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Minestrone Soup with Chicken

Minestrone soup with chicken is an easy way to take a soup that is classically all vegetables and add some extra staying power with tender, juicy chicken. Serve it warm with crackers or your favorite crusty bread. 

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minestrone soup with chicken in two bowls on a table with a napkin

Every time I make soup for my family, we’re hungry almost as soon as we are done eating. That’s why bulking our lighter soups with some meat like ground beef or chicken helps everyone stay fuller longer and out of my pantry.

I’m gonna lock that thing.

This minestrone soup with chicken is light and filling–and easy to customize (because you need that!) and uses simple ingredients you can find year round.

Can I make this minestrone soup in the crockpot?

Yep. I think you can. You know I don’t use a slow cooker a lot, but I’d suggest putting in everything but the chicken, zucchini and pasta. Save those things for the last 30 minutes and add them then. I also find that pasta gets soft when you freeze it, so if you want to put some away for later, leave out the pasta in that part and add it when you reheat it.

This recipe easily feeds 10 people, so unless you have massive appetites, the freezer is a great place to save it.

Can I make this minestrone soup vegetarian?

Of course. Just use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and leave out the meat and the parmesan at the end if you don’t do cheese.

Want more soups? Check out my loaded potato, creamy tomato, or vegetable beef. 

minestrone soup with chicken

Minestrone Soup with Chicken

Hearty, filling minestrone soup is usually just veggies and pasta, but my light version adds tender chicken to fill you up even further!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 10 people
Author Rachel Ballard

Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick pieces
  • 2 celery stalks sliced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium onion diced into 1/4" pieces or near the size of the celery and carrots
  • 2 medium garlic cloves finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with the juice
  • 1 cup uncooked macaroni or other short pasta
  • 1 medium zucchini chopped into 1/2" pieces (about a cup)
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken like rotisserie or some you've cooked yourself
  • 1 teaspoon salt add half and taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • In a 5-quart stock pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. 
  • Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add the chicken or vegetable stock, the beans, chickpeas, Italian seasoning, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  • Add the pasta, zucchini and chicken. Season with half of the salt and all of the pepper. Taste for seasoning and add the rest of the salt if needed. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes more. 
  • Sprinkle each bowl of soup with parmesan cheese and serve warm. 

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal
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Course Main Course
Cuisine American

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7 Comments

  1. Very good soup! I added turkey cutlets cooked in the soup cooked perfectly! Cut into small chunks with scissors after I cooked them part way and returned them to the soup!
    Thank you!!

  2. 5 stars
    made this with leftover turkey drumsticks that I had in my freezer. It is delicious. I added a Parmesan cheese rind too. It makes quite a bit!

  3. This minestrone soup was excellent. I’m not a fan of beans so that was the only thing I left out. Im saving this recipe. It’s a family favorite now. Thank you

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About the Author

Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.