Hearty Chicken Soup (Printable)

Comforting soup loaded with chicken, vegetables, herbs, and optional grains for hearty warmth.

# Ingredient List:

→ Poultry

01 - 1.2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 large potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup frozen or fresh peas

→ Broth & Seasonings

09 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 bay leaf
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Optional

16 - 1 cup cooked noodles, rice, or barley (add at the end)

# How to Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chicken pieces, diced potato, bay leaf, dried thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the pot.
04 - Pour in low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked and vegetables are tender.
05 - Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the soup.
06 - Add peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in fresh parsley. If desired, incorporate cooked noodles, rice, or barley now.
07 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like someone who loves you made it from scratch, even though its ridiculously simple.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables are sitting in your crisper drawer and it still works.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when all the flavors have melted together.
02 -
  • If you pull the chicken out too early it wont shred easily, so wait until its fully tender.
  • Dont add the parsley until the very end or it loses its bright green color and fresh flavor.
03 -
  • If the broth tastes flat, a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper can wake everything up instantly.
  • Let the soup rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving so the flavors settle and deepen.

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