Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup

This Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Not only is it straightforward, but also it has the most stunning color because of the blended veggies. This soup is great for anyone who is picky with veggies and wants a and smooth texture because the veggies are blended into the soup. Not to mention that this can be the comfort on a snow day or a sick day.

What stands out

As someone who has been blending veggies into our soups and sauces for as long as we can remember, we can confidently say that this is one of the most and nutritious dishes you’ll ever try. Whether you’re a busy parent trying to juggle work and school drop-offs, or just looking for a quick and straightforward meal, this soup is the solution. throw it into a thermos and take it with you on the go. Your spouse or kids won’t be able to get enough of it. We pour all our love and care into this dish, because it’s not just healthy and straightforward, it’s also a reminder of the joy that comes from sharing a warm, comforting meal with the people you love.

How to Prepare Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup

Fill a large pot with water, or use ½ water and ½ organic unsalted vegetable broth.

Add whole peeled and washed vegetables and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add chicken thighs, skim off foam, and season with salt.

Reduce heat to medium-low, semi-cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft, chicken is cooked, and broth has reduced.

Remove chicken, let it cool, and shred or cut it. If there’s bone or skin, compost it.

Take out whole veggies and blend with two ladles of clear broth until smooth and then add the mixture back into the pot with shredded chicken.

Add cooked potatoes or pastina, if using, garnish with parsley, stir, and enjoy your Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup. Adjust salt to taste at the end.

Kitchen tip

Hot soup (or any hot liquid, for that matter) will steam and expand in a blender, which can push the lid of the blender off and cause a mess and burn hazard. When pureeing hot soup, do it in batches. Fill the blender 1/3 to 1/2 full remove or loosen the center cap from the lid of the blender. Cover the lid with a folded dishcloth and hold it down while blending.

Swaps

In this recipe, as with most, feel free to get creative and explore different combinations of ingredients but please note that you may need to experiment by adjusting quantities and cooking times!

1. Replace chicken with tofu ora plant–based protein of your choice.
2. Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs.
3. Substitute chicken with turkeybeef or pork if desired.
4. Experiment with different garnishes like cilantro, chives, or dill.
5. Use ricequinoa or barley instead of pastina or potatoes for a more nutrient-dense soup.
6. Instead of pastina, you could use different pasta shapes such as orzo, ditalini, or shells.

Serve it with

• Some crusty bread like our No Knead Peasant Bread
• A light salad

Questions

What type of salt do you use?

We use mark Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is to taste so please always taste and adjust as you cook.

Can we use chicken breast instead of thighs?

You can definitely use any cut of meat of choice but make sure you cook it accordingly because chicken breast has less cook time than thighs. If chicken breast is overcooked, it will dry out so you will have to adjust the timing based on the cut of meat you choose.

How can we make sure our meat is fully cooked?

If you don’t feel confident, you can most definitely use a mark meat thermometer.

what can we use instead of Potato?

Yes absolutely, you can use anything you love in this Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup, such as pasta, rice, noodles, or orzo. Just be sure to add it in after you have taken out the whole boiled veggies and chicken. We used leftover boiled potatoes because we had them on hand from the night before.

How can we pack this recipe for our kid’s lunch?

Add boiling hot water into a thermos and close it so that it pre-heats. In the meantime, warm up the soup on the stove. Dump the hot water out of the thermos and add the soup. Leave some room at the top so that it doesn’t create a vacuum seal for them as the thermos will be harder to open.

Can we freeze this soup?

Yes, you can, let it cool completely and transfer it into a freezer-safe container and put it in the freezer.

How can we cook pastina or potatoes in the soup?

You can add two raw cubed potatoes (or uncooked pastina) after you take out the veggies and chicken and add the blended broth back in with the shredded chicken. Let everything boil together for 10 more minutes or until the potatoes (or pastina) are cooked.

How do we prepare this soup from frozen?

When you’re ready to enjoy your leftover Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight if frozen. To reheat, use a microwave, stovetop, or an oven. Make sure to heat it thoroughly until it’s steaming hot. You may need to add a bit of water or broth to adjust the consistency.

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

• 2.5 litres water, you can also use organic unsalted veggie broth or use ½ water and ½ broth
• 1 onion, whole and peeled
• 2 celery ribs, I cut mine in half
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
• 4 chicken thighs, you can use any cut of chicken, but dark meat is the most flavourful
• salt, start with ½ a tablespoon and taste and adjust after the soup is cooked
• 2 yellow potatoes (boiled), mine were leftover but you can boil pastina, orzo, or boil raw potatoes in the broth as well
• fresh parsley, to taste (optional)

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Soup Pot
• Redmond Real Salt
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups + Spoons

Method

1. Fill a big pot with water or use ½ water and ½ organic unsalted vegetable broth instead.
2. Add in the whole peeled and washed vegetables and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, add the chicken thighs.
3. Skim off any foam with a spoon and add salt. Make sure to add more as you taste and adjust at the very end.
4. Once boiling, be sure to reduce the heat to medium-low and semi cover the pot with a lid. Let it go for 45 minutes or until the veggies are all super soft, the chicken is boiled, and broth has reduced.
5. You can now take out the chicken, let it cool, shred or cut it. If the chicken has bone or skin, you can compost it.
6. Take out the whole veggies with a slotted spoon and throw them in the blender with two ladles of the clear broth.
7. Note: Hot soup (or any hot liquid, for that matter) will steam and expand in a blender, which can push the lid of the blender off and cause a mess and burn hazard. When pureeing hot soup, do it in batches. Fill the blender 1/3 to 1/2 full remove or loosen the center cap from the lid of the blender. Cover the lid with a folded dishcloth and hold it down while blending.
8. Blend until everything is nice and smooth, add it back into the pot with the shredded chicken. Add the boiled potatoes, parsley for garnish, stir and enjoy.