Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

My spicy chicken noodle soup recipe will warm your soul on a cold winter day, or any time of year you crave spoonfuls of spicy chicken broth.

This creamy soup is loaded with tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, and just enough chipotle peppers to make your tastebuds sing! My grandma never made it like this.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Bone-in Chicken thighs - I think chicken thighs are the best cut of meat for soups because darker meat can withstand more cooking without becoming dry than white meat, like chicken breast. I also recommend getting bone-in thighs because the skin is still attached and we can render it down to add a lot of flavor! However, you can also use leftover chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken too. Avoid using skinless chicken breasts if you can. They lack moisture and flavor, making them a poor choice for this great soup.
• Onion - Any sweet or yellow onion is fine. Red onions have a stronger flavor, but they would work well as a substitution.
• Carrots - You will need 1 cup, which is about three carrots.
• Garlic cloves - You can substitute garlic powder if needed.
• Chicken stock - Substituting chicken broth or vegetable broth are both great options because they add a lot more flavor than simply using water.
• Cream cheese - This makes the soup wonderfully creamy! Alternatively, using coconut milk would be a great option too for both creaminess and flavor. If substituting coconut milk, a little lime juice would pair nicely.
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - Check the link if you don't know what these are. They are typically found in the Mexican food aisle. Alternatively, you can use crushed red pepper flakes as well. If you crave some sweetness to balance the heat, add red bell peppers to your spicy chicken soup. Other ways to adjust the spice level is to add sriracha sauce, or your favorite hot sauce.
• Egg noodles - I personally prefer wide egg noodles or curly egg noodles, but you can get your favorite style.
• Salt - If you use unsalted chicken stock you will need to be very liberal with the salt, if you use salted stock, you may not need any, but sometimes I find using only salted stock can make the soup too salty.

How to make it

Grab a large pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium heat and add your chicken thighs, skin side down. You want to crisp the skin until enough fat renders out to coat the bottom of the pot, this will be approximately three tablespoons of chicken fat.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside (it is ok if it is not fully cooked through yet). Add the carrots to the pot and saute in the rendered chicken fat for two minutes, then add the chopped onions. Cook until the onions are tender, then add minced garlic and cook an additional minute.

Add the chipotle peppers and your chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure any cooked-on bits are incorporated into the liquid. Once the stock has heated in the soup, temper the cream cheese, adding the stock a few splashes at a time to the cream cheese while stirring. Then add into the pot.

Remove the skin from the chicken and add the meat to the pot. Let everything simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. This should be long enough to make the chicken tender enough to separate from the bone. Remove the chicken and let cool prior to doing this and add the noodles at the same time.

Shred chicken while the noodles cook, then return the shredded meat to the pot and serve.

Making this Recipe in Advance

The biggest problem with making any type of chicken noodle soup in advance is the noodles will soak up additional moisture and get soggy when not eaten right away. If this isn't a concern to you, then yes, you can make this a few days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it for longer-term storage. Making soup in advance typically improves the flavor the next day because the ingredients meld together.

Alternatively, you can make the soup without the noodles and add them prior to serving. Just bring the soup back to a simmer and cook the noodles in the broth long enough to become tender.

Any leftover soup should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoyed within five days.

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