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Italian Chicken Soup is simple and delicious and perfect for a fast weeknight meal. It has all of my favorites – zucchini, cannellini beans, tomatoes, and rotisserie chicken in a savory broth.
Soup nights are some of the best nights in our house. If your family is like mine, they’ll love some of our other favorite soup recipes, like Homemade Chicken Soup, Loaded Baked Potato Soup, and Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Italian Chicken Soup Recipe
Soup is a favorite meal for my family. It’s one of the easiest ways for me to be able to get my kids to eat vegetables! But there’s something just so homey and warm and comforting about a great bowl of soup.
Plus, they are really easy to make. It’s the original one pot meal! With loads of veggies, protein, and a drinkable, savory broth it’s a complete meal in a bowl and super filling.
Zucchini is by far my favorite vegetable, with yellow squash a close second. My kids unfortunately do not feel the same. At least with Italian Chicken Soup, I’m able to get them to at least try a little!
Why We love it
- It’s fast! It can be ready just 30 minutes you get a rich, flavorful soup.
- It’s healthy – at just under 200 calories a bowl (based o 6 servings) it’s a meal you can feel good about.
- It’s a great way to get my kids to eat their veggies without complaining.
How To Make Italian Chicken Soup
- Start with some veggies, sauteed to help soften them.
- After a few minutes of cooking the veggies, you add the rest of the ingredients – chicken broth, diced cooked chicken, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of corn, a can of beans, and some Italian seasonings.
- Let it all come to a boil and then simmer for at least 20 minutes. It smells amazing!
Chicken Soup Tips and Tricks
Here are some useful tips when making Italian Chicken Soup
- Use a rotisserie chicken to save time. Just pick one up at the grocery store, or better yet at Costco (they’re bigger AND cheaper). Pull off all of the meat and freeze until ready. You could also cook the chicken in broth if you have the time. Or keep some Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken on hand all the time!
- Cut vegetables into as evenly sized pieces as possible. This will help them cook in the same amount of time so you don’t have to worry about biting into a tough piece.
- Use fresh herbs if possible. My recipe calls for dried herbs, but if you can get your hands on fresh herbs, use them. You can toss in a few sprigs of them in addition to some chopped up. Just pull the sprigs out before serving.
- Speaking of serving, we love to add some Garlic Bread and a copycat Olive Garden Salad on the side for a complete meal.
- Store Italian Chicken Soup leftover in the fridge, covered, for up to 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 4 months.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Smoked Sausage and Zucchini Skillet
- 3 Ingredient Chili – the perfect base for any chili recipe
- Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta
Italian Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 medium zucchini diced into 1 inch cubes
- 1 yellow squash diced into one inch cubes
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast shredded (rotisserie chicken works well)
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 15-ounce can Cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can corn drained and rinsed
- 6-8 cups low sodium chicken stock Add more or less depending on how brothy you want your soup
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large pot and melt butter and olive oil together. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add zucchini and yellow squash and cook until just starting to soften, about 4 minutes.
- Pour in tomatoes, beans, and corn. Add diced chicken, chicken broth and seasonings. Stir together and bring to a boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Divide into bowls and serve hot. Great on it’s own, or served over small pasta (ie. macaroni or shells).
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Did not have corn, added fresh sliced mushrooms, dried Kuri squash slices, sliced celery and parsley. Very tasty!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Sheri.
Kristin….. I made this (without corn – don’t like or the beans – didn’t have) and it was absolutely WONDERFUL! I used a rotisserie chicken from Sprouts with Italian herbs. Thanks so much for posting this. It was perfect for the rainy & chilly day! : )
Awesome feedback Patricia! Thanks for stopping by.
Made this Italian Chicken Soup last week with a Spouts Rotisserie Chicken. I added some carrots as I can’t eat corn or the beans. The can of tomatoes was spiced with Oregano & Basil. I added cabbage as we love it in soups. Used about 7 c of broth and let it cook down. About 15 minutes before it was through is when I added the rotisserie chicken as I didn’t want it to dry the meat out. Added a few extra spices that we love in soup…. AND MAN O’ MAN…. THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST TASTING SOUPS WE’VE MADE – and that according to my somewhat finicky husband!
Definitely a keeper and was perfect for that chilly day with crackers! YUMMMMM Thank you : )
You are so welcome Patricia! Fantastic feedback, thanks for taking the time to share.
Added celery and mushrooms. Spiced it with some Tapatio and Worcester sauce. Doubled the recipe. Also used fire roasted tomatoes and added spice dice chili’s. Stuff is great..
Love the feedback Marc! Thanks for stopping by.
I was at a loss for what to make with my left over chicken and this recipe was the answer!! Thank you for the easy and tasty idea! I just happened to have everything.
Everyone had seconds so you know it was great!! Much love ❤️
You are so welcome Heidi! Thank you for sharing.
I made this tonight. It was FABULOUS. I used a lot of vegetables: onion, carrot, garlic, celery, zucchini, spinach and a can of diced tomatoes with cooked chicken Seasoned with Italian herbs, and I added cooked orzo pasta at the end abd garnished with shredded parm. It was one of the best soups we ever had!
Awesome feedback Elfie! Thanks for stopping by.
Made without beans because I didn’t have them and it was a bit salty (don’t know if they absorb some). Would recommend 1/2 tsp less salt. I added egg noodles the last 5-7 minutes. If you do that, use the higher amount of broth as the noodles take up the liquid. Flavor of the broth was delish and corn gives it a bit of texture. Nice on a cold night!
Hi Shelley, yes the beans will absorb some of the salt, and it’s needed for their flavor. But you could certainly use less salt or just add salt to taste at the end.
Loved it —used leftover rotisserie chicken and added leftover mixed vegetables along with the onions and squash. Added a fresh mushroom too (cleaned out the fridge!) Served it with small elbows. Great for a raw December day.
Thank you
You are so welcome Lorraine! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Forgot the corn and beans, but it still came out so good! I’ll definitely be making this again!
That’s awesome Robert! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Very easy to prepare and beyond yummy – loved this recipe! I substituted carrots for the squash as that is what I had on hand
Love the feedback Cathy! Thanks for stopping by.
Used Mexican squash, calabasitas, added frozen spinach and used roasted fresh corn, plus hubby tweaked the seasonings. Definitely saving this recipe for more cold nights and left over rotisserie chicken.
That sounds amazing!
Sounds like I know what I’ll be making for dinner tomorrow. Sounds great!
Enjoy it Megan!
We have a squash allergy in our home. Do you have suggestions for squash/zucchini substitute?
Hi Sharon, you could leave the squash out or just replace it with other vegetables.