Chicken Minestrone Soup

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Easy: This chicken minestrone soup recipe requires very little effort. It’s a complete meal in only one pot, and it takes 45 minutes from start to finish.
• Family friendly: This comforting soup is a yummy meal that the whole family will love.
• Versatile: This is a good minestrone recipe even if you leave out the chicken. You can use your favorite vegetables, beans and pasta.
• Healthy: This flavorful chicken minestrone soup is chock full of fresh veggies, healthy beans and protein. It’s a delicious way to get your vegetables.

How to make chicken minestrone soup

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.
2. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute, stirring.
4. Add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes and their juice, white beans and kidney beans. Bring to a boil.
5. Add the chicken pieces, zucchini, green beans, and pasta. Boil gently until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes, or according to package directions.
6. Remove from heat, stir in the basil, and adjust for salt and pepper if needed.
7. Serve hot in bowls, topped with parmesan cheese.

Variations:

• Gluten Free: Use gluten-free pasta, or omit the pasta. Add potatoes if you’re still wanting carbs. If you use gluten-free pasta, it will usually have a longer cooking time, so just keep that in mind.
• Change the protein: Use Italian sausage, ground beef, or shredded beef instead of chicken. This is a good soup for using leftover turkey, too!
• Change the beans: I’ve made this soup with pinto beans, great northern beans, cannolli beans, even chickpeas. They’re all good!
• Vegan: Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth for a vegan option.
• Parmesan rind: Minestrone is a great way to use the rinds from parmesan cheese. Put the rind in at the beginning and let it simmer while the soup cooks. The parmesan adds even more flavor to the delicious broth.
• Tomato paste: Add ¼ cup of tomato paste along with the broth and tomatoes to deepen the tomato flavor and slightly thicken the soup.
• Add spice: I like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the seasonings.

Storage

Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Freezer: This soup is perfect for freezing. Except for the cooked pasta, which will change in texture when frozen. If you plan to freeze minestrone, I recommend saving the addition of pasta until serving, Freeze the soup in freezer safe containers for up to three months. When you’re ready to use it, defrost the minestrone in the fridge overnight. Reheat, and cook a fresh batch of pasta separately to add at serving time.

Reheat: Reheat your healthy chicken minestrone soup gently over low heat on the stove top or in the microwave.

Serving Suggestions:

Chicken minestrone soup is a hearty meal by itself. But, it’s nice to serve some garlic bread, breadsticks, or dinner rolls alongside. Or try my zucchini fritters.

It can also be part of a bigger meal served with a salad, sandwich, or pizza.

More soup for you

If you love soup, I have more soup recipes for you to try! Check out these ones: