Chicken soup is a familiar and comforting dish that warms you up all year round, and you can easily add some heat by incorporating chili flakes, chili seasoning, or hot sauce. This everyday meal comes together fairly quickly, and you can make a large pot of it – often, the flavors improve the next day.
- Chicken serves as a neutral base: Stronger flavors like onion, garlic, ginger, and spicy chili blend well with the mild flavor profile of chicken.
- Easily customizable: The same base works with rice, noodles, beans, and corn – you can make a clear broth or a creamier version and adjust the spiciness to your liking.
Next, we’ll walk through how to make this delicious spicy chicken soup, and at the end, we’ll share tips on selecting chili spices and how to customize the recipe for those who prefer a mild kick as well as for the chili enthusiasts.
Spicy Chicken Soup
Ingredients (4–6 servings)
Chicken
- 500 g chicken breast fillets (boneless and skinless)
Vegetables
- 1 onion
- 3–4 garlic cloves
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 tbsp oil or butter for sautéing the vegetables
Try using a spicier oil for an extra kick 👉 Banhoek Chilli Oil Garlic 250ml
Broth and Spices
- 1.5 l water
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp cumin
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt, to taste
Chili (choose one or more)
- Chili flakes: Gochugaru Korean Chili Flakes 50g
- Hot sauce: Poppamies Sriracha Hot Sauce 275g (medium heat), or Crazy Bastard Trinidad Scorpion & Clementine Hot Sauce 100ml (very hot)
Alternatively, replace the spices and chili flakes/sauce by adding a chili seasoning blend specifically developed for chicken to the pot. Don Cabron Spice Mix Tinga De Pollo (Pulled Chicken) 32g.
For finishing
- Fresh coriander or parsley
- Lime or lemon wedges
- If needed, 1-2 dl sour cream, heavy cream, or coconut cream to balance the spiciness, or if you prefer a creamier texture.
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Peel and finely chop the onion.
- Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
- Peel and slice the carrots.
- Chop the celery stalks.
- Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry with paper towels.
Cook the chicken and shred it.
- Place the chicken breasts in a pot and cover them with water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and let it cool for a moment.
- Shred the chicken into strips using two forks and set aside.
Sauté the vegetables
- Heat the oil, chili oil, or butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, or until it softens.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 30–60 seconds.
- Add the carrots and celery, and sauté for another 2–3 minutes.
Add the broth and spices.
- Pour 1.5 liters of water into the pot.
- Add the chicken bouillon cubes, bay leaf, thyme, and cumin, unless you chose the chili seasoning blend, in which case only add the chicken bouillon cubes at this stage.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken and chili.
- Add the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Add one or more of the following to taste (if you like it spicy, double the amount):
- 2 tablespoons chili flakes: Gochugaru Korean Chili Flakes 50g
- 2 tablespoons medium-heat Sriracha: Poppamies Sriracha Hot Sauce 275g
- 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce: Crazy Bastard Trinidad Scorpion & Clementine Hot Sauce 100ml
- Chili seasoning blend: Don Cabron Spice Mix Tinga De Pollo (Pulled Chicken) 32g
- Let the soup simmer for another 5–10 minutes. Taste along the way, and if needed, add salt, pepper, or more chili.
🌶️ Soosikauppa’s Tip: If the soup turns out too spicy, you can mellow the heat by adding to the pot either 1 dl sour cream/heavy cream/coconut cream, 1 tablespoon honey/sugar, or 1 dl chicken broth/water. Taste and add more if needed.
Finish and serve.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Taste and add salt and black pepper to your liking.
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Finish with fresh herbs and squeeze in a bit of lime or lemon just before serving.
Customize the spicy chicken soup to your liking.
Here are a few simple and effective variations you can try without making the soup too complicated.
Add creaminess: If you prefer a softer and richer version, add 1 dl sour cream, heavy cream, or coconut cream towards the end of cooking.
Add freshness: Top the soup with fresh coriander or parsley, squeeze lime or lemon on top, or add avocado cubes to soften the texture if desired.
Noodles: A heartier version is easily made by adding egg noodles or rice noodles to the soup during the last 8–10 minutes of cooking. If you’re making the soup ahead of time, cook the noodles separately and add them when reheating to prevent them from becoming too soft.
Lentils or Beans: For added texture and heartiness, add 1–2 dl corn or rinsed beans towards the end of cooking (e.g., black beans or kidney beans). Corn adds a touch of sweetness that balances the heat, while beans make the soup more filling without altering the flavor too much.
Heat levels for different preferences from the same pot: If multiple people with varying spice tolerances are eating the soup, keep the base milder in the pot and offer chili flakes, hot sauce, or chili seasoning on the table. This way, everyone can adjust the heat to their own liking.
Tips for Choosing Chili Spices
Chili Flakes: Chili flakes add heat and a bit of texture to the soup. They’re great if you want the spiciness to be clearly felt without altering the base flavor of the soup too much. Start by adding a little at a time, and wait a couple of minutes before tasting to allow the flavor to settle.
Chili Seasoning Blend: Chili seasoning blends often combine heat with other spices (e.g., paprika, cumin, garlic, onion). This is a great choice if you want a more defined twist to your soup, not just spiciness.
Hot Sauce: Hot sauce is the best option when you want to adjust the heat precisely, little by little – being liquid, it mixes more easily and quickly than spice flakes. A citrusy sauce adds a Southeast Asian twist to a clear chicken broth, while a smoky sauce pairs well if you’re making a creamier chicken soup. Vinegary and garlicky sauces work for both versions – if you want the flavors of the sauce to come through more prominently, add it in the last minutes of cooking. Want more ideas to bring extra kick and unique flavors to your spicy soup? Check out Soosikauppa’s spices and chili sauces specially suited for soups!
