Chicken Sopas is creamy, delicious, and the best way to warm up on rainy days or in cold winter. This Filipino noodle soup is loaded with chicken, macaroni, vegetables, hot dogs, and flavorful broth for the ultimate comfort food.
This chicken sopas was originally not on my countdown list, but I came across a post in a Facebook recipe group from a member asking what would go well with sopas for Christmas. I can't believe I didn't think of this Filipino soup when planning my holiday posts!
I mean, seriously, what can be more comforting and satisfying than a piping hot bowl of chicken soup on a chilly Christmas day? Well, maybe a piping hot bowl of sopas AND cheese puto.
What is Sopas
Sopas, which literally means soup, is a staple in Filipino cuisine. But although there are many dishes we can classify as sopas, such as pancit lomi and chicken sotanghon, it is most commonly associated with a soup made of elbow macaroni, vegetables, and milk-infused broth.
While flaked chicken is the most popular protein ingredient, other meats such as ground beef, diced pork, or even corned beef are also used to make the soup.
Ingredient notes
- As in any good soup, broth is the heart of this recipe. Boneless chicken might be more convenient, but for a full-bodied taste, I recommend using bone-in.
- For my sopas, I usually saute a mirepoix as the base. The combination of onions, celery, and carrots, along with napa cabbage, serves as the added vegetables in the soup and brings tons of flavor.
- Hot dogs are a classic addition to sopas, but you can also use cubed ham, Vienna sausages, or liver.
Cooking tips
- I like to gently simmer the chicken in aromatics until cooked through and flake the meat. I then return the bones to the pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes to an hour to draw out their flavor. Although this step takes a bit more time, I promise the extra effort will be rewarded with a more robust flavor.
- The macaroni is cooked directly in the soup and the extra starch will thicken the broth nicely. If you prefer a thinner consistency or the soup begins to thicken over time, just dilute with additional water and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serving suggestions
Since the question "what to serve with this soup" is why I updated and reposted this chicken sopas recipe, let me share with you how I set it up for a large crowd.
- When the soup is ready, I transfer it to a crockpot or a chafing dish to keep it hot throughout the party. As I love to round off the soup with extra trimmings, I place individual mugs to serve it in and small containers of chopped green onions, hard-boiled eggs, and fried shallots or fried garlic bits by the crockpot so guests can garnish their bowls to their liking.
- The sopas is filling on its own, but I like to complete my set up with sides ofย puto, warm pandesal, saltine crackers, and tasty bread for a heartier meal.
- As pasta tends to absorb a lot of liquid, drying out the soup over time, I keep a pot of the creamy broth simmering on the stove to replenish the soup as needed quickly. I also like to undercook the noodles a little so they don't turn too mushy.
How to store
- If you're serving the chicken soup much later, you can cook the macaroni separately and add it to the sopas when ready to serve.
- Cool leftovers completely and store them in a tight-fitting lid container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing this soup as the pasta doesn't hold up and turns mushy from the freezing and thawing.
- Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat until completely warmed through. Add more broth, water, or milk to loosen the consistency as needed.
More noodle soup recipes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken parts
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 cups water
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 hot dogs, sliced diagonally into ยฝ-inch thick
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, cubed
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- ยฝ small napa cabbage, chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
- green onions, chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine chicken, quartered onions, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 10 cups water.
- Over medium heat, bring to a boil, skimming scum that may float on top. Once the broth clears, lower heat and cover. Continue to cook for about 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and fork-tender. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken from the broth.
- Allow chicken to cool to touch, pull meat from the bones, shred and set aside.
- Return the bones to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain Using a fine mesh sieve, strain broth to remove sediments and reserve about 8 cups.
- In another pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add hot dogs and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Keep warm.
- Add the chopped onions, celery, and carrots to the pan. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until softened
- Add macaroni and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the reserved broth and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Add evaporated milk, shredded chicken, and hot dogs. Continue to cook simmer until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add napa cabbage and cook for about 1 minute or until tender-crisp.
- To serve, ladle soup in individual bowls and garnish with eggs and green onions, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Manuel Javier says
Can I store in the freezer. How long can it stay and not spoil.
Lalaine Manalo says
You can freeze for up to 2 months.
Ana Marie Merano Raymundo says
I love to eat chicken sopas!
Lia Ci says
Never tested your soupas but looks delicious. can i print your recipe. I wanna try, thank.
katie sghendo says
yummy must try this on sunday my family come over for dinner tks for sharing
Lalaine Manalo says
Enjoy!
Enzo says
Hi po..if someone is lactose intolerant, what can we add as substitute to the evaporated milk. Will soya milk be ok? Thanks for the reply!
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can swap soya milk ๐
Nicole Umali says
Is it possible to actually cook it in the crockpot Ate?
Lalaine says
I am sure you can do it in the slow cooker. I haven't personally done it, though, so I am not sure how long it would take ๐
Jay says
Hi Lallaine, I wonder, how can we avoid macaroni or noodles sucking up all the soup when its already time to serve the pasta are now sloppy and the soup is gone?
Lalaine Manalo says
Try to brown the pasta more in the oil. This will keep it from absorbing a lot of liquid.
Sacha says
Trying this recipe today, from a rainy, cold day in NYC, and I'm very much looking forward to it.
For what it's worth - I hope you keep sharing your stories and how you came to use the recipe you post; if there are people out there who just want the recipe and don't need the story, they can spend the two seconds it takes to scroll down and go directly to the ingredients list and directions.
I'll share pictures and results later today!
Lalaine says
Thank you so much!
Iris says
Hello! This is the second recipe of yours that I've used and I'm glad your website popped up when I was looking for this chicken sopas recipe! My boyfriend is Filipino and I love cooking his favorite childhood dishes his mom used to make. I had no idea what this was supposed to taste like since I'd never had it before but we loved it and he said it tasted just like he remembered! Thank you for your authentic recipes! I will have to try more!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thanks for the 5-stars! Glad you enjoyed it. And yes, please, try more recipes. ๐
Mark says
it should have been better if filipino recipes like this were using grams instead of ounces...
Lalaine says
Hello, Mark,
I apologize for the inconvenience. I understand the metric system is used in the Philippines but I live in the U.S. and I am more used to cups and ounces in my cooking. I wanted to use the system I am most comfortable with. There are a lot of sites, however, you can use to easily convert from Imperial to Metric, if needed. ๐
JRTG says
OK. So It's been one full year and i am back on this recipe because i am cooking this tonight on New Year's. We will be having this soup while listening to Mairi Campbell and dave Francis' Auld Lang Syne. <3
Lalaine says
What a beautiful (and delicious!) way to spend an evening ๐
JEN says
Hello, is the bay leaves fresh or dried? I'm planning to cook this soon & I was just wondering. Thank you ๐
Josie says
I like all your recipes, but I hate reading your intros. the cursive font makes them hard to read. So I don't bother and go straight to your recipes.
Lalaine says
Hi Josie
I am working on changing the font so please bear with me.
joyce says
Here in the province, chicken sopas is also served on lenten season during 'pabasa'. And tomorrow, we are going to cook this for breakfast for the death anniversary of my uncle. I will be in-charge of this, as requested, that is why I am keeping my fingers crossed. Whew! I need to ready my printout then. (~wink~) Btw, 10 cups (water?) Thanks!
Lalaine says
Hi Joyce
Yes, 10 cups of water. I corrected the recipe, thanks ๐
Belle says
No you didn't corrected it yet.
JRTG says
I need to have some of this before winter completely goes away, if only I can fix my schedule to do so. I need to cook it before January 2015 is over. It's no fun serving this on a hot season.
Lalaine says
Hi JRTG
Yes, this sopas is best served on cold, winter days. Hope you find the time to make it ๐
Food Planet PH says
This is insanely yummy to look at! Really perfect for rainy days <3 Awesome post by the way ๐
Lalaine says
Thanks ๐