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Chicken Minestrone

Classic minestrone is transformed to include protein rich chicken thighs and chicken broth! The classic vegetarian minestrone is full of flavor and gets a new and healthy twist that hits the spot just the same!

Okay… let’s address the elephant in the blog… classic minestrone is known for being a gorgeously thick vegetarian soup… which as great- but what if it could be more? What if a traditional minestrone is just the jumping-off point? What if minestrone’s deep flavor could be pushed even further into the flavor abyss?

Well, we’re here to tell you that we’ve made the plunge and the quick addition of chicken to this classic soup makes all the difference…enter our chicken minestrone.

This idea came to me as many legendary meals tend to- by looking at what I had available in my fridge/pantry to make a quick dinner. I had a random group of vegetables: some carrots, a zucchini on its last breath, and half a yellow onion. In the pantry I had beans, chicken stock, and crushed tomatoes (as I always do). It was obvious at that point that I could pull together a minestrone, but I also had some chicken thighs on their last leg (pun intended). But also I am not a vegetarian (although I was vegan for a very short period of time (tons of recipes can be found here) and we try and put as much protein into our meals as possible.

Besides, my eye would have twitched the whole night if I had let that chicken go bad. So chicken minestrone was born and my family will never go back. Some call it the culmination of destiny merging with fate, others call it chicken minestrone soup.

In all seriousness, this chicken minestrone soup is delicious. The flavor that the chicken adds to the dish elevates it just that much more plus the much needed protein punch is everything you need to make this a complete meal.

The Technique

  • The chicken flavor: In a classic vegetarian minestrone, you’d begin by cooking down your veggies in an oil. Here, we quickly sear the chicken thighs in the pot first, pull them, and then toss the veggies in to cook in the chicken fat. Basically, we are building our soup base out of the succulence of chicken fat, rather than a flatter flavor of a traditional oil. But remember! Season that chicken with salt and pepper and ONLY sear it leaving the inside raw. It will finish cooking in the soup and shred nicely once it is done. I like to remove the chicken from the soup and then let it cool off a bit before shredding it with my hands.
  • A veggie medley: the beauty of a minestrone (or really any soup) is that once you have the confidence in knowing how to build a soup, you stop being reliant on recipes in the kitchen. Just like I always say- learn to cook through techniques, not recipes. I bring this up now because note how I vaguely titled this bullet “a veggie medley”… This soup is very accommodating, lots of different veggies would be great in it. This adaptability is also what makes it so great for weeknight cooking, because you can truly use whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas of what would go well in it: zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, yellow squash, spinach, kale, sweet potato, corn, any onion, broccoli, garlic, cauliflower, peas, green beans, etc.
  • The Broth: The broth is actually super important here. I love the chicken broth from Trader Joes but if you have a super flavorful one that you enjoy please use it!
  • The Pasta: We prefer to make the pasta separately and leave it on the side. Because we love to eat the soup throughout the week, the pasta needs to stay out because otherwise it will absorb all the liquid and it will become a chicken minestrone pasta rather than a soup! If you plan on eating it all at once then have at it and add in the pasta!
  • The Parmesan Rind: If you have made my soups before, you know that my favorite soups are made with a parmesan rind. It really gives the broth an abundance of flavor and serves as the salty and savory ingredient we really need!
  • The Finishing Touches: I really love the addition of fresh herbs and lemon(duh I am the lemon queen afterall). I prefer either fresh basil or fresh parsley or BOTH! Dry just will not do it justice! I also always add in both lemon zest and lemon juice. I also love tartness in a soup but if you are not a fan of the tartness then just do the zest! I also like to add heat to this chicken minestrone. Sometimes I will add red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili paste which is EPIC! But you can also add red pepper flakes or the Calabrian chili paste on top at the very end. If you want to be SUPER fancy. Add your parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and chili paste to a food processor with a touch of olive oil and make a nice spicy little gremolata that will absolutely elevate this dish! And then use a gorgeous crusty ciabatta to dip and enjoy.

What You’ll Need

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Chicken minestrone soup with a spoon

Chicken Minestrone


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  • Author: Mila
  • Total Time: 40
  • Yield: 4 1x

Description

Classic minestrone is transformed to include protein rich chicken thighs and chicken broth! The classic vegetarian minestrone is full of flavor and gets a new and healthy twist that hits the spot just the same! 


Ingredients

Scale
  • Olive oil as needed
  • 1 Spanish onion, medium dice
  • 2 Large Carrots, Sliced into half moons
  • 2 Celery Stalks, Roughly chopped into half moons
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced on a microplane
  • 45 Parsley Stems
  • 1 15oz Can Diced Tomatoes 
  • 1 Zucchini Sliced into half moons
  • 1 Yellow Squash  Sliced into half moons
  • 4 oz Baby Spinach, Chopped Roughly 
  • 1 Can of Cannellini Beans or Northern White Beans or Garbanzo Beans
  • 1 Parmesan Rind 
  • 1 lb of Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (chopped into bite size pieces)
  • 2 quarts chicken broth
  • Freshly chopped basil
  • Freshly chopped parsley
  • Zest and juice of a lemon (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • Small Pasta such as elbow pasta, orzo, ditalinni etc  (optional)

Instructions

  1. Start with some olive oil in your pot over medium heat.
  2. Add in your onions, carrots and celery.
  3. Allow to sweat (remember that means no color on the veggies, about 8-10 minutes.) 
  4. Add in the garlic and a few sprinkles of salt to let all the juices mix.
  5. Pour in the stock and tomatoes, beans and add in the chicken thighs and the parmesan rind. Bring to a low simmer and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.  
  6. Boil your pasta if you so like!
  7. Add in the squash and zucchini and continue simmering for 5 minutes until squashes are tender.
  8. Turn off the heat and add in all the fresh herbs, lemon juice and lemon zest.
  9. Remove the parmesan rind and serve with pasta and more fresh herbs

Notes

  • If you like a little heat! Sometimes I will add red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili paste which is EPIC! But you can also add red pepper flakes or the Calabrian chili paste on top at the very end.
  • If you want to be SUPER fancy. Add your parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and chili paste to a food processor with a touch of olive oil and make a nice spicy little gremolata that will absolutely elevate this dish! And then use a gorgeous crusty ciabatta to dip and enjoy.
  • Feel free to add in any other vegetables in your fridge! Green beans, peas, etc! They all work great!
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Category: soup

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