6 Ways To Spice Up Your Bland Chicken Soup And Make It Taste So Good You’ll Never Go Back

We’ve all been there: you’re craving chicken soup, but instead of the comforting, delicious meal you were expecting, it’s downright bland.

And then you take a bite of the carrot and celery in your bowl, only to find that those also lack any seasoning whatsoever.

What gives?

Well, there’s no need to panic—we’ll show you how to fix bland chicken soup in no time!

What is chicken soup?

Chicken soup is a very popular dish that’s served as both a remedy for colds and flu and just a comforting soup.

It can be made with chicken, vegetables, herbs, and other favorite ingredients for added flavor.

Chicken soups are often served hot but can also be enjoyed cold on hot summer days.

Some people even add noodles, pasta, or grains to their soup recipes so they will absorb some of the broth while still being soft enough to eat when done cooking.

Doing this gives you a more filling meal without needing other dishes.

Chicken soup can be made from scratch, but in case you have no time for cooking, the good news is that there are various brands offering this product on the market, and you need to choose a reputable brand with good-quality chicken soup.

Why is my chicken soup bland?

Soup that’s bland—no matter how you like it (chunky or smooth, with or without broth)—is a common problem.

Here are the most common causes:

• Not enough salt: Normally, canned chicken broth is salty and higher in sodium.

But when you make your chicken broth as the base for your soup, chances are there isn’t enough salt in it to season your soup sufficiently.

Seasoning with salt is essential for bringing out the flavor of other ingredients, so don’t skimp here.

But be careful when adding salt because you will likely overseason it and make it too salty.

• Lack of acidity and herbs: Acidic ingredients like lemon juice and vinegar enhance flavors by breaking down proteins into smaller particles that increase their surface area (and, therefore, their ability to interact with taste buds).

Herbaceous ingredients such as parsley or rosemary also have this effect.

In addition to adding depth to a dish, acidity and herbs can help balance out rich flavors and make the soup more flavorful and fragrant.

6 ways to fix bland chicken soup

Even if you end up with a tasteless chicken soup, the good news is that there are many ways to save it.

If you have the following ingredients available in your kitchen, consider using one of our solutions.

Otherwise, just reduce the soup and let the flavor develop.

Add salt

Adding salt is one of the first things that come to our minds when something is bland.

A little bit of salt in the water will not make your soup salty.

It will, however, make it taste better.

Salt is a cheap and available ingredient that you can find anywhere in the world.

It will help save a bland soup, but if you find your soup not sweet and flavorful as it used to be, then try out other tips below.

Add acid

If your soup is too bland, add acid to it.

Acid can be added in the form of lemon juice, vinegar, lemon pepper, or even lime juice and zest.

If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to run out of lemons (or if you’re just out of them), you can also use lime juice instead.

If you don’t have either on hand but still want some extra oomph for your chicken soup recipe because it’s just not exciting enough yet—we’ve got another solution!

Just add some freshly ground black pepper, and voila: A quick fix that’ll make even plain old chicken noodle soup taste fresh again.

Add fresh herbs

To make your chicken soup more flavorful, add fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, or parsley.

Fresh herbs are much better than dried ones because they have a pleasant and lighter flavor compared to the bolder flavor of dried herbs.

You can also use thyme and rosemary if you want to give your soup an Italian feel.

If you’re not a fan of any of these herbs, try adding rosemary to a French chicken broth for a warm wintertime meal that’s perfect for entertaining guests.

If you’re not sure how much to add, it might be best to start with just one sprig of each herb per cup of broth (or whatever measurement your recipe calls for).

Taste it after 30 minutes and see if it needs more seasoning; if so, reduce or increase the amount accordingly next time!

Add cheese

There are many ways to fix bland chicken soup, and adding cheese is one of them.

Add shredded cheese, such as cheddar or parmesan.

You can also add crumbled feta if you’re feeling fancy.

Cheese is a little salty on its own, so if you have some cheese in your soup, you will not only have a saltier but also richer taste and texture.

Reduce it

If you’ve got a bland chicken soup and don’t hurry to serve it, then reducing it is one of the easiest ways without any additional ingredients involved.

Reducing it means taking the liquid in your pot and boiling it down by half.

This concentrates the flavors of the meat and vegetables while also getting rid of some of the water they were cooked in.

Use homemade chicken broth

Using homemade chicken broth instead of store-bought broth is always a healthier option.

Moreover, homemade stocks are usually more flavorful than processed items, adding extra flavor to your soup.

If you don’t have time to whip up your own broth from scratch, opt for a good quality brand like Swanson Natural Goodness Chicken Broth.

Conclusion

You now know how to fix bland chicken soup with ease.

You can try each solution and find out which one works best, or simply use the available ingredients in your kitchen to save your tasteless chicken soup immediately.