Easy 30-Minute Chicken Vegetable Soup — 😋❤️🙌 Extra veggies instead of noodles in this HEALTHY, easy chicken soup that’s so FAST to make! Hearty, filling, and satisfying! Perfect for weeknight dinners and chilly nights!
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Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe
‘Tis the season for soup. This is an easy soup that’s ready in 30 minutes, hearty, packed with flavor, and has so many healthy vegetables that add great texture.
Rather than using noodles I used Alessi Organic Pearled Farro, Butternut Squash and Kale variety. Never heard of it? It’s an ancient grain with nutty flavor, chewy texture, and is similar in taste to brown rice. Farro can be used in soups, stews, or casseroles, or enjoyed as a cold salad. It can be used in both health food and comfort food recipes.
Farro rivals quinoa in terms of nutritional content, with high levels of fiber, protein, and iron. It serves as a rich source of vitamins and minerals making it a great post-workout recovery meal.
Add this recipe to your repertoire of chicken soup recipes, and it’s sure to be one you make on repeat all season long!
What’s in This Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe?
To make this chicken veggie soup recipe, you’ll need:
- Farro
- Alessi Organic Pearled Farro, Butternut Squash, and Kale
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Chicken broth – I always recommend using low-sodium varieties
- Shredded cooked chicken – I prefer to use cooked chicken breasts for a leaner option, but chicken thighs also work. To save time, I often use rotisserie chicken. Or, you can swap shredded turkey. It’s the perfect way to use leftover oven roasted turkey from Thanksgiving
- Spices (bay leaves, oregano, salt, pepper)
- Kale
- Zucchini
- Fresh parsley
- Lemon juice
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup
With a prep time of less than 15 minutes and a cook time of just 30 minutes, recipes don’t get easier than this! Here’s an overview of the process:
- Boil the farro according to package instructions.
- Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat until the veggies begin to soften. Add the garlic, and continue to sauté until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, shredded chicken, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper, and boil until the chicken is cooked through.
- Next, add the veggies, fresh herbs, and optional lemon juice. Continue to boil until the kale is wilted and the zucchini softens.
- Add 1 heaping cup of cooked farro, or all of it if desired, and stir to combine. Season to taste, and enjoy!
Have leftover farro?
If you’re only using a cup of the cooked farro, store leftovers in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It makes for a great meal prep option and pairs well with a variety of protein and vegies for homemade grain bowls!
Try pairing it with rainbow roasted vegetables, parmesan balsamic roasted broccoli, or honey orange roasted carrots. Then, add poached chicken, sheet pan honey lemon salmon, or air fryer pork chops for a filling meal.
What to Serve with Chicken and Vegetable Soup
Recipe FAQs
Of course! This chicken and vegetable soup can easily be tweaked to suit whatever you have in your fridge. Mushrooms, green beans, and cauliflower make great additions but use whatever you like best.
Stored in an airtight container, leftover soup will keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Yes! You can freeze leftover soup for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to serve.
I haven’t tested it but don’t see why not! I would start by sautéing the veggies in a skillet. Then, I would combine them with the other ingredients, leaving out the kale and farro until the end.
No, feel free to substitute rice or your favorite pasta if you can’t find quinoa or simply don’t like it. Prepare whatever you choose according to the package instructions, and stir it into the soup at the end of cooking.
Easy 30-Minute Chicken Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Large Dutch Oven or Stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups water for cooking farro
- one 7-ounce package Alessi Organic Pearled Farro, Butternut Squash and Kale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 2 medium or 1 large onion)
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced thin (about 1 1/2 large carrots)
- 1 cup celery, sliced thin (about 2 stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 64 ounces 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, use about 1 whole storebought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken in a skillet
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- leaves from 4 large stalks of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces (discard the center thick rib)
- 1 cup zucchini, diced small (from about 1 medium zucchini)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional (brightens up the flavor)
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the, water bring to a boil, add the farro, and cook according to package directions, about 20 minutes or until water has been absorbed and farro is tender. While farro cooks, make the soup.
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, and sauté over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken broth, shredded chicken, bay leaves, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, and boil about 5 minutes, or until chicken is warmed through.
- Add the kale, zucchini, parsley, optional lemon juice, and boil 1 to 2 minutes, or until kale has wilted and zucchini has softened.
- Add 1 heaping cup cooked farro, or all of it if desired, and stir to combine. Tip – If you add just the 1 heaping cup of farro, the extra great as a side instead of rice and it will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Taste soup and add salt, pepper, or herbs, to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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