Chicken Vegetable Soup

Homemade chicken noodle soup is a go-to in our home, but every now and then I like to really amp up the veggie content for an extra boost of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. If you have a mandolin slicer (or great knife skills), slice the carrots and celery thin to speed up the cooking process.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

makes 8-10 hearty servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken stock (try my delicious homemade recipe)

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

• 1 small zucchini, cut into small pieces

• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

• 1 cup chopped cauliflower (small pieces)

• 1 cup cut green beans (small pieces), fresh or frozen

• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots, fresh

• 1 cup thinly sliced celery, fresh

• chopped scallions for garnish

• chopped parsley for garnish

• cooked sturdy, Kluski-style noodles (or any pasta)

• salt and papper to taste

Directions

1. Place everything except the noodles and scallions in an 8-qt or larger stockpot; bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

2. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

3. Place cooked noodles in bowl, top with hot soup and garnish with sliced parsley and scallions.

Notes

• For the chicken, use white or dark meat. Any cooked chicken will work - roasted, rotisserie, canned, thawed… whatever you have.

• Feel free to use fresh or frozen peas, corn, and green beans. I always keep a supply of these veggies in the freezer. No need to thaw before adding. Okra is another veggies that freezes very well. I didn’t have any this time, but okra, kale, and spinach are more veggies that I often keep in the freezer and any (or all) would have been a great additions this soup.

• I like to use thick, Polish or Amish-style noodles in my soups and stews. Because they’re so dense and sturdy, they hold up really well without becoming mushy. For best results, I cook them separately and add to bowls upon serving. Because these noodles are so sturdy, they will retain their texture fairly well for a day or two when mixed into the soup. Look for Kluski noodles.

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

It’s soup season and soup season makes me very happy. This particular soup is incredibly flavorful and gets two thumbs up from my family, despite being made from just a few simple ingredients. If you keep fresh tortellini in the fridge and precooked sausage in the freezer, you can have steaming bowls of hot soup ready as little as 20 minutes.

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Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 6 quart stockpot https://amzn.to/3Di9OSg

• beef bone broth https://amzn.to/3ZMGVFk

• beef stock https://amzn.to/3P1DlSK

• cannellini beans https://amzn.to/3BzxO2W

• cheese-filled tortellini https://amzn.to/3ZYiztJ

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Sausage and Tortellini Soup

makes 6 hearty servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cup beef bone broth or beef stock

• 1 pound crumbled sweet italian sausage, cooked and drained

• 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn, okra, etc)

• 3 cups cooked cheese-filled tortellini

• optional garnish: grated parmesan, croutons (try my recipe), chopped scallions, chopped parsley

Directions

1. In a 6-quart stockpot, heat beef bone broth, cooked sausage, and vegetables until hot and bubbly.

2. Place 1/2 cup cooked tortellini in each bowl and top off with hot soup.

3. Garnish if desired and enjoy!

Notes

• To make this soup even more hearty, add a can of drained cannellini beans.

• To prevent the tortellini from getting soggy, don’t add them to the soup bowls until serving.

• Leftover soup and cooked tortellini should be stored separately to prevent the tortellini from becoming mushy.

• I like to keep portions of cooked sausage in the freezer so I can throw this soup together even faster.