Weeknight dinners don't get any easier than this Chicken Vegetable Soup! Use precooked shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken. Delicious & versatile!
This chicken vegetable soup recipe is one of those easy dinner ideas that I fall back on over and over again. If you like to meal prep or are into healthy freezer meals, make a double batch of this soup to keep on hand for busy nights.
Whenever I make my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, I often use the chicken to make Thai Chicken Salad or tacos on the first night and a pot of this soup the following night.
I used a standard base mixture of onion, celery and carrots, then stirred in frozen peas at the end. If you're not a fan of peas, try green beans or fresh spinach or kale. Or sauté some mushrooms before adding the broth.
- Ingredients for chicken and vegetable soup
- How to make chicken vegetable soup
- Frequently asked questions
- Other easy, healthy soup recipes:
- Printable Recipe
Ingredients for chicken and vegetable soup
These are the main components of this recipe:
- Chicken: As mentioned above, I used my Instant Pot Shredded chicken. It’s great to have on hand for easy meals. Alternatively, keep reading for my directions for starting with raw chicken breasts (under the Frequently Asked Questions section below).
- Pasta: Almost any pasta shape will do. I used orzo, but ditalini and or elbow macaroni are other good small pasta options. If you want something a little bulkier, I recommend farfalle (bowties) or rotini (spirals).
- Vegetables: The standard mirepoix mixture – onion, celery and carrots – is the base for this soup. Frozen peas are added in at the end - no need to defrost them first.
- Broth: Use your favorite chicken broth, either homemade or store-bought. I used low sodium, then adjusted the seasoning at the end, but regular chicken broth works perfectly well.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning, fresh garlic, parsley, salt and pepper are all you need.
See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.
How to make chicken vegetable soup
This is a really easy soup and follows the most basic soup formula. Ever if you’ve never made soup before, it’s hard to mess this one up!
- Start by sautéing the mirepoix (that’s the onions, celery and carrots) until tender. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Next, pour in the broth, bring to a boil, then simmer to allow the flavors to meld.
- Add the orzo (or other pasta) and cook until it’s tender. TIP: Be sure to stir frequently, scraping along the bottom of the saucepan, so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and peas, adjust the seasoning and add the parsley. Done!
Frequently asked questions
Can I start with raw chicken?Yes! If you don’t have shredded chicken on hand, there are a couple of ways to make this soup if you’re starting with raw chicken breasts:
Chop & saute: Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive in the saucepan set over medium-high heat. Alternatively, spray the saucepan with olive oil cooking spray. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and cook the rest of the soup according to the directions. Add the cooked chicken back in at the end to reheat.
Poach the chicken: Poaching chicken is a fantastic way to achieve tender, shred-able chicken by simmering in hot broth. In the soup, add the chicken at the same time the broth is added. Place 2 small-ish chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each) on top of the vegetables, pour in the chicken broth, bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Simmer until the chicken breasts are cooked through, which takes about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, shred it, then add it back to the soup after the orzo is cooked.
You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken breasts.
This soup freezes really well. Allow the soup to cool, then transfer to either ziplock freezer bags or airtight glass freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
If using resealable freezer bags, fill the bags with the desired amount of soup, squeeze out any air, seal and stack flat on a baking sheet. Once frozen the frozen soup can be stored horizontally or vertically in your freezer.
Other easy, healthy soup recipes:
Light Salmon & Potato Chowder Recipe
15-Minute Wonton Soup Recipe
Pesto Turkey Tortellini Soup {30 Minute Meal}
Light Chicken Potato Soup
Printable Recipe
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 carrots cut into half-circles
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast (see Note 1)
- ⅔ cup orzo pasta (see Note 2)
- ¾ cups frozen peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a lively simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the orzo and cook until the orzo is al dente, 7 to 10 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to ensure that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and frozen peas. Heat until the chicken and peas are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Serve.
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Original Article
