Feel Good Chicken & Vegetable Soup
Gluten free, low carb, clean eating
I’m really not a soup person. Maybe it’s because growing up, any soup I ate was very boring, or it came out of a can, meaning I was either sick, or we had nothing else to eat. I thought everyone else felt the same way, but recently I’ve encountered several soup lovers that have helped me come around a bit. My boyfriend loves a good chicken soup, and so does my boss, both whom I cook for on a weekly basis. Alas, I’ve created a few formulas for good soups, and have come to enjoy them myself. I always feel great after I eat a good brothy soup- that’s my favorite part about it. Along with the fact that you can really pack a lot of nutrition into it- maybe things you wouldn’t normally consider eating in other ways. You couldn’t pay me to eat peas OR carrots by themselves or as a side dish, but throw them into a soup and they blend right in- as long as you salt and season well.
This soup in particular was created the first week my boss decided to go on a low starch-high nutrient diet. As you notice, there are no noodles involved in the recipe. Additionally, I use organic bone broth instead of regular chicken stock or broth. Bone broth is currently trending, but for good reason. It is highly nutritious, aids in reducing inflammation, weight loss, gut health, sleep, joint function, aging, the list goes on. And in my opinion it’s an obvious swap- there is no major difference in the flavor. Why not choose it over standard broth?!
If you so desire, you may add noodles to this recipe at the time you add the raw chicken into the boiling broth. Or, you may add rice as an accompaniment for serving. Many people, including myself, aren’t looking to add carbohydrates to their diet, and moreover, feel bloated or sluggish in the aftermath of a meal with significant simple carbohydrates. If this sounds like you, and you’re not making this soup to “treat yo self,” maybe you opt not to add pasta or rice. The choice is always yours!
Ingredients
1.5 lbs chicken breast or thigh
6 cups organic chicken bone broth
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled & trimmed, cut in half lengthwise & sliced in half moons
8-10 mini sweet peppers, sliced into rounds
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen peas
2-3 tbsp. sofrito
1 tbsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. thyme, dry or fresh
1 bay leaf
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
EVOO or avocado oil or ghee
Kosher salt & pepper, to taste
Optional, for serving:
White or brown rice
Sliced avocado
Hot sauce
Method
In a large stock pot over medium heat, add 2 tbsp. oil. Add onion, celery, carrots and mini sweet peppers. Season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally so they don’t brown, 7-8 minutes. Add garlic, sofrito, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Add all the bone broth to the pot and season with salt. Bring to a boil, add in chicken breasts, return to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pot to a cutting board. After allowing a few minutes to cool, cut the chicken into small bite size pieces and throw it back into the pot along with the frozen peas. Continue to cook 3-5 minutes until the peas are heated through.
Add in the juice of the lemon or lime and fresh chopped parsley and/or cilantro. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Serve with rice, avocado, hot sauce, and/or chopped parsley or cilantro. Enjoy!
