Delia Smith Chicken Soup Recipe
This Delia Smith chicken soup recipe is a light, comforting homemade soup made with tender chicken breast, carrots, celery, leek and potato in a gently infused chicken broth.
The method is deliberately simple: flavour the stock with herbs, gently poach the chicken, then cook the vegetables until tender before bringing everything together at the end. This keeps the chicken moist instead of leaving it tough and overcooked.
Important: This is an independent recipe inspired by techniques and flavours associated with Delia Smith’s soup recipes. It is not an official Delia Smith or Delia Online recipe.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Difficulty: Easy
- Course: Soup / Lunch
- Cuisine: British-inspired
Why This Chicken Soup Works
The key is not to cook the chicken for the entire time.
Thinly sliced chicken breast is gently poached in the seasoned stock for around 5 minutes, then removed while the vegetables finish cooking. It is returned to the soup just before serving.
This gives you tender chicken while the carrots, celery, potato and leek retain enough texture to make the soup feel like a proper meal.
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breasts (about 350g / 12 oz total)
- 1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken stock
- 1 medium leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
- 2 sticks celery, diced small
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced small
- 1 bay leaf
- A few sprigs fresh thyme
- A small bunch fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
- A squeeze of lemon juice, to finish
Choosing Your Chicken Stock
The stock is the foundation of this soup, so use the best one available.
Homemade chicken stock gives you the deepest flavour, but a good-quality ready-made stock works well when you want to get dinner on the table quickly.
If your stock is already salty, wait until the end before adding extra salt.
How To Make Chicken Soup
1. Infuse the stock
Put the chicken stock in a large saucepan with the bay leaf, thyme and parsley stalks.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and leave for 15 minutes.
2. Poach the chicken
Slice the chicken breasts into thin pieces and add them to the gently simmering stock.
Poach for about 5 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Cook the vegetables
Strain the stock into a clean saucepan and return it to the heat.
Add the carrots, celery and potato and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the sliced leek and cook for another 3 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Finish the soup
Return the chicken to the pan. Add the chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly milled black pepper. Serve hot.
The Important Part: Don’t Boil the Chicken
Keep the stock at a gentle simmer, rather than allowing it to boil vigorously.
The chicken only needs a short cooking time because it has been sliced thinly. Removing it while the vegetables cook prevents the breast meat from spending unnecessary time in the hot liquid.
How to Make the Soup More Flavourful
If the finished soup tastes flat, don’t immediately add lots of seasoning.
First taste the stock itself. Chicken stock varies considerably in strength and saltiness.
Then adjust gradually:
- Add salt if the broth needs more seasoning.
- Add black pepper for warmth.
- Add a little lemon juice to brighten the flavour.
- Use homemade chicken stock when you have time to make it.
The lemon should brighten the soup rather than make it taste distinctly lemony.
Using Leftover Roast Chicken
This is one of the easiest ways to turn leftover chicken into another meal.
If you already have cooked roast chicken, don’t poach it for 5 minutes. Shred or slice the cooked meat and add it near the end, just long enough to heat through.
This version has a slightly deeper roasted flavour than the freshly poached chicken version.
Chicken Soup With Noodles
For a more substantial bowl, add small pasta shapes such as orzo or stelline.
I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it to each bowl rather than leaving it in the soup if you expect leftovers. Pasta continues absorbing broth as it sits and can leave you with a much thicker soup the following day.
Chicken Soup With Rice
Cooked rice can be stirred into the finished soup for an easy chicken-and-rice version.
Again, adding the rice when serving is preferable if you’re preparing the soup ahead.
Can You Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes. Boneless chicken thighs give the soup a richer flavour than breast meat.
Slice them into small pieces and make sure they are completely cooked before serving. Because thigh meat is thicker and denser, don’t rely on exactly the same 5-minute cooking time used for thinly sliced breast.
Can You Use a Stock Cube?
Yes. A good-quality chicken stock cube can be dissolved according to the manufacturer’s instructions to make the required 1.2 litres of stock.
Because stock cubes vary considerably in saltiness, taste before seasoning the finished soup.
Can You Make Chicken Soup Ahead?
Yes.
The soup can be made ahead and refrigerated in a covered container. Reheat it gently in a saucepan until thoroughly hot.
If you’re deliberately making it ahead, keep noodles or rice separate and add them when serving.
Can You Freeze Chicken Soup?
Yes, although the vegetables may become softer after freezing and thawing.
For the best result, freeze the soup without pasta or rice. Thaw thoroughly before reheating and heat until piping hot.
What To Serve With Chicken Soup
You don’t need much alongside this soup.
Good crusty bread is the obvious choice, but you could also serve it with:
- Buttered toast
- A simple green salad
- Fresh baguette
- Wholemeal bread
- Cheese and crackers
Common Mistakes
Boiling the chicken too hard
A vigorous boil can make chicken breast tougher. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer.
Cutting the vegetables too large
Large chunks take longer to cook and can leave you waiting for the potato while the leek becomes overcooked. Small, even pieces cook more consistently.
Adding too much lemon
Lemon should lift the flavour, not dominate the soup. Add a small squeeze, taste, then decide whether it needs more.
Adding pasta too early
Pasta absorbs liquid as it sits. Cook it separately if you want the soup to remain brothy when reheated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Delia Smith have a chicken soup recipe?
Delia Smith has a dedicated soup collection, The Delia Collection: Soup, published in 2003. (Delia Online)
This particular chicken soup is an independent adaptation, rather than a recipe that should be represented as an official Delia Smith recipe.
How long does chicken soup take?
This version takes about 40 minutes from start to finish, including preparation and cooking.
How do I keep chicken breast tender in soup?
Slice the breast thinly and gently poach it rather than boiling it vigorously for a long period. Removing it while the vegetables cook also prevents unnecessary overcooking.
Can I make chicken soup with leftover chicken?
Yes. Add shredded cooked chicken towards the end of cooking and heat it thoroughly before serving.
What vegetables go well in chicken soup?
Carrot, celery, leek and potato make a simple combination. You can also add peas or other vegetables according to what you have available.
Can I add noodles?
Yes. Small pasta shapes, noodles or orzo make the soup more filling. Cook them separately if you plan to keep leftovers.
Storage
Cool leftover soup promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container.
When reheating, heat gently until the soup and chicken are thoroughly hot.
If the soup contains pasta or rice, the texture may become softer during storage.
Nutrition Information
Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings:
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Protein: 28g
- Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fibre: 4g
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the chicken, stock and vegetables used.
Recipe Source
Source: Independent recipe inspired by Delia Smith’s soup-making techniques and flavours.
Related publication: The Delia Collection: Soup, Delia Smith, BBC Books, 2003.
This website is an independent recipe resource and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Delia Smith or Delia Online.
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Delia Smith Chicken Soup
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kcalThis Delia Smith chicken soup recipe is a light, comforting homemade soup made with tender chicken breast, carrots, celery, leek and potato in a gently infused chicken broth.
Ingredients
2 skinless chicken breasts (about 350g / 12 oz total)
1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken stock
1 medium leek, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
1 medium potato, diced
1 bay leaf
A few sprigs fresh thyme
Small bunch fresh parsley
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Directions
- Simmer the chicken stock with the bay leaf, thyme and parsley stalks for 15 minutes.
- Add thinly sliced chicken and gently poach for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Strain the stock and return it to the pan. Add carrots, celery and potato and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the leek and cook for 3 minutesuntil the vegetables are tender.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Add chopped parsley and lemon juice.
- Season to taste and serve hot.
Notes
- Keep it gentle: Don't let the stock boil hard while cooking the chicken.
- For leftovers: Cook noodles or rice separately and add them to individual portions.
