Chicken Vegetable Soup is a healthy broth-based meal loaded with shredded chicken, butternut squash, carrots, onion, garlic, and potatoes. Add in some kale (or spinach) and garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan for a filling, flavor-packed dinner.
Pair this comforting soup with some homemade Dinner Rolls or some French Bread.
The Best Chicken Vegetable Soup
I took one of my favorite recipes on the site — these Roasted Vegetables and turned them into a hearty, healthy chicken soup.
Chicken Vegetable Soup combines so many of my favorite things into one pot: caramelized, roasted root veggies, tender, seasoned chicken, a simple herbed broth, and greens. It’s an easy soup that’s pretty hands off once you’ve chopped up the veggies.
This soup is one of those meals you’ll feel great eating; it’s hearty, warm, and comforting while also being filled with healthy ingredients! If you’re looking for a flavor-packed soup to keep you on track with healthy eating goals, this chicken vegetable soup is it.
Ingredients In Chicken Vegetable Soup
The great thing about Chicken Vegetable Soup is that it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. It’s fairly simple and straightforward with plenty of pantry staples and root vegetables.
- Carrots: Coined & roasted for a touch of sweetness.
- Butternut Squash: Roasted to caramelized perfection. Sweet potatoes are a great swap if desired.
- Red Potatoes: For that hearty feel. Yukon gold or russets fit in just fine.
- Red Onion: Mild and tasty. Want more zing? Go for a yellow or white onion.
- Olive Oil: For caramelizing magic.
- Garlic: Roasted & smashed to elevate the soup’s flavor.
- Chicken Broth/Stock: The base. Bouillon or Better Than Bouillon® with water are alternatives.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Pre-cooked perfection! Cuts time & boosts flavor. Got raw chicken? No worries, I’ll guide you.
- Herbs: Dried herbs keep it simple. Got fresh ones? Even better!
- Greens: Kale’s my favorite, but spinach or collard greens jump in nicely too.
How To Make Chicken Vegetable Soup
The second photo down in this post is a photo showing the vegetables roasting. Directly above this text is a quick photo collage overview of the soup coming together. Below are written descriptions that correlate with numbering in the photo collage.
- While the vegetables are roasting, add chicken broth to a large stockpot with the dried herbs and a dried bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add in the shredded chicken.
- Pour in those hot roasted vegetables straight from the oven.
- Add the chopped kale right on top.
- Next, the garlic paste goes in. The garlic will be so soft from roasting, it will slip right out of the papery skin. Mash the garlic pulp into a paste by using the side of a chef’s knife. Add the mashed garlic to the soup.
- Stir everything together and heat until the kale is wilted.
- Serve Chicken Vegetable Soup and garnish as desired with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.
Quick Tip
Should you cover the pot? Using a lid helps soup boil faster. Once simmering, removing the lid lets steam escape, which can reduce the broth slightly.
Can You Use Raw Chicken In This?
Simmering raw chicken in soup keeps it moist and flavors the broth. Ensure it reaches 165°F for safety. While rotisserie chicken is a convenient and flavorful alternative, here’s how to use raw chicken:
- To use raw chicken:
- Boil 9 cups of broth.
- Slice chicken breasts into three parts for uniform cooking.
- Add chicken to boiling broth, season, and cover. Cook for ~10 minutes.
- Set heat to simmer, remove and shred chicken. Return to pot and adjust broth as needed.
- For detailed boiling tips, see here.
Storage
How To Store Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Cool Down: Let the soup come to room temperature.
- Container: Transfer the soup to airtight containers.
- Refrigeration: Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For longer storage, freeze the soup. Ensure there’s some space at the top of the container for expansion. It can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw in the fridge overnight if frozen. Warm on the stovetop over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally.
More Amazing Soup Recipes:
- Pasta Soup with Italian sausage
- Instant Pot Beef Stew hearty, filling stew
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup reader favorite recipe!
- Zuppa Toscana Soup made in the slow cooker
- Creamy Vegetable Soup easy stovetop soup
Chicken Vegetable Soup
Chicken Vegetable Soup is a healthy broth-based soup loaded with shredded chicken, butternut squash, carrots, onion, garlic, and potatoes. Add in some kale (or spinach) and garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan for a filling, flavor-packed meal.
Equipment
- 1 (21 x 15 inch) baking pan & parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup coined carrots (2 large carrots)
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash (1 small squash)
- 2 cups cubed red potatoes (3 potatoes)
- 1 cup cubed red onion (1 small red onion)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 9 cups chicken broth or chicken stock See Note 1
- 1/4 teaspoon EACH: dried marjoram, sage, crushed rosemary, thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken See Note 2
- 2 cups (lightly packed) kale
- Salt and pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme, optional
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking pan (21 x 15-inch) and line with parchment paper.
- VEGGIE PREP: Peel the carrots and butternut squash. Remove the seeds and stem from the butternut squash. Coin the carrots (about 1/4th-inch thick) and cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Leave the skin on the red potato and cube into 1-inch pieces. Remove the skin from the onion and cut into 1-inch chunks. Take 3 cloves of garlic (leave in papery covering) and place on a square of foil. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the garlic cloves on the foil and then wrap the foil with the garlic into a small ball (so that no garlic is exposed) and place on the prepared sheet pan.
- ROAST VEGGIES: Add the prepared carrots, squash, red potato, and onion to a very large (21 x 15 inch) sheet pan or 2 smaller ones. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the veggies with your hands and then spread into one even layer. Make sure veggies aren't overlapping, or they'll steam instead of roast. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and stir veggies around, bake for another 15 minutes, flip and stir them around and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until veggies are tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven.
- KALE: Remove the thick stems and cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Rinse the kale thoroughly and then dry in a salad spinner or with some paper towels. Set aside.
- CHICKEN: Meanwhile, add 9 cups chicken broth or stock to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the seasonings: 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, dried sage, crushed dried rosemary, dried thyme, and the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the 3 cups prepared and shredded rotisserie chicken. Add in the roasted veggies (except for the garlic). Then add in the 2 cups rinsed and dried, chopped kale. Remove the garlic from the foil. Press the garlic out of the papery skin onto a cutting board. Use the side of a large chef's knife to press down the garlic and mash to a paste. Add as much of this paste as you'd like to the soup. Stir everything together and cook for 2-3 minutes or until kale is wilted to desired preference.
- SERVE: Taste and adjust seasonings to preference adding more salt and pepper as desired. Serve the soup and garnish individual bowls with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I like to grate with a microplane) and fresh thyme if desired.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Broth: Instead of chicken broth, you can use chicken bouillon powder and hot water or chicken Better Than Bouillon® and hot water. I use chicken Better Than Bouillon and hot water and find it adds a lot of flavor and the right amount of salt. If using regular chicken stock, make sure to taste often and season as needed.
Note 2: Chicken: If you'd rather cook your own chicken breasts instead of using rotisserie chicken, use large breasts (about 1.25 pounds each) and follow the directions below:
- Add the 9 cups of chicken broth or stock to a large stockpot and bring to a boil.
- Slice the large chicken breasts into 3 even pieces, which helps the chicken cook quicker.
- Place the chicken pieces in the boiling water, season generously with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid. Let the chicken boil until cooked through, about 10 minutes (check the temperature with a food thermometer; it should be 165 degrees F).
- Lower the heat to a simmer, remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board, and allow to cool slightly. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot. (You may want to add a few additional cups of chicken broth).
Nutrition
Serving: 8servings | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1316mg | Potassium: 919mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 16031IU | Vitamin C: 109mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Was very good. I will make again. Had to use .2 cookie sheets or the amount of veggies in recipe would be touching.
I am so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Thank you Chelsea for this tasty and healthy soup on a snowy California day. I prepared our soup with raw chicken breasts and we all thought it turned out was very delicious! Lots of leftovers for chilly days ahead! 👍
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
Not yet but I will.be sure to tell you all how it was!
Wayyyyy too much salt. Is this mainly because if the rotisserie chicken? I Can get reduced sodium chick broth but it is still ALOT if sodium.
Yes I’d recommend reduced sodium chicken broth 🙂
This is my 5th Chelsea recipe I’ve cooked and I’m now convinced she can do no wrong in the kitchen!! SO flavorful and HEALTHY- my 3 yr old is SUPER picky and LOVED it. Thanks again Chelsea!!
You made my day Regina! Thank you so much for your kind comments on so many recipes, it means so much to me! 🙂
I made this yesterday and it was delicious!! Thank you so much for the healthy and flavorful recipe! I’m excited to try some more recipes from your site.
Thanks again Chelsea!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this soup Melissa! It’s one of my favorites 🙂 I hope you love whatever you try next!!
I am wondering if anyone has tried this without the chicken. If I decide to leave the chicken out, should I add something else in order to balance the flavors?
Made this soup for dinner tonight. Although I didn’t have any sage 🙂 It tastes amazing. Love the roasted vegetables and lightness to it. I had rainbow carrots (purple, white, orange), with the dark Kale, orange and red the dish was beautiful.
Your comments always make my day!! Thanks so much for coming back and commenting on all the recipes you’ve tried – it means a lot to me!! Glad you liked this one, and I love your additions – sounds gorgeous 🙂
This soup is right up my alley! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!