Be sure to pair this with my crusty, airy, No Knead Bread!
Chicken Vegetable Soup
This recipe, without a doubt, is my favorite freezer food of all time. I make it in huge batches and fill up my freezer for easy (and healthy!) lunches during the week. It makes such a great base that you can serve as-is, but there is plenty of broth to accommodate the addition of rice, tortellini, pasta, potatoes, and more! I like to freeze the soup as-is and customize the portion sizes when I reheat it later. See below for instructions on how I recommend incorporating each of these add-ons!
What Makes My Version Different
My version, unlike most, instructs that you sear the chicken in the soup pot first. This adds a delicious golden crust on the outside, which is super tasty but also adds great texture. Not only that, but it adds a beautiful golden fond to the soup pot, which works its way into the broth, making it SO much more flavorful. The chicken doesn’t even need to cook all the way through, it’ll continue to cook later as it slowly simmers in the soup, which ensures that it’s nice and juicy. (Not tough/chewy.)
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Season chicken with salt/pepper and sear in olive oil for 3 minutes per side. Set aside, let rest for 10 minutes, then shred/dice. (It’s okay if the middle isn’t cooked yet, it will finish simmering slowly in the soup, which will make it nice and juicy and give the broth plenty of flavor.)
Melt butter in the same pot and use a silicone spatula to clean the fond from the surface, this will transfer flavor into the broth. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Soften for 5 minutes.
Add hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine, then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the soup and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Add the frozen vegetables and simmer for 10-15 more minutes, then serve!
Crock Pot Method
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, including diced/uncooked chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8. Better Yet! If you’re able, sear the chicken first. (This crock pot allows you to do that right on the stove top without dirtying up another pot), then you can add the butter and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot, which makes the broth more flavorful and adds color and texture to the chicken. Then add remaining ingredients and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8.
What to Add to Chicken Vegetable Soup
Tortellini:
This is my favorite addition to use, I use Rana 5-cheese tortellini, but any variety is really good in Chicken Tortellini Soup. I boil the tortellini on the side and add it directly to serving bowls. It only needs 4 minutes of cooking time! (You can also boil it in the microwave!)
Rice:
Chicken and Rice Soup is a classic. I use 2 + 1/4 cups of cooked rice. I cook the rice on the side and add it right to serving bowls to make sure that rice doesn’t absorb all of the broth when I store leftovers.
Pasta:
Orzo, acini de pepe, elbows, shells, ditalini, and orecchiette are all small pastas that make a great addition to this soup. (I would use 3/4 cup dry pasta.) I recommend boiling it separately and adding directly to serving bowls, as pasta will absorb the broth during storage. My Italian wedding soup recipe is a great way to incorporate pasta as well as small meatballs!
Potatoes:
Red potatoes are always a great candidate for soup because they hold up the best. Yukon golds are also creamy and delicious in this soup. Dice them up and give them about 20 minutes of simmering time in the soup, or until they are fork tender. Be careful not to overcook them as they can become crumbling and fall apart, especially if you plan on freezing leftovers. (Be sure to try my creamy chicken potato soup next!)
Vegetables:
Spinach and kale are my favorite vegetable additions to this soup, I add those right at the end as they only need 3-5 minutes to wilt/cook. Peas, squash, and zucchini may also be added when the frozen vegetables are added.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup freezes extremely well, it’s my go-to freezer recipe!
Try These Next
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– This is the one I use that’s pictured in this recipe. Food Storage Containers– These are what I use to freeze this in bulk! Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth. Silicone Spatula– To “clean” the pot throughout cooking, which incorporates flavor into the broth. It’s nice and gentle on the surface of your cookware. Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer. Pinch Bowls– For measuring seasonings, etc. ahead of time. Soup Ladle 16 oz. storage containers I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.
title: “Chicken Vegetable Soup” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-20” author: “Terry Voss”
Why You’ll Love It
It’s comforting. It’s warm and flavorful, and makes an excellent option if you like to meal prep for the week ahead. You can take a warm thermos with you to work or school! It’s flexible. The base of this soup is simply chicken and veggies, but you can add potatoes or a can of white beans to this recipe to make it even more of a complete meal, with extra fiber in each bite. If you have more veggies to use up, such as peas, spinach, or kale, those can also be added in! No special ingredients are required. Instead of relying on store-bought chicken broth or veggie broth, this soup recipe simply calls for water. When you cook the chicken, veggies, and seasonings directly in the water, it becomes just as flavorful as any other stock! So, you can save yourself a little money, and still enjoy a well-seasoned soup. It’s allergy friendly. As written, this soup is naturally gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free. To make it more filling, I will often add a can of drained and rinsed cannelini beans, but you can add any other extras you love. It’s easy to prepare. One of my least-favorite kitchen jobs is working with raw meat, and having to clean the cutting board later. If you feel the same way, you’ll love this cooking method! Instead of cutting the raw meat into chunks, and then cooking those, you’ll stick the whole chicken breasts into the soup pot and let them cook directly in the broth. When they are done, you can easily shred them with two forks, then add it back to the soup. Have a rotisserie chicken to use up? You can use that here, too! In that case, you might want to start with a quart of chicken broth, to make sure your soup has plenty of flavor. Then add in the shredded cooked chicken, and simmer until the veggies are tender. Be sure to start with less salt in this case, since veggie broth will already have some sodium added.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in chicken vegetable soup?
Chicken breastsOnionCarrotsCeleryGarlicThymeGreen beansSalt & pepper
This will give you a delicious broth base, similar to chicken noodle soup. If you prefer to use different veggies, you can also add in a can of diced tomatoes, or a bag of frozen corn or green peas. If you keep bay leaves on hand, you can also add one to the broth as it simmers. Just be sure to remove it before serving! Try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, just before serving, to help brighten up the flavor. I also like to add a garnish of chopped fresh herbs on top, like chopped parsley or basil.
How to Make Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Sauté the veggies. Pour the olive oil into a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, and saute the onion, carrots and celery until they start to soften, about 8 minutes. Once the veggies are soft, add in the garlic and dried thyme, and stir for one more minute, just until they smell fragrant.
- Simmer. Add in the water or broth, frozen green beans, chicken breasts, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 160ºF.
- Shred. Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts from the soup, and let them rest on a plate for at least 5 minutes, so they can finish cooking. (The internal temp needs to reach at least 165ºF for the chicken to be thoroughly cooked, but it will usually reach that while resting.) Then, use two forks to shred the chicken after they have had the time to rest. Then add the shredded chicken back into the soup pot, and give it a stir. Adjust any seasoning to taste at this point, adding more salt, or more water, if you prefer more broth. This is also the time to add a squeeze of lemon juice, to help brighten the flavor.
- Enjoy! Ladle the soup into bowls and serve it warm right away, with fresh parsley or a little shredded Parmesan cheese on top. Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Substitutions & Common Questions
Can I use chicken thighs? Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs are sometimes better in soup, because they don’t dry out the way chicken breasts can! If you use bone-in chicken thighs, just keep in mind that they will require a slightly longer cooking time. Be sure to use a meat thermometer, to ensure they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. Can I cook this in a crockpot? I think you can, but I haven’t tested that with this exact recipe yet. From experience with other slow cooker chicken recipes, I’d assume that this soup will cook in about 6 hours on low in a crock pot. But, always use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
When you want to change up your routine, try one of these ideas, too! Curry Chicken Soup. This is a huge fan favorite! It tastes amazing, and can be cooked in the Instant Pot, or on the stove top. Mexican Chicken Soup. If you prefer more of a tomato base, with a hint of spice, this soup is for you! It reminds me of tortilla soup. Looking for a vegetarian soup? Try Chickpea Noodle Soup, for a delicious vegan option. It tastes just as good as the kind made with chicken! If you try this Chicken Vegetable Soup recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it! SaveSave
