Chicken vegetable soup is a hearty and comforting soup - the perfect weeknight meal on a cold winter day. It's filled with simple ingredients like chicken, green beans, mushrooms, celery, and carrots.
Chicken vegetable soup is my go to recipe when it's cold outside. There's nothing better than having a warm bowl of soup to keep you cozy during those chilly winter months.
This recipe is also helpful if you have a cold or are feeling a little under the weather. The hot chicken broth helps soothe a sore throat as well as hydrate you with fluids.
Serve chicken vegetable soup for a quick weeknight meal. It's great on its own or served with some cheese stuffed biscuits and a kale cranberry salad on the side.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken - You'll need cooked, lightly seasoned chicken for this recipe. A shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken work well. If you don't have cooked chicken on hand, cube some chicken breasts or thighs and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your stock pot for about 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and begin the recipe as written.
- Chicken broth - Can be substituted with vegetable broth. I don't recommend using a low sodium broth because a regular broth adds significant flavor to the recipe. If you need to use a low sodium broth, I recommend adding extra seasoning to make up for the lost flavor.
- Vegetables - Onions, celery, and carrots (also known as mirepoix) are added to create that classic chicken soup flavor. I don't recommend omitting any of these three ingredients. I've also added mushrooms and green beans.
- Garlic - Adds flavor to your soup. I recommend using fresh minced garlic for best flavor.
- Fat - I've prepared this recipe with both butter and olive oil. Feel free to use your preferred fat in this recipe.
- Seasoning - Thyme and bay leaves add a mild, savory flavor to the soup.
Tips and tricks
Use regular broth - For best flavor use regular broth, not low sodium. The salt in the broth adds significant flavor to the soup. If you must use low sodium broth, I recommend increasing the seasoning listed in the recipe or adding a bit of salt and pepper to make up for the lost flavor.
Brown your mirepoix - Browning the mirepoix (onions, celery, and carrots) adds significant flavor to the soup. Give them a few minutes to lightly brown around the edges and allow the onions to turn translucent. Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, it's important to add extra flavor where we can.
Frequently asked questions
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Yes, chicken vegetable soup can be frozen for up to three months. Pour into a freezer safe container (or a gallon sized freezer bag) and freeze.
Thaw the night before in the refrigerator. To reheat, pour into a saucepan and warm over medium heat until steaming.
Frozen mixed veggies, peas, chopped cauliflower, chopped broccoli, bell pepper, leeks, and chopped cabbage make great additions. You could also toss in a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach at the end with the chicken.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or butter
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed, halved
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 12 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onions to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add mushrooms and garlic, stirring to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add green beans, ground thyme, bay leaves, and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until green beans are tender.
- Add chicken to pot, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves from soup, and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Cooked chicken can be substituted with rotisserie chicken or canned chicken that's been drained.
- Leftover soup will keep for up to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until steaming.
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