Description
This Ultimate Chicken Soup Recipe delivers a comforting and hearty meal, packed with wholesome vegetables and tender shredded chicken simmered in a flavorful broth. Perfect for a cozy lunch or dinner, this soup is easy to prepare and ideal for supporting wellness.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 1 leek, halved lengthwise, sliced, and rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Other
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Saute the veggies: Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery, leek, and diced onion, cooking while stirring frequently for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the minced garlic, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper, stirring for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Poach the chicken: Add the fresh thyme and tarragon sprigs, bay leaf, chicken breasts, and low-sodium chicken broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Let the soup simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the chicken breasts are cooked through.
- Shred the chicken: Using tongs, remove the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board. Gently shred the meat with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup pot and let it simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Serve: Remove the thyme, tarragon sprigs, and bay leaf from the soup. Stir in the roughly chopped fresh parsley. Garnish with extra parsley and freshly ground black pepper as desired before serving.
Notes
- For best flavor, add garlic after sautéing the other vegetables as outlined; adding it earlier may cause it to brown too quickly.
- To shred chicken quickly, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment as a shortcut if desired.
- Low-sodium broth allows better control over saltiness — adjust seasoning at the end as needed.
- Use fresh herbs for a brighter flavor, but dried herbs can substitute in half the amounts in a pinch.
- Simmer gently to avoid toughening the chicken during cooking.
