Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe
User Reviews
5
Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe
Description
The recipe begins by soaking cannellini beans overnight or with a quick soak method, ensuring tenderness. Chicken breasts are seasoned and seared for flavor and moisture retention. Vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, garlic, cremini mushrooms, and cubed butternut squash are sautéed until lightly browned, which develops richness.
After returning chicken to the pot along with drained beans and chicken stock, the soup simmers for one to one and a half hours until chicken is tender and shreddable. The chicken is shredded and mixed back into the soup alongside fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Before serving, individual bowls are garnished with a handful of julienned kale, adding a fresh green crunch.
This soup has a thick, stew-like consistency with a balance of sweet and savory flavors from the vegetables and herbs. Varied root vegetables contribute natural sweetness, while the mushrooms deepen the umami. It is practical as a make-ahead meal and stores well in the refrigerator or freezer.
The recipe suggests flexibility in vegetables, allowing use of alternatives like spinach, collards, or other root vegetables, and notes that the soup tastes best with the kale added fresh at serving to maintain its texture and color.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cannellini beans
- 6 cups of water
- 3 8- ounce chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil healthy
- 2 yellow onion peeled and small diced
- 3 carrot peeled, small diced
- 3 celery small diced stalks
- 4 garlic finely minced cloves
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms sliced into wedges
- 1 medium-sized peeled seeded and medium-diced butternut squash
- 96 ounces chicken stock
- 1 kale bunch, julienne
- 1 tablespoon thyme fresh leaves
- salt sea salt and fresh cracked, to taste
- black pepper sea salt and fresh cracked, to taste
Instructions
- Add the beans to a large container and cover them with water. Let sit overnight.
- To speed this process up, boil the water and cover the beans, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain before using it.
- Next, season the chicken breasts on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat and sear the chicken breasts on both sides, and cooked throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes per side.
- Set the chicken to the side and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and squash to the pot and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown.
- Add the chicken back in, along with the drained beans and chicken stock.
- Cook over low heat for 60 to 90 minutes or until the chicken pulls apart easily.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the soup and shred them. Add back to the pot along with fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Serve each bowl with a small handful of sliced kale.
Notes
- Soup improves if made up to 3 days ahead and stored refrigerated before adding fresh kale at serving.
- Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months; thaw in refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat soup gently over low heat until hot.
- Additional vegetables such as spinach, collards, peas, rutabaga, parsnips, turnips, or cabbage can be used.
- Adding kale just before serving preserves its bright color and texture.
- Quick soak method for beans involves boiling then resting in hot water for 1 hour to speed recipe.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 116kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 14mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 270mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 444mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 5852IU | 117% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 52mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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