As the evenings get colder, it’s time to cozy up with a bowl of this chicken vegetable soup! This soup is packed with lean protein, tons of veggies, and tasty flavor. It’s the perfect dinner for folks that are looking for a healthy one-pot meal to fuel their fitness (and their family)!
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of everything you’ll need, along with selected ingredient notes. While it looks like a lot, most are pantry staples or canned goods, so it’s not a costly meal!
- Chicken breast – This is a great protein-rich lean meat. You can use chicken thighs if you prefer those instead though.
- Veggies – You’ll use a ton in this recipe, including onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, canned tomatoes, canned green beans, and canned corn. Feel free to modify these a bit based on what you have on hand! For example, you could sub out yellow squash for zucchini, or maybe add a can of mushrooms instead of green beans. This soup is very flexible.
- Seasonings – This recipe includes garlic powder, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. For the crushed red pepper flakes, remember that those add a little bit of heat. If you don’t want any spice in your soup, you can skip that ingredient. If you want a spicy soup, feel free to add a little more.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe instructions in the recipe card, but here’s a helpful overview with process photos.
Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear it on both sides for about 3 minutes each.
Set the chicken aside on a plate for now (it’s not cooked fully yet; you’ll finish cooking it later in the recipe).
Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until they start to get tender.
Add the seasonings and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes – it should start to get nice and fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, potatoes, and broth to the pot.
Bring that mixture to a boil, then add the chicken breast back to the pot. Simmer that for about 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a cutting board (don’t put it back on the plate you set it on before when the chicken wasn’t fully cooked!).
Add the zucchini, green beans, and corn to the pot. Cook for about 6-8 minutes over medium-low heat, until the zucchini is tender.
While that’s finishing up, shred the chicken with two forks.
When the soup is just about ready, add the chicken back to the pot along with the lemon juice. Give everything a good stir and cook for about a minute just to reheat the chicken again.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you prepare this recipe:
Transfer leftovers to medium food storage containers, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Avoid storing all the leftovers in one huge container, as it can be difficult for large quantities of soup to cool down quickly in the refrigerator.
Yes. Freeze in food storage containers. Use within 3 months for best quality.
Yes! Instead of chicken, add two cans of beans towards the end of the cooking process.
Yes. Simply add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for approximately 6 hours. Note that chicken breast tends to cook rather quickly in the crockpot, so avoid cooking too long or chicken can become dry. It’s recommended to test the internal temperature of the chicken with a thermometer and turning off heat once it reaches at least 165 degrees F.
More Healthy Soup Recipes
If you love a good bowl of soup throughout fall and winter, here are some additional healthy recipes you might enjoy:
- Lemon ginger chicken soup
- Slow cooker beet, butternut squash, and chicken soup
- Butternut squash soup (made with frozen butternut squash)
- Creamy beet soup
- Roasted red pepper, tofu, and gouda soup
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to dig into a bowl of this veggie chicken soup, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 oz can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½-inch cubes
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 zucchini, chopped in ½-inch pieces
- 14.5 oz can of sliced canned green beans
- 15 oz can of corn
- ½ lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and add the chicken to the pot. Sear for 3 minutes, flip, and sear for another 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate for now.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Add the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, potatoes, and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken to the soup, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF. Remove the chicken to a cutting board.
- Add the zucchini, green beans, and corn. Cook covered for 6-8 minutes over medium-low heat, until the zucchini is tender.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken. When the zucchini is tender, add the shredded chicken and lemon juice to the soup. Stir to combine. Serve.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. In this case, skip the initial steps cooking the chicken, and simply add the shredded rotisserie chicken at the end.
Nutrition
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