There’s just nothing like a big pot of homemade soup, especially on a fall day.
I started jones-ing for chicken vegetable soup this past week and hunted up an incredibly simple yet delicious version that can be doctored to suit your tastes.
One tip for this kind of soup… if you like to put in add-ons like spinach, broccoli or farro (see the bottom of this post for ideas), I recommend waiting until you’re actually heating up a bowl to eat. It will keep everything much crisper, fresher and better tasting!
This recipe and a similar soup that includes wild rice is available in my Flat & Happy Recipe Guide.
Serves 7-8
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter, or coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 5 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- (Optional) 1 cup fresh green beans, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried thyme)
- 1 pound organic chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 5-6 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth, as needed to cover (I mixed half vegetable broth and half water to cut the sodium)
- 1½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- In a large stockpot, melt the butter or coconut oil over medium heat and gently sauté the onion, garlic and chicken for about 5 minutes, until the onion is tender.
- Add the carrots, celery and green beans, thyme leaves (or dried thyme), and enough broth to cover the vegetables (about 5-6 cups). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve piping hot!
*Want to skip the chicken? Try using cubed squash or sweet potatoes instead. This soup is also a great base for any other add-ins you like. Here are a few ideas:
- Add in some cooked spaghetti squash noodles for a grain-free option
- Add in whole-wheat noodles.
- Add in spinach or steamed asparagus and broccoli, plus a few tbsp. farro. If you try this option, add these in when you’re heating up a bowl to eat so it is as fresh as possible!
My Flat & Happy Recipe Guide is filled with meals that taste good and are good for you.
Available in print, PDF and iBooks format.
