Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup
- PREP 15min
- COOK 1hrs
- TOTAL 1hrs 15min
This easy chicken vegetable soup recipe has lots of veggies and chicken, making it perfectly hearty. Use about 2 cups of cooked chicken or follow our directions for cooking chicken from scratch. The soup is also delicious without the chicken added.
You Will Need
For the Chicken
1 ½ pounds (680g) skin-on chicken thighs, see notes
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
For the Soup
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup
2 medium carrots, chopped, about 1 cup
1 medium fennel bulb, core removed and chopped, about 1 ¼ cups
2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 bay leaf
8 cups (1.8L) chicken broth or veggie broth
1 medium zucchini, chopped, about 1 cup
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped, about 4 cups chopped
3/4 cup small dried pasta, like orecchiette or orzo
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 to 3 fresh lemon slices with seeds removed, optional
Grated parmesan cheese for serving, optional
Directions
Cook Chicken
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Make a bed for the chicken with a few sprigs of fresh herbs. Rub the chicken with a teaspoon of olive oil, then lightly season with salt and pepper.
Cook until a thermometer pierced into the thickest part reads 165°F, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside until the chicken is cool enough to touch. Remove the chicken from the skin and bones then chop into small pieces. Save juices from the baking sheet to add to the soup.
Make Soup
About 10 minutes before the chicken is ready, make the soup. Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat (we use our Dutch oven). Add 1 ½ tablespoons of oil, onions, carrot, fennel, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and look glossy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, herbs, turmeric, and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. When the stock comes to a simmer, you will likely need to turn the heat down to medium-low to keep it there. Stir in a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the zucchini, kale, pasta, and chopped chicken, and all of the cooking juices left at the bottom of the pan the chicken was roasted in.
Cook at a low simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Taste the soup and adjust with more salt (we usually add 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons total, but this will vary based on the broth you use).
Just before serving, drop the lemon slices into the soup. Serve with a bit of grated parmesan cheese on top (optional).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Pasta: If you plan to serve the whole batch of soup straight away, add the pasta according to our directions above. If you plan to enjoy the soup over a few days, it’s best to cook the pasta separately and add it when serving. The pasta will soak up the liquid as the soup sits and become mushy.
- Storing: The soup will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and in the freezer for up to a month. It’s best to keep the pasta and soup separate when storing since the pasta will absorb liquid and become too soft. If it seems dry when you reheat the soup, add a splash of stock or water — there should be enough flavor.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.