Name: Chicken Minestrone Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 cup onions (diced); 1/2 cup carrots (diced); 1/2 cup celery (diced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes; 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock; 1 6 oz can tomato paste; 1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed); 1 teaspoon thyme; 1 teaspoon rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon basil; 1/2 cup frozen green beans; 1 zucchini (peeled and diced); 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken; 1/2 cup Ditalini pasta; 1/2 cup grated parmesan (optional for serving); 1 teaspoon parsley (chopped); salt and pepper to taste

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Chicken Minestrone Soup

A hearty soup loaded with fresh vegetables, herbs, pasta, chunks of chicken in a rich broth.

I know I’ve been saying for a while now how I’m just itching for spring.

But in reality, it’s still winter here in Minnesota.

And since I”m all too familiar with our winters and the fact we have more to come, I’ve been making up a few batches of our favorite soup and freezing them. That way we can have a warm bowl of delicious and hearty soup whenever we want (or need) it!

Today I’m sharing one of my old/new favorites-Chicken Minestrone Soup!

I say old because I’ve been making this Minestrone soup recipe for years now. But recently I changed up a few things (like adding chicken)so it’s also a ‘new’ recipe and one I think you’re going to really love!

Because not only does it have big chunks of chicken, it’s also LOADED with fresh veggies like carrots, celery, zucchini, and sweet little bite-sized pasta! And all of this yumminess is in a rich tomato broth filled with fresh herbs and spices.

What’s not to love? Am I right?

The best part about this soup though is just how versatile it is.

It starts with one pot (or slow cooker) and simple ingredients you already have in your pantry or refrigerator. Like many great soups, the base begins with a mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion). Once these veggies have been sauteed for a few minutes it’s time to add in a few other ingredients.

Minced Garlic first and then a can of diced tomatoes. I let these saute for about a minute.

Beans come next. You can use kidney beans, northern beans, or Cannellini as I did. Whichever you choose just make sure you rinse them really well to remove all the added salt.

Next, I add vegetable stock, fresh thyme, and rosemary, salt and pepper, and a can of tomato paste to create a rich and scrumptious broth.

Then I turn the heat down to medium-low and let all of this yumminess simmer for about 20 minutes before I add in chicken, zucchini, frozen green beans, and Ditalini pasta.

Fifteen or Twenty minutes later and you’ve got a hearty AND healthy soup that your family is going to LOVE!

Especially if you serve it with warm breadsticks (My recipe for these is coming in another post!)

Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?

Yes, absolutely! I do this quite often but there are a few things you should do differently than the original recipe.

Cook the pasta separately (al dente) and don’t add them until 30 minutes before the soup is done.
Add the frozen green beans, chicken, and zucchini at the same time you add the pasta

***This will prevent these ingredients from getting soggy!

What if I don’t have some of the vegetables or the right kind of pasta?

That’s what I mean about a versatile recipe. You can add whatever veggies you have on hand. Yellow squash, butternut squash, and potatoes are some of my other favorites. As for the pasta-no Ditalini? No problem. Add in elbow or bow tie instead!

Here’s the full recipe!