Chicken Vegetable Soup (Soy, Wheat, Egg, Fish, Milk and Nut-Free)

To me, nothing fits cold, winter weather quite like a nice, hot bowl of soup.  This soup is my own creation, and one that my whole family loves.  It is free of all the top 8 allergens (assuming all of your ingredients are), and makes a hardy amount for not a lot of money.  It is also very customizable.  Can we say win-win-win?  I hope you enjoy it!

Chicken Vegetable Soup

1 large, bone-in, skin-on, raw chicken breast
  

2  (32 oz.) boxes/cans of allergy-friendly chicken stock
(I highly recommend Pacific brand)
   
  1 to 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
  

1 - 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
    
  1 teaspoon onion salt (I recommend McCormick's)
  

½ teaspoon celery salt (I recommend McCormick's)
  

3 big shakes of paprika (about 1/8 teaspoon)
   
  ground black pepper (to taste)
  

10 baby carrots cut into bite-sized pieces
  

3 stalks celery cut into bite-sized pieces
   
  5 to 10 potatoes, diced 
(I recommend red potatoes, but you can use your favorite type.  Peeled or not is up to you.)
   
  1 (16 oz.) bag frozen peas
    
  1 (16 oz.) bag frozen corn

1. Put chicken, stock, diced tomatoes, spices, carrots and celery into a large stock pot.  (Note: The amount of diced tomatoes, parsley flakes and pepper are all based on personal preference.) 
  

2. Cover the pot, and cook the chicken on medium-high heat until the chicken is completely cooked. Generally, that will take around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  (Note: Check on the chicken now and then, and add more stock or even just water if the liquid level looks low.)
    

3. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the pot and put it on a plate and in the fridge to cool.  (Note: Taste your broth at this point, and add more seasonings or even just plain salt if needed.)
    
4. Make sure the stock is simmering well/boiling, and then add the potatoes to the pot, and cook until they are nearly to desired doneness.  (Note: Generally, potatoes will cook in about 20 minutes, so you'll want to check them anywhere from between 10 to 15 minutes, depending how done you like your potatoes, to see if they are nearly done.  If you like your potatoes fork tender, you want them still a little firm before preceding to the next step.)
            
5.  Add the frozen peas and corn to the pot.
  

6. Take the chicken out of the fridge, remove the skin and bones from the meat, and then cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and re-add the meat to the soup.
    

7.  Cook the soup for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through and the potatoes and frozen veggies are cooked to your liking.  (Note: Taste your broth at this point, and add more seasonings or even just plain salt if needed.)
                      
Serves a family of 5 easily with left overs.
  

Variations:

• Fresh or Alternative Veggies:  You can certainly use fresh tomatoes vs. canned ones or fresh corn and peas vs. frozen.  Amounts of those are based on preference.  You can also use 32 oz. of a frozen veggie of your choice (mixed veggies, broccoli, cauliflower, just peas, just corn, kale, etc.) vs. peas and corn.  You could even add more veggies, but you may need to add more stock/water to the soup, and you'll want to add most veggies in during step 5, unless it if a firmer veggie like broccoli or cauliflower - those would most likely need to be added with the potatoes.  If you want to add diced onion, you can add 1/2 Cup or so without needed to up the stock/water content, and you'll want to add it with the celery and carrots (carrots, celery and onion should all be roughly the same amount).
    
• Beef Vegetable Soup: If you prefer beef to chicken, you can use cubed beef or hamburger and beef broth instead, though you'll have to brown your meat first before making the soup.
     
• Other Cuts of Chicken or More Chicken:  You can use chicken wings, thighs or legs to make this soup instead of chicken breast.  You can also use more than just one chicken breast.  This soup turns out best using bone-in, skin-on chicken, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken.  Boneless, skinless chicken cooks in about 1/2 the time as bone-in, so keep that in mind, too.
      
• Vegetarian/Vegan Vegetable Soup:  Leave out the chicken and use just the chicken stock or even beef stock for a vegetarian option or vegetable broth for a vegan option.
       
• Water and Bouillon:  If you don't have stock, you can use water and bouillon instead, if you have a bouillon that fits your allergen needs.  You'll need at least 8 Cups of liquid to make this soup.

Looks good, right?

I promise, it is, and it's perfect for a cold, wintry night!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)