Chicken Vegetable Soup
This Chicken Vegetable Soup recipe is an uncomplicated soup that really lets the flavors of the chicken shine through. But, you could also consider this recipe a jumping-off point; you’ll get a nice, flavorful broth chockful of chicken, carrots, celery, and onion. Then, feel free to add in your favorite veggies before serving to make this soup just what your tastebuds are craving.
Ingredients
- 2 Split Chicken Breasts bone-in, skin on (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon of oil olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 cup diced celery 3-4 stalks of celery
- 8 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of diced carrots 5-6 carrots plus more if you want to add them in later.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Drizzle oil in the bottom of a large soup pot and heat over medium heat.
- Add chicken breasts, skin side down, and cook for 5-10 minutes until chicken fat is rendered.
- Remove chicken from pot and set on a plate.
- Add onions and celery, scraping up any chicken bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent. Don't let them brown. You may need to turn your heat to low to keep them from browning.
- Return the chicken breasts to the pot, along with the carrots, chicken broth, marjoram, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes, until meat is just cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot again and let it cool. Once it is cool, shred the chicken.
- While the chicken is cooling, add whatever veggies you would like to add to the pot. See note 2 for suggestions for additional veggies and their cooking times.
- Add the chicken back just before serving, just enough time to warm it. If you are adding any pasta and grains, add them now as well.
Notes
Note 1:
This homemade chicken vegetable soup recipe takes advantage of the flavorful chicken fat in the skin and the bones to add extra oomph to the stock and soup.
When you cook with bone-in, skin-on chicken, you’re getting a deeper, richer chicken stock and meat. The bones release collagen and marrow goodness into the broth and meat, and the skin brings its own fatty richness. The meat usually ends up more tender and juicy when cooked bone-in; the bone is the ultimate meat tenderizer. It does take a bit longer to cook than boneless breasts, but it’s worth the wait in this case.
If you opt for boneless skinless chicken breasts, know that the meat and broth will be a bit more neutral. It will absorb the flavors from the broth and veggies, but they won’t add as much. Boneless, skinless breasts will be leaner, which sometimes translates to “drier” if you’re not careful with your cooking time. One benefit is that they are quicker to cook and easier to chop up for the soup, which could save you some time if you’re in a rush.
One other option is chicken thighs. As a darker meat, they pack a richer, more robust chicken flavor compared to breasts. And thighs are naturally juicier and more forgiving if you cook them a little too long. They stay tender, so they’re pretty much foolproof. Whether we are talking boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone-in, skin-on thighs, you’ll get more flavor than you will with chicken breasts. And thighs are typically a more economical cut of the chicken as well.
If you are REALLY short on time, you could use cooked rotisserie chicken. Just saute the vegetables in olive oil or butter, unless you have some chicken fat in your freezer! Then proceed with the recipe. Once again, your soup will lack that umami that comes from the rendered chicken fat and the meat cooked on the bone. But sometimes, we just need to get dinner on the table! I get it.
Note 2:
- Fresh or frozen green beans: Fresh will need about 10 minutes to cook, while frozen will mostly just need to be warmed through
- Fresh or frozen corn: Fresh corn will need 4 minutes to cook, while the frozen will just need to be warmed through.
- Diced bell pepper, will need about 2-3 minutes to cook.
- Fresh or frozen peas will need 2-3 minutes to cook.
- You can add larger rounds of carrots as well as the diced ones. Give them 5-10 minutes to cook.
- Cubed potatoes will make your chicken vegetable soup heartier. The potatoes will need about 20-30 minutes to cook in the soup, so plan accordingly.
- Barley, rice, or even small pasta shapes will make this an even more filling soup. Just cook the grains separately and add them when serving to avoid them getting mushy. Add some noodles for a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup!
- A handful of spinach or kale can add color and nutrients. Toss them in near the end so they stay vibrant.
- Add a can of diced tomatoes after you’ve sautéed your onions and celery but before you add your chicken and broth. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes before you add the chicken and broth. This allows the tomatoes to meld into the base flavors without overpowering the soup. Just a quick heads-up: the acidity from the tomatoes might break down veggies like potatoes a bit more than usual, so keep an eye on them.
- Not a fan of marjoram or thyme? Rosemary, sage, or even bay leaves can mix things up.
Nutrition
Calories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 14gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 243mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2203IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
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