Cook the veggies and chicken meat until everything is nice and tender.
Step 4 – Shred the meat, season and serve
Once the soup is ready, shred the meat and season the soup (if needed). Pour the soup in bowls and serve.
Grandma's Comfort Chicken Soup with Drumsticks Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 3-4 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 medium parsley roots
- 2 medium parsnip roots
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium onions, whole (just slightly cut once at the bottom to release the flavor)
- 1 cup green peas, frozen
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ inch (1.5 cm) piece of ginger
- 3 tbsp granulated Vegeta bouillon
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups any type of noodles
- 10 cups cold water
- freshly ground black pepper
- fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken drumsticks under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Wash and chop the carrots and celery. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger. (I like to leave my parsley and parsnips whole, just quartered lengthwise as my daughter does not like the white veggies, just the carrots. This way I can easily scoop them out when serving the soup.)
- In a large pot, place all the chicken drumsticks and vegetables, as well as the bay leaf.
- Pour the water on top of the ingredients in the pot (at this point you could also use whatever you have on hand: store-bought chicken stock, your own homemade chicken broth, or bone broth. In this case, adjust the granulated Vegeta bouillon at the end, or skip it altogether, depending on the seasoning of your broth) and add one teaspoon of salt (the salt will collect all the scum at the surface of the soup). Turn the stove on medium-low heat.
- Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat and let the soup cook on a low simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the chicken meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. During the cooking, occasionally remove the foam, scum, and fat that gather at the top of the soup, with a skimmer spoon. This way your soup will remain nice and clear at the end.
- When cooking the egg noodles you can either add them straight to the pot in the last 5-10 minutes (cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions as they will continue to cook in the soup) or you can cook them separately in some soup or salted water (see Carmen's tips below).
- Once the soup is cooked, take out the drumsticks, take the bone out, and shred the meat. Place the shredded chicken back into the soup.
- Add the Vegeta bouillon, the thyme, the basil, the oregano, and the pepper, and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Remove the bay leaf and the whole onions.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls, making sure each portion gets a generous serving of drumsticks, veggies, and noodles. Garnish with fresh parsley. Bon appetite!
CARMEN’S TIPS:
– You can use any part of the chicken, depending on your personal preference. But for the best chicken soup use chicken thighs, chicken legs, chicken wings, bone-in chicken breast, or a whole chicken. The bones give depth, flavor and aroma to the soup.
– A great way to enhance the flavor of your soup is by adding different fresh herbs, like fresh parsley, fresh dill, fresh cilantro, green onion, or different aromatics, such as chili flakes, bay leaves, lemon juice, chicken bouillon cube, or parmesan cheese.
– I prefer to cook the noodles separately in soup or in salty water. This way, I can cook my noodles perfectly al dente and control their texture. I find that cooking the noodles together with the veggies and the meat makes them mushy (especially if using store-bought noodles, or after reheating the soup). The noodles end up overcooked because of the residual heat in the soup. Once cooked al dente, I like to strain the noodles and place them in a zip lock bag. This way, the texture of the noodles remains perfect and they cannot absorb any more soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What part of chicken is best for soup?
Usually, a combination of bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces, such as chicken thighs, drumsticks, wings, back of the chicken is the best for a well-rounded and delicious soup. The dark meat and the bones in these pieces add richness to the dish and make for a much more flavorful and aromatic Chicken Noodle Soup.
Should you brown the chicken before putting it in soup?
Chicken soup can be made either way. If you are short on time and want to finish your soup quickly, you can simply place all your veggies and meat in cold water and let them cook like in Grandma’s Comfort Chicken Soup with Drumsticks above. If you have a bit more time, you can brown the chicken pieces and sauté the veggies, to enhance the flavor of the soup, and then add your broth or water. Either way, your end result will be a delicious homemade chicken noodle soup.
Is Chicken Noodle Soup good for colds and illnesses?
Even though Chicken Noodle Soup is not a replacement for any medical treatment, it is definitely a great remedy, especially during cold, rainy days that helps alleviate flu symptoms in various ways. The warm broth helps maintain hydration which is so important in case of illness and it also helps soothe a sore throat. The combination of vegetables, meat and noodles provides the body with essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and protein, which support overall health and strengthen the immune system. Also, the warmth of the soup can help relieve nasal congestion and open up nasal passages. And last but not least, there’s also a psychological aspect to Chicken Noodle Soup since enjoying a warm bowl of soup can have a soothing effect on our mood, being very comforting and nurturing, and giving the sense of love and being cared for.