Chicken Vegetable Soup
This chicken vegetable soup is the ultimate comfort food: a deeply savory, golden broth loaded with tender shredded chicken, hearty potatoes, and a vibrant medley of carrots, celery, zucchini, peas, and corn. Searing the chicken and building the broth with a butter-sautéed mirepoix infuses every spoonful with rich, slow-simmered flavor, all in under an hour.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot - at least 6-quart capacity
- Sharp chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Ladle
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two Forks - for shredding chicken
- Peeler - for carrots and potatoes
- Instant-read meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs - 680g
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion - diced, about 1.5 cups or 225g
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and sliced into rounds, about 1.5 cups or 180g
- 3 stalks celery - sliced, about 1 cup or 100g
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes - diced into 1/2-inch cubes, about 2 cups or 280g
- 1 medium zucchini - halved and sliced, about 1.5 cups or 190g
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes - 14.5 oz or 410g, with juices
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth - 1.9 liters
- 1 cup frozen peas - 130g
- 1 cup frozen corn - 140g
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and black pepper - to taste
- fresh parsley - chopped, for garnish
For Serving (Optional)
- crusty bread - for serving
- simple side salad - for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: peel and slice carrots, dice onion, slice celery, dice potatoes, halve and slice zucchini, mince garlic, and pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the seasoned chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium, add butter to the pot, scrape up the browned bits, and sautè the onion, carrots, and celery for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in thyme, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and all of the chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the drained potatoes, nestle the seared chicken back into the pot, and add the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer for 18-22 minutes until potatoes are tender and chicken reaches 165°F.
- Lift the cooked chicken from the pot and shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Add the sliced zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the frozen peas and corn and simmer for 3-5 more minutes until heated through.
- Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot with crusty bread or a side salad.
Notes
- Don't skip searing: The browned crust on the chicken adds deep savory flavor to the broth that you can't get from raw chicken.
- Scrape the fond: Those browned bits on the bottom of the pot after searing are packed with flavor—the butter and vegetables will help lift them.
- Uniform cuts: Cut vegetables into even-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate, avoiding mushy carrots and crunchy potatoes.
- Add delicate vegetables late: Zucchini, peas, and corn should only go in during the final 5-8 minutes to keep them tender and flavorful.
- Gentle simmer: A steady, gentle simmer keeps the broth clear and the chicken tender. A hard boil can make the chicken tough and the broth cloudy.
- Use bone broth: For a richer, more complex flavor and silkier texture, use low-sodium chicken bone broth instead of regular broth.
- Rotisserie shortcut: Use about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken. Skip the searing step and add the chicken during the last 5 minutes to heat through.
- Make it ahead: This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop. Store pasta or rice separately to prevent them from absorbing too much broth.
- Freezing: Cool completely and freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Customize it: Swap in sweet potatoes, parsnips, green beans, kale, or spinach. Add cooked pasta or rice for extra heartiness, or stir in cream for a creamy version.