This Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup is perfect for chilly days! Packed with vegetables and easy to make on the stove or your Instant Pot.
Syn Free | Only 7 SmartPoints on WeightWatchers
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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!
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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 🙂
Have you made my chicken vegetable soup? 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!
Hearty chicken vegetable soup
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.
Andrew says
Great soup, healthy and very tasty, and easy to make.
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks for your comment Andrew very glad you enjoyed it x
Hope says
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.
Lisa says
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!
Anita says
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.
Lucy Parissi says
I think we have had more than our fair share of colds this year. It was particularly bad
Emily says
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.