This simple chicken vegetable soup will feed both your body and your soul.
There is a lot of delicate chicken, substantial vegetables, and a tasty broth with herbs in it. The tarragon gives this soup a flavor that is unlike any other.
It’s very easy but very fulfilling.
So, the next time you want a warm, healthy supper, make a pot!
Why You Will Love This Chicken and Vegetable Soup
- Family-Friendly: This soup has recognizable ingredients and traditional tastes that everyone in the family will like. Yes, even those fussy little kids!
- Cold Buster: It’s great for when you’re sick or when it’s cold outside and you need some extra care.
- Time-Saver: Using leftover or rotisserie chicken cuts down on the time it takes to get ready. So you can eat a home-cooked meal without spending hours in the kitchen.
This soup freezes and reheats well, so you can keep it in the freezer. For quick meal prep, make two or three times the amount.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped; 3 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces; 3 celery stalks, cut into pieces;
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped up
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Eight cups of chicken broth
- Two cups of shredded cooked chicken, like from a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken
- Peeled and diced 2 medium potatoes
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 1 cup of frozen corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
Notes on Ingredients
Shredded Cooked Chicken: For ease, use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
Olive Oil: Just a tablespoon to cook the vegetables.
Garlic and onion: They make the soup taste richer and more complex.
The classic soup trio: carrots, celery stalks, and potatoes. Cut them into little pieces so they cook faster.
Dried thyme and tarragon are the secret ingredients that make this chicken soup the greatest. Thyme gives the dish an earthy flavor, and tarragon gives it a peculiar anise flavor.
Add salt and pepper to taste to make the soup taste just right.
Chicken Broth: For the best results, choose broth that is high-quality. It’s best to make it yourself, although store-bought works too.
Frozen peas and corn kernels give the soup sweetness and texture. You don’t have to defrost them; just throw them in.
Fresh parsley is the last touch! It gives a new, herbal touch.
Instructions
- Put the olive oil in a big pot and heat it over medium heat. Put in the carrots, onion, and celery. Stir the vegetables every so often and cook them for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are tender.
- Add the garlic, thyme, tarragon, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cook for one minute, or until the smell fills the room.
- Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low boil.
- Put the shredded chicken and diced potatoes in the saucepan. Cook the potatoes over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are soft.
- Add the frozen corn and peas and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the food is hot all the way through.
- Take it off the fire and mix in the fresh parsley. Taste and add more seasoning if you need to.
- Serve it hot with bread or crackers that are crunchy. Have fun!
Tips and Tricks
Mmmm…soup season is the best! And this warm drink is always in my rotation.
So here are some useful things I’ve learned along the way.
- The most important thing is quality. A tasty soup needs a good chicken broth or stock that tastes good. The best kind is homemade, but a nice store-bought kind works too.
- Get ready. Before you start cooking, chop up all the vegetables so that they cook evenly.
- Keep things fair. Cut your vegetables into pieces that are all the same size so they cook evenly.
- Poach the chicken. Poaching chicken breasts immediately in the simmering soup will make them particularly tender. Then shred them.
- Add cream to it. If you want it to be creamy, add additional heavy cream or half-and-half at the end.
- Make it your own. There is a lot of room to make changes to this soup. Add extra vegetables like green beans, spinach, or mushrooms to make it more interesting. You might also use different spices and herbs.
I always prepare twice as much soup as I need so I can freeze it. It’s easy to make and tastes delicious when reheated.
Storing and Reheating
To Store: Put leftovers that have cooled down in a container that won’t let air in. You can keep it in the fridge for up to three days.
To freeze, put the cooled leftovers in freezer-safe bags or containers, leaving some room for them to expand. You can freeze it for up to three months. Before reheating, let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
To reheat, put the leftovers in a pot over medium heat and stir them every so often until they are warm enough for you. Or, heat up individual servings in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each one, until they are hot.