The fresh veggies, white beans, tomatoes, and shredded chicken in this Pioneer Woman Chicken Minestrone Soup make it my go-to Italian soup recipe any time of year. Accompany the soup with parmesan, red pepper flakes, and a crusty baguette.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The chicken vegetable soup is prepared in a single pot with all of the ingredients. There is no requirement to cook the pasta in a separate pot or to prepare the chicken in advance. During the weeknights, you may create this really easy soup with nourishing chicken for your family.
• If you want to make this meal vegetarian, simply omit the chicken from the soup.
• If you have some shredded chicken that needs to be used up, turning it into chicken minestrone soup is an excellent way to put it to good use.

Pioneer Woman Chicken Minestrone Soup Ingredients

• Chicken. For a deeper, richer taste, I added raw chicken breasts that had been stripped of their skin and bones and then cooked in the broth of the chicken soup. This soup may be made even more quickly by using three-quarters of a pound of cooked and shredded chicken that has already been prepared. Try making some of my chicken rice soup in your instant pot if you have some chicken thighs with the bones still in them.
• Tomatoes. Two cans of small chopped tomatoes were used in this recipe. These are not the same as tomatoes that have been diced. They are sliced into pieces that are almost twice as tiny, which allows them to mingle with the soup without becoming too thick. If you are sensitive to sodium, use cans of small diced tomatoes that are low in sodium or contain no salt at all. Try my chicken chili sans tomatoes if you would rather have a chicken soup that does not contain tomatoes.
• Beans. White beans are an essential ingredient in classic minestrone soup. Canned great northern beans are my go-to ingredient since they maintain their shape well even after being cooked in broth, making them my top pick for this recipe. If you are going to use dried beans, you need to make sure that you cook them first.
• Pasta. This chicken soup is delicious with any type of little pasta, but ditalini is a traditional ingredient in traditional Italian soups. It is best to avoid using bigger noodles since they have the potential to overpower the soup and throw off the balance of the other components.
• Vegetables. The fact that you may customize the number of veggies in homemade minestrone soup is perhaps the most appealing aspect of the dish. The mix of green beans, carrots, and celery is one of my faves, but you may use any combination of vegetables you like best based on what you have available.

What’s The Difference Between Chicken Minestrone Soup And Veggie Soup?

Minestrone soup, which is very similar to vegetable soup, differs from vegetable soup in that it also contains beans and pasta in addition to vegetables. This is the primary distinction between the two soups. Minestrone is a heartier and more satisfying variety of vegetable soup.

Can I Eat Chicken Minestrone Soup Cold?

This chicken minestrone soup is traditionally consumed while still hot, but it may also be consumed cold if that is more convenient for you.

How To Make Pioneer Woman Chicken Minestrone Soup?

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Combine the onion, carrots, celery, and green beans. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions soften.
• Mix in the garlic. Cook for 1 minute more.
• Combine the chicken (or veggie) broth, diced tomatoes, and great northern beans in a mixing bowl. Bay leaves, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Place the chicken breasts in the pot with care. Make sure they’re completely immersed in the broth.
• Bring soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Place the chicken on a chopping board or platter after removing it from the saucepan. Place aside.
• To the soup, add ditalini pasta. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, uncovered until the pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent the spaghetti from sticking together.
• Shred the chicken with two forks while the pasta boils.
• Take out the bay leaves. Pour in the shredded chicken. Mix in the fresh parsley.

What To Serve With Chicken Minestrone Soup?

• Mozzarella Sticks
• Garlic Bread
• Mini Pizzas
• Balsamic Bruschetta
• Sautéed Bacon and Kale
• Spinach Artichoke Flatbread Pizza
• Super Crunchy Roasted Potatoes
• Dinner Rolls

Recipe Variations

• Suitable Alternatives To Great Northern Beans. You may use other beans such as cannellini beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, or even black beans for the great northern beans in this recipe.
• Broth Substitutes. You can use either chicken broth or veggie broth in place of one another. If you only have a broth that is high in sodium, use half broth and half water, and then season to taste with more salt.
• Vegetable Replacements. You are free to use whichever veggies you desire for this recipe. A hearty bowl of chicken minestrone soup topped with zucchini would be an excellent way to put those garden zucchini to good use. If you are making a substitution, be careful to use the exact same measured amount so that the ratios of the soup remain the same. Instead of buying frozen veggies, you should acquire fresh ones.
• Options Suitable For Vegetarians And Vegans. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock and eliminate the chicken to make this soup suitable for vegetarians and vegans. You can omit the chicken and replace it with an additional can of great northern beans, another variety of beans, such as red kidney beans or black beans, or even a different kind of bean altogether.
• Pasta Alternatives. In place of the ditalini pasta, you might substitute tiny pasta shells or elbow pasta.

How To Store Chicken Minestrone Soup?

• In The Fridge. You may keep any leftover chicken minestrone soup in the refrigerator for up to four days if it is sealed in an airtight container. The flavors will continue to mix together and develop into a taste that is even more delicious as time passes.
• In The Freezer. You can freeze this chicken vegetable soup with pasta quite successfully. In order to freeze the chicken minestrone soup, first allow it to completely cool down at room temperature, and then transfer the soup to a bag, jar, or another container that is safe for the freezer. Put in the freezer for up to three months for the best possible texture retention.
• To Reheat. You may reheat the leftover chicken minestrone soup in the microwave in 30-second increments until it reaches the desired temperature, or you can reheat it on the stovetop until it reaches the desired temperature.

My Personal Recipe Tips

• This soup is incredibly adaptable and can be made with a wide variety of veggies with little effort. This is an excellent method for reducing waste and saving money if you have any leftovers that need to be used up.
• It is essential to use tomatoes of a good grade in order to make a delicious minestrone since inferior types of tomatoes are typically very watery, tasteless, and can impart a very acidic flavor to the soup.
• To achieve the finest flavor from the broth, make it yourself, if at all feasible, or purchase an organic version of good quality from a store. There is also the option of using veggie broth in place of chicken broth.
• This soup, much like other stews and soups, tastes significantly better the next day once the flavors have had time to fully emerge.

Pioneer Woman Chicken Minestrone Soup Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 277
• Total Fat 11g
• Saturated Fat 2g
• Sodium 440mg
• Total Carbohydrate 18g
• Dietary Fiber 7g
• Sugars 4g
• Protein 30g
• Calcium 5%

Nutrition Facts Source: Source