Simple Chicken Zucchini Soup (Healthy)
This chicken zucchini soup features tender chicken thighs cooked along with zucchinis and a handful of simple vegetables for an easy, delicious meal. Made without potatoes, noodles or rice it's a nourishing, satisfying dish that's low in carbs as well as fat.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 187kcal
Equipment
- Large pot
- Immersion blender or potato masher
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs skinless, with the bone
- 2 pounds zucchini chopped
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 onion med/large, finely chopped
- 1½ celery ribs finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves or to taste, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme or reg. thyme, leaves only, add to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups stock vegetable or chicken
- 1 tablespoon oil any
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sear chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a pot heat the oil, add the chicken pieces and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until they start to change colour. Remove from the pot and place in a bowl.
- Sautee vegetables: To the same pot add the onion, celery, bay leaf and butter and cook gently over a low heat for 5-6 minutes until softened stirring often. Towards the end stir in the garlic and thyme.
- Add chicken: Return the chicken to the pot (along with the juices), add the stock, cover and bring to the boil. Lover the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.TIP: In the meantime prepare the zucchini and carrots.
- Add zucchini: Add the zucchini and carrots, cover, increase the heat and bring to the boil again then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until the carrots are tender). Remove from the heat, take the bay leaf out of the soup and discard.
- Chop chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot, place on a large plate/cutting board and separate the meat from the bones. Chop/shred the meat and set aside.
- Adjust consistency: Using an immersion blender or potato masher partly puree/mash the vegetables in the soup. This will thicken the soup.TIP: For me a chunky texture makes for a more interesting soup, but you can puree it until creamy (then add the chicken), if you prefer.
- Serve: Return the chopped chicken to the pot, adjust the seasoning, if needed, and serve.
Notes
- For best results - a rich, flavourful soup - use skinless chicken thighs with the bone (alternatively use chicken legs).
- Try not to add more stock than the recommended amount (the vegetables will release moisture as they cook, see photos).
- Add the zucchinis and carrots about halfway through cooking.
- Serve with more fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, parmesan or similar hard Italian cheese, on its own or with garlic bread.
- Leftover chicken and zucchini soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 823mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3837IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg