This Healthy Chicken Soup is made with tender chicken thighs, fresh herbs, and hearty vegetables simmered in chicken broth. It is a simple recipe that is nourishing and comforting.

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Why You'll Love This Healthy Chicken Soup
Enjoy a comforting and nourishing bowl of this homemade Healthy Chicken Soup during soup season. It is made with tender chicken thighs, hearty vegetables, and aromatic herbs that warm the soul. If you made my Gluten-Free Zuppa Toscana Soup, then you'll know that simplicity can still produce a ton of flavor. In this recipe, I swap out noodles for a white sweet potato, which is equally filling, and adds a delicious sweet flavor that works so well with the fresh herbs. Here are some more reasons why you will love this healthy chicken soup recipe:
- It's nourishing and flavorful. The aromatic fresh herbs, vegetables, and seared chicken thighs give this soup a unique delicious flavor, making this the best chicken soup you'll ever have!
- This healthy soup is packed full of nutrients. The extra protein and vegetables provide a ton of health benefits.
- Easy comfort food to make during cooler months! This homemade chicken soup comes together quickly and is made with simple ingredients that help boost your immune system. You can make a big batch of this healing chicken soup during flu season.
Healthy Chicken Soup Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this amazing delicious healthy chicken soup:
Ingredient Notes
- Olive Oil: A little olive oil helps sear the chicken and sauté the vegetables. For added richness, substitute half of the olive oil for butter or ghee.
- Chicken: You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. I recommend using chicken thighs for the best flavor!
- Fresh Veggies: This hearty chicken soup is a classic mix of carrots, celery, and onion, with an added white sweet potato. If you can not find white sweet potatoes, I recommend using Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes.
- Aromatics: A combination of minced garlic, salt, and black pepper gives this soup so much flavor. The Italian seasoning is used to flavor the chicken thighs and helps create a nice brown crust when searing.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs make all the difference. This soup is flavored with fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, and two bay leaves. You can substitute dried herbs for the fresh herbs. Start with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ a teaspoon of dried rosemary, and ½ a teaspoon of dried sage and adjust to your liking.
- Chicken Broth: Look for a high-quality organic chicken broth or bone broth that is low in sodium, without added sugar.
- White Wine: Using wine to deglaze the pot adds depth to the soup. If you want to keep this recipe alcohol-free, you can use additional chicken broth.
- Parmesan Rind: Adding the rind to the pot while the soup is simmering provides additional depth.
- Lemon Juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens up the soup.
Find the printable recipe card with full instructions and measurements below.
How To Make Healthy Chicken Soup
- Step 1: Sear the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season each side with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sear the chicken on each side until a golden crust develops, about 3-4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked but will finish cooking in the soup).
- Step 2: Sauté the vegetables, aromatics, and herbs. Add another tablespoon of oil or butter to the Dutch oven over medium heat, along with the chopped onions, celery, and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, allowing the herbs to bloom in the hot oil.
- Step 3: Deglaze the pot then add the remaining ingredients. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot and reduce the wine until syrupy, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the seared chicken, bay leaves, and parmesan rind. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to see if the chicken has reached 165°F.
- Step 4: Shred the chicken and add the lemon juice. Remove the parmesan rind if desired (we leave it in) and two bay leaves. With tongs, remove the chicken thighs to a cutting board and gently shred the chicken with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back into the pot. Freshly squeeze the juice of half a lemon juice, then turn off the heat and serve. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh parsley and grated parmesan.
Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy-Free - To keep this recipe dairy-free, saute the vegetables in olive oil and leave out the parmesan rind.
- Creamy Chicken Soup - For an extra creamy soup, reduce the chicken broth to 8 cups and add 1 cup of half and half or heavy cream at the end.
- Use leftover chicken or turkey - Any leftover cooked chicken, turkey, or rotisserie chicken can be used to save time. Shred the chicken then and add it at the end of the cook.
- Add Sherry - Instead of white wine, you can use an equal amount of sherry cooking wine to bring extra depth to the chicken soup.
- Add Noodles - This veggie-packed soup will need an additional 2-3 cups of broth for 1-2 cups of noodles. Add the noodles halfway through the cooking time (about the ten-minute mark) and cook until tender. Add more broth if needed.
Expert Tips
- Adding the spices while the oil is hot allows them to bloom. The fresh spices will bloom in the hot oil giving the soup more depth in flavor to the soup base.
- Sear the chicken. Poaching the chicken or using rotisserie chicken is an option to save time, but searing the chicken adds so much more flavor to this delicious soup.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this chicken soup on its own or with flavorful sides:
- Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
- Glute-Free Honey Cornbread
- Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Biscuits With Sage and Rosemary
- Arugula Salad With Parmesan
Storage Instructions
- Storage: Keep the soup in the Dutch oven with a covered lid, or transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or stovetop until warm.
- Freezing: Freeze this chicken soup for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before eating, and then reheat on the stove until warm.
FAQ
While fresh herbs are recommended for best flavor, dried herbs and be substituted. Keep in mind that dried herbs are a bit stronger in flavor, so I’d recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ a teaspoon of dried rosemary, and ½ a teaspoon of dried sage.
Yes, the raw chicken will continue to cook in the soup while it simmers in the broth.
This healthy chicken soup is packed full of protein, vegetables, fresh herbs, and nutrients to keep your gut happy.
You can make this chicken soup in the slow cooker but it will not be as flavorful. Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours. Shred the chicken before serving.
More Healthy Recipes You'll Love
I hope you love this healthy chicken soup recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Recipe
The Best Homemade Healthy Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, butter, or ghee
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 small (2 cups) white sweet potato, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
- ½ cup (120ml) dry white wine
- 9 cups (2.16 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 parmesan rind
- ½ fresh lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Sear the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season each side with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sear the chicken until a golden crust develops, about 3-4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked but will finish cooking in the soup).
- Saute the vegetables. Add another tablespoon of oil or butter to the Dutch oven over medium heat, along with the chopped onions, celery, and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Bloom the aromatics. Add the minced garlic, fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, 1½ teaspoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, allowing the herbs to bloom in the oil.
- Deglaze the pot and add the broth. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot and reduce the wine until syrupy, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth and bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer.
- Stir in the chicken, bay leaves, and parmesan rind. Add the seared chicken thighs, bay leaves, and parmesan rind to the pot. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Use an instant-read thermometer to see if the chicken has reached 165°F.
- Shred the chicken and add the lemon juice. With tongs, remove the parmesan rind if desired (we leave it in) bay leaves. Remove the chicken thighs to a cutting board and gently shred the chicken with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back into the pot. Freshly squeeze the juice of half a lemon juice, then turn off the heat and serve. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh parsley and grated parmesan.
Notes
-
- Dairy-Free - To keep this recipe dairy-free, saute the vegetables in olive oil and leave out the parmesan rind.
-
- Creamy Chicken Soup - For an extra creamy soup, reduce the chicken broth to 8 cups add 1 cup of half and half or heavy cream at the end.
-
- Use leftover chicken or turkey - Any leftover cooked chicken, turkey, or rotisserie chicken and be used to save time. Shred the chicken and add it at the end.
-
- Add Sherry - Instead of white wine, you can use an equal amount of sherry cooking wine to bring extra depth to the chicken soup.
-
- Add Noodles - This veggie-packed soup will need an additional 2-3 cups of broth for 1-2 cups of noodles. Add the noodles halfway through the cooking time (about the ten-minute mark) and cook until tender. Add more broth if needed.
Wina says
My husband and I really liked this chicken soup. The flavor of the herbs really matched up well. This soup is the best and it was perfect because hubby caught a cold and this was perfect and healthy. Thank you. This is also my go to.
Rebecca Taig says
Hi Wina,
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this soup, thank you for making it and your feedback!