A solid chicken noodle soup recipe is a must have. It doesn’t have to be a chilly day to want to create homemade chicken noodle soup that’s full of yummy meaty morsels, fresh vegetables, and a tad of creaminess. This is not just an American favorite either. Filipinos love this dish, fondly called chicken sopas because it truly feeds the family, it’s made with heart, and it’s good for the soul. Who doesn’t want a piece of that? Let’s get into it…
What is Filipino Chicken Noodle Soup?
Chicken sopas (“sopas” means soup) is an easy meal made with staple, easy access ingredients. While there are always variations, a more classic chicken sopas will have some pork like ham or sausage, chicken, veggies, and a touch of something creamy added in the broth.
It’s literally loaded with so much goodness, it is a cult classic in Filipino homes. Sopas is essential and I hope you bring this version of chicken noodle soup recipe into your home, with a touch of Filipino flair.
Notes on Variations
While some ways might use evaporated milk or regular milk, I use a touch of whole cream for naturalness and not too much, to keep this meal lighter since it is already a satisfying abundance of flavor and textures.
Instead of sausage, I incorporate small bits of ham that give off smokey and rich bites, but it’s slightly leaner than sausage.
Some variations of chicken sopas add bay leaves and peppercorns to the broth while simmering the chicken. For my kids, I removed the bay leaves and peppercorns, but adding one or two is a nice herbaceous and aromatic touch if it’s adults only.
Traditionally, there are no eggs in chicken noodle soup, but I love jammy eggs on everything. Jammy soft-boiled eggs are my favorite and so add them as a garnish, or omit them as you like.
A fully filled, heaping bowl of chicken sopas is the next level for regular chicken noodle soup. This is the part that elevates a historical dish. Load it up. I want to see ingredients rising to the top when you make Filipino style chicken noodle soup.
It’s a meal, not a snack, and has no comparison.
Ingredients in this Chicken Noodle Soup
Mini Quick Cooking Spirals
At the local Japanese or Asian market they have quick cook pasta. It’s only three minutes of my life that I have to make pasta…I’ll take it!
My kids love chicken sopas, and even more so because of these petite spiral pastas. They cook in 2-3 minutes and the ridges and curves capture the soup perfectly. Quick pasta is a must when feeding the hangry!
Macaroni is the common way to make Filipino style chicken noodle soup, but as long as you have bite size pastas, it will go great with this soup.
Can I use noodles? You could…but then it’s not as much Filipino chicken sopas anymore. I think the use of little pasta bites is so important and delectable for this recipe. This way, you get a pasta bite with all the other goodies. The ridges and groove in macaroni and spirals hold the soup and goodies in.
Chicken
Using thighs will make the soup more rich, and they stay very tender.
You can choose breast or mix the two.
You can use bone-in and leave the skin on. It’s your choice how lean or more indulgent you wish for the broth to be.
Using chicken drums with skin is delicious because it adds richness from the skin and the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Trim the chicken for less fat.
HERE’S A TIP – If only using chicken breasts, lightly coat the meat in baking soda for 25 minutes. Rinse completely. Then pat dry. This will have tenderized the meat.
Vegetables
Garlic – always a must have aromatic ingredient for Filipino cuisine
Carrots, Celery, Onion – the perfect mirepoix that is a basis for so many soups and recipes around the world. These are the three must have ingredients that will shine in the best chicken noodle soup.
Green Cabbage – this is an easy one. Cut into chunks, fluff, and add at the very last seconds of the soup being ready to serve. This way your cabbage is green, fresh, and a little crisp. This adds fullness and heaps of good fiber and nutrition to the sopas.
Milk or Whole Cream
Creaminess is a signature to chicken sopas.
Can you omit the cream? Yes, absolutely. It will then be a more traditional chicken broth for classic chicken noodle soup.
This chicken noodle soup recipe is mildly creamy by only incorporating three tablespoons to the entire broth. It’s light, but still tongue-hugging and comforting.
Chicken Broth
While this chicken noodle soup recipe creates a beautiful, natural chicken broth on its own, adding chicken broth steps up the flavor without use of chicken bouillon cubes.
I use natural chicken broth, and then no added salt. The broth turns out very flavorful and with more “chicken” flavor. Only add salt to taste to your preference.
Mix in a cup of water or vegetable broth to create a tasty foundation for your sopas.
Equipment
Dutch Oven – a solid cast iron Dutch oven makes for the most evenly cooked, and delectable of soups for slow simmering and letting ingredients release their flavors. You can use your favorite soup pot, but this is what I use for more than half my recipes, and always for soups like chicken sopas, sinigang, and curry.
This is the Dutch Oven I use. I use less than five pots in my house. This Dutch Oven has lasted me over fifteen years and is so solid in quality (not to mention style) and it works as a server as well when I have gatherings. I plop it right on the table and it looks really good.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup Filipino Style
Once you have your mise en place, this soup becomes a one-pot recipe wonder.
- Heat your Dutch Oven and when ready add a little oil.
- Sauté the garlic and onions and then add chicken thighs or drums. Let the chicken get a little sear and be coated with the aromatic, fragrant oil.
- Once the chicken has a sear, add the water and add the chicken broth.
- Let this simmer, closed lid, for about 45 minutes. This will release all the good chicken flavor to make broth and allow your chicken to become soft and tender.
- Skim the broth.
- Remove the chicken and chop or shred in little tiny pieces. Remove bones if applicable.
- Place the chicken back in the broth and add the ham.
- Add the cream. Add the carrot and celery. Let everything simmer on low for another five minutes.
- Add the pasta and cook it in the soup. It will take a few extra minutes because the broth won’t be at a rolling boil. Taste test when the pasta is almost done and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cabbage last minute.
HERE’S A TIP! Cook some of the pasta separately if you are NOT going to eat all the pasta that is in the soup. The pasta will become mushy if you have leftovers in the soup.
Serve this style of chicken noodle soup right way so the pasta is still a little al dente and the vegetables are fresh and nutritious. Top with garnishes of your choice…I choose jammy eggs.
Must Try Recipes
Chicken Sinigang, a signature Filipino soup with Healthy Ingredients
Special Beef Sinigang, a Filipino soup that really wows and goes next level with umami, savory, tangy notes and veggies galore.
Arroz Caldo, one of the best Filipino soups with chicken, ginger, and rice. Don’t miss this one.
Other Add-Ins
- mushrooms
- green beans
- corn
- chili for spicy
- sausage
- garnish with scallions
- garnish with seaweed
- garnish with fried onions
Yes! Use the recipe as I have it with less cream and natural, wholesome ingredients. Don’t add salt until the end, and keep vegetables colorful so they haven’t lost all their nutrients. Use chicken breast or leaner cuts for a more healthful recipe.
You can store SOUP leftovers, but remove leftover pasta. If the soup has pasta, and you store it, the pasta will be super mushy the next day. So store the broth and contents, sans pasta, in an airtight glass container. Add the pasta, fresh, the next day in order to eat leftovers.
No, chicken noodle soup should be eaten freshly made so all the nutritional value remains and the vegetables stay crisp and colorful.
It sure can be. Use gluten free macaroni pasta for a gluten free option.
Chicken Noodle Soup Filipino-Style
Equipment
- skimmer
- soup ladle
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs and/or chicken drums skin on or skin off is fine; trim to your personal preference of fat content
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- ¾ whole medium yellow onion chopped
- 48 oz regular chicken broth (one and a half cartons)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup ham small cubes
- 1 large carrot small cubes
- 2 celery stalks cut diagonal, quarter inch thick
- 3 tbsp whole heavy cream
- 12 oz Quick cook mini pasta or small mini elbow macaroni
- ½ medium green cabbage cut in wide rectangles
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat your Dutch Oven and add oil. When ready, sauté the garlic.
- Add in onions. Sauté till fragrant and slightly browned on edges.
- Add chicken. Don't move the chicken. Let it sear on one side. Turn and sear the other side.
- Add the chicken broth and add the water.
- Close lid. Simmer on low for 45 minutes.
- Remove lid and skim the top of the broth.
- Remove the chicken and shred or chop in small bite size pieces.
- Add the ham. Add the cream. Simmer for two minutes.
- Add back the chicken and add the pasta. Let simmer for two minutes.
- Add the carrots and celery.
- Taste test the pasta that it is al dente.
- As soon as the pasta is al dente add salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn off the flame and add the cabbage. Mix it all together.
- Serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- garnish with jammy soft-boiled egg
- garnish with something spicy
- garnish with cut seaweed
- serve with toasted French bread with garlic butter on the side
- add sausage
Leave a Reply