Chicken Vegetable Soup is a comforting classic that warms the soul while delivering a nourishing and satisfying meal. Light yet hearty, it combines tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and flavorful broth in a dish that’s perfect for chilly evenings, busy weeknights, or whenever you need a soothing, homemade meal.
The foundation of the soup is a rich, savory broth. Simmering chicken with aromatics like onions, garlic, and celery infuses the liquid with deep flavor. Herbs such as thyme, parsley, or bay leaves add warmth and freshness, creating a broth that is fragrant, comforting, and full of character. A touch of salt and pepper balances the flavors, while a squeeze of lemon juice at the end can brighten the dish beautifully.
Fresh vegetables are what make this soup hearty and colorful. Carrots, green beans, zucchini, and peas are common additions, each bringing their own texture and subtle sweetness. The vegetables cook gently in the broth, maintaining some bite while absorbing the savory flavors around them. For extra substance, you can add diced potatoes, rice, or small pasta shapes, creating a more filling soup without overwhelming the light, clean flavors.
Tender chicken pieces, often shredded or cubed, are folded into the soup near the end of cooking, keeping them juicy and flavorful. The combination of meat, vegetables, and broth creates a balanced, wholesome dish that is both satisfying and comforting.
Chicken Vegetable Soup is easy to make in large batches and stores well, making it ideal for meal prep or freezing for later. It’s also highly adaptable, swap in seasonal vegetables, adjust herbs to taste, or use leftover roasted chicken to save time while still delivering incredible flavor.
This classic soup proves that simple ingredients, cooked with care, can create something truly nourishing. Every spoonful is warm, flavorful, and packed with wholesome goodness, making Chicken Vegetable Soup a timeless favorite that brings comfort and satisfaction to any table.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 medium carrots sliced
- 3 stalks celery sliced
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- to taste salt and pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups baby spinach optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the chicken cubes and cook until browned on all sides.
- Add carrots, celery, and zucchini to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the peas and spinach, and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning if needed and serve hot.
Nutrition
Yummy soup. I just hate chopping veggies. Too much work!
I hear ya! Chopping veggies is the worst! Maybe try using pre-chopped ones next time? Saves time!
Super easy and delicious. My kids loved it! Will make again! 😊
Really wanted to like it, but it was kinda bland for my taste. Needs more spices!
This soup was amazing! I added some corn for sweetness. So good!
Can you use a different meat? I don’t like chicken, maybe beef? 🤔
I don’t think beef would work… Chicken’s the main part of this recipe! 🤷♂️
Sure, you can use beef instead! Just be sure to cook it longer so it’s tender. 🥩
I forgot the glands in the chicken! Did I ruin it? 🤨
Nah, you’ll be fine! The soup still gonna be good without the glands. Just more chickeny flavor! 🍲
Tastes great but took way longer than 20 min to cook everything!
Really liked this but didn’t have thyme, so I used rosemary instead. Still good.
Healthy. Easy.
Agreed—this looks like a super healthy, no-fuss dinner. The veggies + chicken broth combo is perfect for meal prep too.
Great recipe! I used leftover chicken and it turned out awesome! Thanks for sharing.
What is with people putting peas in soup. That’s just wrong. Should be potatos!!
I get that peas can be controversial, but they really add a nice pop of color and sweetness to the soup! Potatoes would make it too starchy, in my opinion.
Not sure why you hate peas so much. They’s good for ya! Potatoes are okay but too heavy for soup I think.
Is it really 6 cups of broth? That seems like a lot! I think I used 4 and it was fine.
I added some chili flakes for a kick. Yum! But I think I overcooked the chicken. Oops.
Easy peasy! I’m no cook, but I managed this just fine. Thanks!!
I followed it mostly, but I think I oversalted—“to taste” is a trap when your broth isn’t as low sodium as the label says 😅. Otherwise, nice and light soup.
Ughhh I feel this 😅 “to taste” really can be a trap with low-sodium broth. Next time I’d start with just a pinch, simmer, then adjust. I’m glad it still turned out nice and light!
This turned out bland for me. I doubled the garlic and added a pinch of chili flakes and that saved it. Could use a splash of lemon too maybe.
Instructions are too many steps.. I just want easy soup not a workout.
Whassup with the spinach? Can I skip it? I’m not a fan. Otherwise, looks good.
This soup is a lifesaver! So comforting and easy to make! Will definitely be making it again.
Followed the recipe but somehow it just didn’t taste like mom’s soup. Sad. 🙁
It was ok, but my family didn’t find it very tasty. Maybe too much spinach? Not sure.
Chicken soup is best for when you’re sick. This one’s pretty good, yeah.
This soup is amazing! So easy to make and full of flavor. My whole family loved it!
Made this last night and it was super cozy. The thyme + oregano combo tastes way better than I expected. I used rotisserie chicken instead of raw—still worked great.
2 tbsp olive oil feels like a lot to me. Might be why mine was a little oily on top. I’ll use less next time.
Made this tonight—super comforting. I used leftover rotisserie chicken and it still tasted great. The thyme + oregano combo is spot on. Will definitely make again.
For a soup, it was okay… but I don’t like chicken much. 🤷♂️ Maybe beef next time.
I made this last nite, it was DELICIOUS!!! Can’t wait to make it again. Thumbs up! 👍
My favorite soup! I added corn and it was even better! Yum!
I dunno, it feels like it needed more spices. Lacked something, maybe a touch of cayenne?
More spices? Really? I thought it was just fine without all that. Sometimes simple is better, you know? 🤷♂️
I totally agree! A little cayenne could really jazz it up. I usually add a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat too!
I tink there should be potatoes in it, right? Or is that just me? 🤔
Easy peasy. Gonna whip this up again next week!
Not bad, but why so much chopping? I used baby carrots and it still worked. Flavor is solid though—could be a little more flavorful without extra pepper.
lol i forgot to add the zucchini until the end and it was fine. but uhh i think 5 minutes was too short for my carrots—i like softer veg.
Pretty good, but I think 20 minutes is a little short for the carrots if they’re thick. Mine stayed slightly firm. Next time I’ll simmer longer or slice thinner.
I followed it exactly and it tasted… kinda bland? I had to add more salt and a pinch of chili flakes. Also didn’t have oregano so I used Italian seasoning and it was still okay.
Not sure about the zucchini in soup… it got a little mushy for me. Also I didn’t brown the chicken long enough and it felt kinda bland. Maybe I’ll try with different veg next time.
Made this last night—so cozy. The thyme/oregano combo is spot on, and the veggies stayed nice and tender. Will definitely repeat.
Pretty solid, though mine took longer than 20 minutes for the carrots to get tender. Next time I’ll slice them a bit thinner. Flavor is still really good!
Hmm mine tendered in like 15 mins… maybe your stove runs cool? Carrots usually soften fast to me. But hey soup tastes good so whatever, I’ll try thinner next time too.
Thanks for sharing that! Yeah, carrots can definitely take longer depending on how thick you slice them. Thinner slices = faster tender, makes sense. Glad the flavor still hit!
I’m skeptical of using frozen peas and spinach at the end—mine turned kinda watery. Next time I’ll drain them better or cook them less.
The instructions are clear, but “cook until browned on all sides” took me like 15 minutes because my cubes kept sticking. Maybe I didn’t heat the pot enough.
I accidentally added the spinach too early and it kinda turned dark and soft (still edible though). Next time I’ll stick to the last 5 minutes like the recipe says.
Not gonna lie, I was skeptical about the frozen peas going in at the end, but they came out perfect—bright and not mushy.
Totally get the skepticism—frozen peas can go mushy if you overcook them. Love that you timed it and they stayed bright! I usually add them at the very end too. Great call.
Pretty good overall, but I think I needed more salt than the recipe says. Also browned the chicken a little too long and it dried out slightly.
Totally get that—soup can be tricky with salt since different broths vary a lot. I usually taste at the simmer and add a pinch at a time.
This is the kind of soup I crave when I’m sick. Clean ingredients, not heavy. I doubled the broth and it turned into a whole pot of leftovers.
Quick and healthy-ish. I had no thyme so I used Italian seasoning (oops?) and it still tasted decent. My kids asked for seconds, so… win.
Italian seasoning instead of thyme? I mean… thyme is thyme, right? 😅 But honestly if it came out “decent,” maybe the oregano did the heavy lifting. I’d still add extra thyme next time, just to compare.
Nice! I’ve subbed Italian seasoning before too—usually it’s fine. If your kids wanted seconds, that’s the real test 😄 This soup is the kind that makes leftovers disappear.