When I’ve been eating lots of processed or fatty foods (like during a wonderful vacation), I like to fill my following meals with loads of vegetables and healthy proteins. Salads and soups packed with fresh veggies served in an assortment of ways (roasted, stir-fried, raw, etc) increase my fiber intake while still being tasty and satisfying. One of my most recent favorite healthy dishes is this chicken vegetable soup based on my homemade chicken stock, which is punchy and full of aromatics. I used my favorite basic vegetables in this chicken vegetable soup, but it can easily be adjusted to suit any individual’s eating preferences. Bell peppers, zucchini, and corn would be lovely additions with maybe even a helping of orzo inside! I ate this soup for at least 7 meals and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
Ingredients:
- One rotisserie chicken breast, drumstick and thigh
- 6-8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 large carrots
- 4 stalks of celery
- One sweet onion
- One bag of spinach
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions:
- Dice carrots, celery, and onion in large chunks
- Cut up one half of a rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces (don’t forget to include the chicken skin!)
- Open 3-5 cans of chicken or veggie stock (or make your own stock as I did by boiling the rotisserie chicken bones with garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and seasoned to taste with salt and pepper)
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, sauté the chopped vegetables in a bit of oil until they’re slightly softened
- Once veggies are cooked down, toss in chicken pieces
- Pour cups of stock into the pot and reduce to a simmer
- Season to taste with above-listed seasonings or whatever else you please (sprinkle in a bit more red pepper flakes than you think to add some nice heat)
- When soup is ready to serve, incorporate entire bag of spinach until fully wilted
- Serve with fresh cooked white rice and an extra sprinkling of oregano on top
