15 Chicken Soups I Make When Someone in My House Starts Sounding Scratchy

The first scratchy voice in the house usually cues me to put a pot of soup on the stove.

I don’t pretend chicken soup can fix everything, but there’s something reassuring about having a warm bowl ready when someone feels under the weather, especially when the kitchen starts smelling like garlic, herbs, and broth.

Growing up, I learned that food was often one of the simplest ways to take care of people, and that instinct has stayed with me. These 15 chicken soups are the kind I’d make when someone at home starts sounding a little rough, from classic brothy bowls to hearty soups that can stand in for dinner.

Ajiaco Colombiano

Ajiaco is the soup my husband’s mom makes, and he is from Bogota. Three kinds of potatoes cook down until the broth turns thick on its own, with corn on the cob and shredded chicken in the same pot. Rice, avocado, and capers on the side make it a full meal for a house full of sniffles.
Get the Recipe: Ajiaco Colombiano

Classic Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe

Whenever I had a cold as a kid, my mom made this soup, and her mom made it for her. Bone-in chicken thighs simmer with onion, celery, and dill for about an hour and a quarter, then you shred the meat back into the strained broth. I make it for my own kids now.
Get the Recipe: Classic Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe

Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup – Eggless Avgolemono

Lemon is the star of this soup: one lemon is juiced into the pot at the start, and the second is stirred in near the end. No egg here, and the slow cooker cooks the chicken, carrots, ditalini pasta, spinach, and dill in about 2.5 hours. It is a light, tangy pick for someone who likes it scratchy and doesn’t want anything creamy.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup – Eggless Avgolemono

Light & Creamy Roasted Poblano Chicken Soup

One sheet pan does most of the work here. The poblano, carrots, and onion roast next to the chicken breasts, then get blended with broth and cream cheese while the chicken is shredded back in. Pepitas on top add crunch, and you can easily cut back on the chipotle powder if your throat is sore.
Get the Recipe: Light & Creamy Roasted Poblano Chicken Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Noodles that cook in the slow cooker all day end up swollen and soft, so I stir them in at the very end. Chicken, carrots, celery, and onion cook for 6 to 7 hours on low, then the wide egg noodles need only 20 to 30 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon, and it is the pot my family leans on when someone is sick.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Buffalo Chicken Orzo Soup

Think of buffalo wings in a bowl: cooked chicken, carrots, and orzo in a cheesy broth with buffalo sauce. Blue cheese crumbles and chopped celery on top make it taste even more like the real thing. It takes about 40 minutes and has real kick, so use a mild wing sauce if someone’s throat is sore.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Orzo Soup

Chicken Corn Chowder

This chowder makes just enough for two: one bowl for the sniffly person and one for whoever is taking care of them. Bacon cooks first, then flour, broth, and cream make a thick base for diced potato, chicken thigh, and corn. Sprinkle the saved bacon and a little cheddar on top.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Corn Chowder

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Add crushed tortilla chips on top at the last second so they stay crunchy. The soup under them is a tomato broth with chicken, black beans, corn, and green chiles, ready in about 35 minutes. Skip the chiles and chili powder if a scratchy throat can’t take the heat.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken and Rice Noodles

Not everyone in the house wants soup, even when one person does. The chicken marinates in soy sauce and gochujang for at least 4 hours, then gets stir-fried with cabbage, carrots, red pepper, and mushrooms and tossed with rice noodles. It is mildly spicy and easy to make milder, and it gives everyone else a real dinner while the sick one has soup.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Rice Noodles

Chicken Corn Soup

Cream-style corn and whole corn kernels make this soup thick and a little sweet, and the diced potato breaks down to thicken it even more. Sauté carrots, celery, and onion in butter first, then stir in rotisserie chicken at the end to save time. It makes 8 bowls, so there is enough for everyone in the house.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Corn Soup

Chicken Sancocho

My Colombian mother-in-law taught me this one, and I’m not sure I’ll ever cook it quite like she does. Chicken breasts, corn on the cob, red potatoes, yucca, and green plantains cook in one pot, and you mix in a quick tomato-and-garlic sauce called guiso at the end. It is thick and ready in about 50 minutes, which is a good thing to have on the stove when somebody in the house is sniffly.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Sancocho

Slow Cooker Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo balls started plenty of arguments between my sister and me, and now my kids keep that going. The soup cooks in the slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours; chill the matzo balls while it cooks, then add them for the last 30 minutes. It is the kind of pot my mom had ready whenever one of us had a cold.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Matzo Ball Soup

Chicken Borscht

My grandmother’s rule for borscht was chicken instead of beef, because it sits lighter. Beets, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots simmer in the broth, and you add a spoonful of plum jam at the very end. Make it the day before, since it needs a night in the fridge, and add extra dill when the kids are sick, like I do.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Borscht

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Pot pie filling is the star here, and you skip the crust completely. Chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, and peas simmer in a creamy broth with thyme, and it is done in about an hour. Serve with biscuits or oyster crackers on the side, and leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, so one pot covers a few sniffly days.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken And Dumpling Soup

Drop the dumpling dough by the spoonful right on top of the soup, put the lid on, and leave it alone for 13 to 16 minutes. Underneath are carrots, celery, onion, and chicken in a broth seasoned with poultry seasoning, and the whole pot takes about 35 minutes. Keep the lid on for soft dumplings on a sniffly night with very little fuss.
Get the Recipe: Chicken And Dumpling Soup

When someone in the house starts sounding scratchy, put the kettle on, start the soup, and make dinner feel a little more comforting.