Nothing is a more classic representation of good, wholesome home-cooking than the humble chicken soup.
If you don’t have a chicken soup recipe in your repertoire, you should. It’s SO easy to make and despite the name, you don’t actually have to add chicken. I know, I know, it ain’t chicken soup without chicken, but you all know what I mean, so I am going to forge ahead regardless.
The basic chicken soup recipe can be tailored to fit whatever you’ve got in your cupboards, and that is why it’s next up on the list.
If you don’t have time to slow cook or intend to forgo the meat, use broth or stock instead of water. In a pinch, you can use consomme or bouillon. It’s almost impossible to mess up, in truth. When in doubt, add more salt or maybe some grated Parmesan.
Consider using your Instant Pot or other pressure cooker to infuse the flavors quicker. Make use of frozen veggies, cubed potatoes, rice, or whatever starch you have on hand. If you want something lighter, replace noodles with “zoodles”. Simply add to the soup at the end, after you remove it from the heat to get the perfect consistency every time.
Here’s a website that has better than 40 variations on your basic chicken soup recipe.