A bowl of soup can be your ultimate comfort food whenever you are in the mood for a cozy meal. Hence, this episode will guide you in choosing the best chicken noodle soup spices and herbs for your next bowl of soup.
The best herbs and spices for chicken noodle soup include:
So, if you’re a real soup lover, read further to learn how these spices and herbs help upgrade the flavor of your recipe.
11 Best Spices And Herbs For Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is actually a highly customizable dish, and the recipe varies depending on the country, region, person, or household. However, some flavorings get along really well with any Chicken noodle soup recipe, and therefore they show up often in most of them.
So, in this episode, we will be further discussing the universal chicken noodle soup spices and herbs.
01- Black Pepper
We assure you will savor the pungent black pepper in at least 98% of the chicken noodle soups that you try. In fact, this spice is the most versatile ingredient which will add one of the most distinctive flavors to your soup.
Some add whole black peppercorns, while most follow up with crushed or ground black pepper. Whatever form it is, this spice will add earthy, peppery, piney, and woody hints to the dish getting along with all the other ingredients.
02- Garlic
While minced garlic works as a base flavoring in some recipes, garlic powder adds flavor to the soup stock. However, in most versions of Asian-style chicken noodle soup, fresh garlic cloves are sometimes used to enhance the taste of store-bought stocks.
Garlic powder is less intense than fresh garlic. Therefore, raw garlic can be slightly flavorful than garlic powder with a nutty element. Nevertheless, regardless of the form used, this spice adds so much complexity, aroma, and a robust flavor to your bowl of soup.
03- Ginger
Ginger is often incorporated with garlic when it comes to most Asian-style chicken noodle soup recipes. While this spice adds tons of flavor, it is also a healthy addition if you make soup for someone who suffers from a cold.
It has a zingy aroma and is pungent with warm, slightly peppery, and sweet undertones. Fresh ginger is often grated/minced and used in the stock or sauteed with vegetables and garlic.
04- Onion Powder
With a unique piquancy, onion powder is often paired with garlic powder in many soup recipes. This spice has a distinctive sulfuric hint with a mild sweetness.
As mentioned previously, onion powder is mostly shaken into the stock water with garlic powder. It also gets along well with other ingredients like bay leaves, black pepper, oregano, etc.
05- Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that often shows up in cold or flu buster chicken noodle soup recipes. This is mainly because the curcumin in turmeric is known to contain immunity benefits.
In addition, this spice gives an eye-soothing color with a deep, earthy, and almost musky flavor. It essentially enhances the taste of soup broth by teaming up with other ingredients, spices, and herbs in the recipe.
06- Bay Leaves
Bay leaves aren’t alien to chicken noodle soup recipes made primarily in Western cuisine. This element holds a subtle bitterness and minty, peppery flavor hints.
Bay leaves are ideal for flavoring broths and stocks. Sometimes people prefer removing the leaves from their soups after cooking, while some keep them.
However, that usually doesn’t make much difference since the flavor of bay leaves infuses well when the liquid is heating. This ingredient typically has a vast spice and herb pairing, especially including garlic, oregano, basil, etc.
07- Thyme
This herb is versatile enough to be infused with chicken broth and compliments vegetables as well as meat. Thyme often gets along well with ginger, basil, oregano, and rosemary.
Some prefer adding fresh thyme to their soup, while others find it okay to go with dried thyme. However, fresh thyme is still fresher and sharper. Both fresh and dried forms are slightly citrusy, earthy and have minty flavor notes.
08- Parsley
Parsley usually has an amazing flavor that would work wonders with liquids like broths and soups. Fresh parsley generally adds a herbal taste to the dish with somewhat bitter and peppery hints.
This herb is usually finely chopped to get its best flavor and infuse it better with the liquid. Moreover, parsley pairs well with most herbs, including thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary.
09- Rosemary
When added, this herb gives quite an unparalleled flavor to your chicken noodle soup. In fact, rosemary has an intricate flavor profile which can be described as a combination of many taste elements. It is very aromatic with citrus, pine, lavender, sage, and minty undertones.
Adding rosemary to your bowl of soup can be pretty impressive since it has the ability to pair with many ingredients. According to your preference, you can go with dried or fresh versions. However, like many other herbs, fresh rosemary holds a more intense flavor than its dried form.
10- Oregano
Oregano is a famous addition to chicken noodle soup, regarded for its bold and earthy tones. Unlike many other herbs, oregano does not weaken its potency when dried. It can be slightly mild but still flavorful with a hint of bitterness.
Therefore, dried or fresh oregano both work well with this dish. Oregano has a habit of making friends, especially with thyme, rosemary, and basil. Together, it complements the chicken broth and vegetables like carrot and celery.
11- Basil
The flavor that basil adds to your soup utterly depends on the variety you use. In fact, there are subtle taste differences between Thai and sweet basil (these are the commonly used types).
However, sweet basil is familiar in Western cuisine, which offers a fresher taste with minty and anise notes. Basil is best used chopped in its fresh form. And this herb typically gets along well with ginger, oregano, rosemary, etc.
Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite
Auguste Escoffier
Summing Up With The Best Chicken Noodle Soup Spices And Herbs…
Soothing and delightful chicken noodle soup can be the best thing on a cold evening or whenever you feel sick. And as you see, spices and herbs like black pepper, garlic, ginger, oregano, basil, parsley, etc., is the key to turning on the taste of the bland liquid of your soup.
