Subway Chicken Noodle Soup

Yes, Subway's Chicken Noodle Soup is high in histamine. The chicken stock and the yeast extract in it are both high histamine ingredients, and they are the backbone of the broth rather than a small seasoning.

Why subway chicken noodle soup is rated high

Two things set this one. Yeast extract is a concentrated savory ingredient that sits high on histamine lists, and it is in the soup to make the broth taste deep. Chicken stock also runs high: stocks that are simmered a long while and then held warm before packing tend to sit up there, because holding a protein rich liquid warm can let bacteria build histamine, and reducing a stock concentrates whatever is already in it. On top of that base, the pasta brings semolina and wheat, which land at moderate, and the chicken and the eggs in the pasta are protein foods whose handling matters. The carrot and celery are the gentle parts, but they are floating in a broth that was already high before it hit the pot.

What changes your risk

• Stock and yeast extract set the level — these two are the high histamine components, and they are dissolved through the whole broth rather than sitting on top where they could be avoided.
• How long the pot is held — chicken and egg pasta make this a protein rich soup, so a batch held warm for hours can add to what the stock already brought, depending on how it is handled.
• The pasta stacks on — semolina and wheat sit at moderate, so the noodles add a second layer rather than diluting the broth.
• Cooking does not walk it back — heat kills bacteria but does not remove histamine that formed in the stock before it arrived, so a hotter bowl is not a lower one.
• Nothing here is optional — the stock and yeast extract are part of the published recipe, so there is no version of this soup with the high pieces taken out.

Lower-histamine alternatives

The only items at Subway that sit lower are Cucumbers, Lettuce and Red Onions, and none of them is a soup. So the honest answer is that there is no lower histamine soup here to swap to. Very fresh chicken that is cooked and eaten right away is generally a milder proposition than a long simmered, long held stock, but that is a point about home cooking rather than something on this menu.

How to lower the risk

This soup is sold as it is published, so ordering it means taking the chicken stock and yeast extract with it. If you are ordering at Subway and want to keep things lower, build around the lower items listed here, which are Cucumbers, Lettuce and Red Onions. If someone else in your group is getting the soup and you want the shortest holding time, a bowl from a batch that has just been set out has spent less time in the warm well than one poured at the end of the day, though the broth's ingredients are what put it at high regardless.

Common questions

Is chicken broth high in histamine?

Stocks and broths that are simmered for a long time and then held warm tend to run high, both because holding a protein rich liquid can let bacteria build histamine and because reducing it concentrates what is already there. That is why the stock in this soup is one of the two main drivers.

Why is yeast extract a problem?

Yeast extract is a concentrated savory ingredient that sits high on histamine lists, and it is used here to deepen the broth flavor. Even in small amounts it is counted as a high histamine ingredient.

Are the noodles the issue?

Not the main one. The semolina and wheat in the pasta sit at moderate and add to the total, but the chicken stock and yeast extract are what make this soup high.

Would it be better to drink just the broth and leave the noodles?

No, that goes the wrong direction. The broth is where the chicken stock and yeast extract live, so it is the part carrying the histamine.