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Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup

March 19, 2019 by Lucy Parissi 16 Comments

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Chicken and vegetable soup pin

This Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup is perfect for chilly days! Packed with vegetables and easy to make on the stove or your Instant Pot. 

You will also love Pot Roast Chicken Rotisserie Style!

Post may contain affiliate links. For more information, check my disclosure

Bowl of homemade chicken vegetable soup

Syn Free | Only 7 SmartPoints on WeightWatchers

What a week we have had… The whole family was hit by a nasty cold, starting with my husband and then wiping everyone else in its path. The only thing I could bear to eat, the only thing I actually CRAVED, was this homemade chicken and vegetable soup.

There must be some truth in the ‘chicken soup as a cold cure’ folklore, this nutrient-rich soup felt like the immune boost I needed! And if nothing else, it is a great way to sneak a great many vegetables into your diet 😉

How do you make chicken vegetable soup?

Start by cooking your base vegetables – onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and squash – in a little olive oil. Once these have softened you can start building your soup!

Cooking vegetables for chicken soup

Add your stock – chicken or vegetable broth are both fine. Then you have several options for the chicken itself. You can, as I have here, use chicken tenders  which poach in the soup.

But you can also use leftover roast chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken or even a whole chicken (as in this Italian Chicken Soup).

I prefer to use mini chicken breasts (chicken tenders) as they cook really quickly. I also like to add a little tomato paste for some colour and flavour, but you can leave it out if you want a clear broth.

adding chicken breasts to chicken vegetable soup

After the chicken and vegetables have simmered for about 20 minutes you can add any vegetables that quick quickly such as zucchini, corn or green beans. I also like to add fregola which is is a type of small Sardinian pasta that looks like giant couscous (a.k.a Israeli couscous).

If you can’t find it you can substitute with risoni or orzo pasta or rice for a gluten-free version. Whatever you choose to use, keep in mind how long it needs to cook and add it to the soup accordingly.

Adding pasta to homemade soup

Remove the cooked chicken from the soup, shred it and stir it back in, together with plenty of fresh herbs. Always check the seasoning at this stage, adding salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.

Adding vegetables and shredded chicken to soup

Serve the soup with lemon wedges on the side, maybe with a little grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and a slice of crusty bread. Have I already said how freaking yummy this is?

Table with three bowls of chicken vegetable soup

How to add flavour to your soup

The vegetables and chicken will naturally add lots of flavour to your soup. Using a good chicken stock is a no-brainer, but I have had great results using bouillon powder, such as Kallo.

For extra flavour you could try using bone-in chicken (or a whole chicken). It adds a bit of work to this otherwise very simple recipe, so I usually go for the easy option, especially if I am battling a cold!

Add plenty of fresh chopped parsley, a little lemon juice and some grated Parmesan when you are ready to serve. For a real flavour boost you could stir in a little pistou. 

Pot of chicken and vegetable soup

How to thicken your soup

The potatoes and squash break down while cooking and add a lot of thickness to this soup. The pasta also makes it very hearty and since pasta absorbs water you might find you need to dilute your soup with a little hot water when reheating.

Storing and Freezing

You can store the soup for 3-4 days in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer. I like making this on a Monday and having it for lunch through the week – I really never tire of it.

If you plan on freezing it I would advise leaving the pasta out and adding it when you are reheating the soup.

Always make sure the soup is piping hot when you are reheating it. Remember you might need to add a little hot water to dilute it as it tends to get thicker the longer you keep it.

Overhead shot with two bowls of chicken and vegetable soup on a rustic board

What if I don’t have all the ingredients?

Don’t let that stop you! You can use your favourite vegetables in this soup and feel free to substitute what I have used. I would keep the base vegetables – onions, celery and carrots – and freestyle on the rest.

If you leave the chicken out and use vegetable stock then this soup easily becomes vegetarian/vegan. By the way, if you are avoiding pasta you can easily leave it out or replace it with rice, beans or chickpeas.

Can I make this soup in my Instant Pot?

Yes you certainly can! I made this chicken vegetable soup in my Instant Pot today and since I was short of time it was a ‘dump and start’ sort of soup but it tasted just as delicious! You will find detailed instructions in the recipe card, bear in mind that the pasta, corn and courgette are added at the end. 

Is this Slimming World friendly?

Here’s the good news – this chicken vegetable soup is free and so filling that it will keep you going without getting hungry. And if you leave out the potatoes and pasta you can even make it suitable for Extra Easy SP.

If you are following Weight Watchers you will be pleased to know that a serving is only 7 SmartPoints 🙂

Chicken Soup Recipes to suit all tastes!

Sicilian Chicken Soup

My Sicilian Chicken Soup is hearty, delicious and super easy to make in your Slow Cooker or the stove. It is packed with vegetables, healthy and slimming friendly too! I guarantee it will become one of your favorite soup recipes.
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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup – hearty, healthy and so delicious! This easy chicken enchilada recipe is packed with flavor, super filling and slimming friendly too. Customise with your fave toppings and prepare to want a second bowl! See the notes if you want to use fresh chicken.
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Keto Chicken Soup – Hearty and Delicious!

This Keto Chicken Soup recipe is packed with vegetables and shredded chicken. A great low carb soup that’s nourishing, delicious and so filling!
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Have you made my chicken vegetable soup recipe? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!

Bowl of homemade chicken vegetable soup

Hearty chicken vegetable soup

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes
This hearty and healthy chicken vegetable soup is perfect for chilly days! Packed with vegetables and easy to make on the stove or your Instant Pot. Slimming World friendly!
4.51 from 65 votes
Print Rate
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Continental
Keyword: Chicken vegetable soup
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 203kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion , finely diced
  • 4 celery sticks , finely diced
  • 3 carrots , peeled and cubed
  • 1 large potato , peeled and cubed
  • 150 g | 1 cup cubed butternut squash
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning
  • 1.4 litres | 6 cups hot chicken stock (broth)
  • 900 g | 2 lbs chicken tenders (mini chicken breasts)
  • 3-4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 zucchini (courgette), cubed
  • 150 g | scant 1 cup sweet corn (from a small tin, drained)
  • 150 g | 1/2 cup fregola or risoni pasta
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp parsley , chopped, plus extra to serve
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • A little graded Parmesan to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pot.
  • Add the onion, celery, carrots, potato and squash, stir in the salt and herbs and sauté over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Pour in the stock and bring to a low simmer.
  • Add the chicken and stir in the tomato paste.
  • Simmer for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
  • Stir in the zucchini (courgette), corn, pasta and lemon juice and cook for 10-13 minutes, or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
  • Take the soup off the heat and remove the chicken using tongs.
  • Shred the chicken using two forks and return to the pot.
  • Stir in the parsley. Taste the soup and season with pepper and salt, if needed.
  • Serve the soup with lemon wedges on the side, sprinkled with a little grated Parmesan if you like.

Instant Pot method

  • Add the onion, celery, carrots, potato, squash, salt, herbs, stock and chicken to your Instant Pot. Stir in the tomato paste.
  • Cover, set vent to sealing and cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. Release pressure manually.
  • Stir in the zucchini (courgette), corn, pasta and lemon juice and cook for 3 minute son high pressure. Release pressure manually.
  • Take the inner pot out of the pressure cooker and remove the chicken using tongs.
  • Shred the chicken using two forks and return to the pot.
  • Stir in the parsley. Taste the soup and season with pepper and salt, if needed. 
  • Serve with lemon wedges on the side, sprinkled with grated Parmesan, if you like.

Video

Notes

Slimming World chicken vegetable soup 
Use cooking spray such as Fry Light to sauté the vegetables. This soup is syn-free, optional Parmesan can be part of your healthy extras or left out.
 
Please note I am not affiliated in any way with Slimming World. Syn values are based on the Slimming World online calculator. Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on the ingredients you choose, serving sizes etc.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 503mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8230IU | Vitamin C: 24.1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2.3mg
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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    May 25, 2023 at 2:27 am

    Does it matter what kind of potato or onion to use?

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      May 25, 2023 at 1:13 pm

      White / yellow onion preferably. With the potatoes I like to use Rooster / Maris Piper

      Reply
  2. Suzi Burgos says

    December 14, 2022 at 1:42 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! We will make this all winter long .

    Reply
  3. Amy says

    November 18, 2022 at 9:51 am

    I think your nutritional info may be off. Says only 6g of protein and 203 calories per serving? But two lbs of raw chicken breast alone, divided into 6 servings, would have about 47g of protein and 250 calories – just for the chicken breast alone. The soup looks delicious and I’m going to try it, just wanted to note this. I’m trying to find high protein lunch ideas, that’s why I was surprised at the low protein with that much chicken!

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      November 18, 2022 at 11:21 am

      Hi Amy, the nutritional calculator is not 100% accurate but thanks for bringing this to my attention

      Reply
  4. Christine Baird says

    November 08, 2022 at 4:06 pm

    Delicious – will definitely be making it again.

    Reply
  5. Kerry says

    July 14, 2022 at 7:05 am

    5 stars
    Delicious hearty and healthy soup. Thank you.

    Reply
  6. Nancy says

    December 30, 2021 at 12:12 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is the best ever!!

    Reply
  7. Andrew says

    January 11, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    5 stars
    Great soup, healthy and very tasty, and easy to make.

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      January 11, 2020 at 6:05 pm

      Thanks for your comment Andrew very glad you enjoyed it x

      Reply
  8. Hope says

    March 20, 2019 at 1:39 am

    5 stars
    I love chicken soup – it really is the perfect comfort food! We had this the other night and it was just what my family needed. Thanks for the instant pot and stove pot instructions.

    Reply
  9. Lisa says

    March 19, 2019 at 10:15 pm

    5 stars
    There are so many vegetables in this soup! And that’s a good thing! 🙂 Can’t wait to test this out before the summer comes!

    Reply
    • Amber H says

      November 02, 2022 at 10:30 pm

      4 stars
      I did the instant pot version and since I have celiacs and I think gluten free pasta in soup doesn’t work well, I omitted the pasta and doubled the potatoes. I also doubled the herbs and added some white pepper and red pepper flakes. I also had some end of the season tomatoes to use up so diced those in as well. It was a great healthy way to use up some veggies and have a prepped dinner for later in the week

      Reply
  10. Anita says

    March 19, 2019 at 10:13 pm

    5 stars
    Spring is always a time when people get cold, so please take care. 🙂 Your chicken vegetable soup looks super delicious. I love that it has squash in it, something I have never tried somehow. I must remember to add some for my next batch.

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      March 20, 2019 at 12:23 pm

      I think we have had more than our fair share of colds this year. It was particularly bad

      Reply
  11. Emily says

    March 19, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe looks great. Which do you recommend more, stovetop or Instant Pot? I worry that the vegetables would get too soft in the Instant Pot.

    Reply

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HEY, NICE TO MEET YOU!

Picture of Lucy ParissiHi, I am Lucy Parissi, the recipe developer, food  photographer and author behind Supergolden Bakes. If you are looking for easy sweet and savoury recipes that are packed with flavour you have come to the right place!  READ MORE

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