Family Favorites - November 2019: Chicken Vegetable Soup (Soy, Wheat, Egg, Fish, Milk and Nut-Free)

I decided to keep posting a family favorite recipe from the blog (with any adaptions that we use regularly, if applicable) on the fourth Friday or Saturday of every month this year.  This recipe will be one that we make quite often and that we all enjoy greatly.  This post is the eleventh Family Favorites recipe of 2019.

If you have a recipe on your blog that you consider a family favorite that you'd like to share, please comment below with a link to the recipe, and I'll make sure to pop on over and visit your site to check it out (and leave a comment), and hopefully some of my other readers will, too.

This month's Family Favorite recipe is Chicken Vegetable Soup.  This is essentially a re-posting of my original recipe with a few tips and tricks added in.

This recipe is a favorite for so many reasons (though I normally have to make the corn on the side now due to my husband's corn sensitivity).  It's hardy, full of amazing good-for-you veggies, and warms you from the inside out.  It is also top 8 free (if all your ingredients are), and you can customize it (see variations).  Speaking of customizing, I am going to have to try it with left over turkey vs. chicken after Thanksgiving - I think my family would love that.  YUM!

Chicken Vegetable Soup

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

2  (32 oz.) boxes/cans of allergy-friendly chicken stock
(We highly recommend Pacific brand for a very allergy-friendly soup.  That is the brand we normally use, but we also use Full Circle or Meijer brand because they fit within our dietary needs.  We have used other gluten-free brands, too.)
   
  1 to 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
 (We don't have a brand we normally use, so you can use your favorite brand.  We almost always use the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, too.) 

1 - 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
(We normally use the 2 Tablespoons.)
    
  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 
(We 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 (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using 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.
• Other Meats: You can use turkey vs. chicken or even ham.  You can use chicken stock or use turkey stock with the turkey or ham stock with the ham.  You could even make this into a fish or seafood soup if you so desired and you can have it, subbing seafood or fish stock and fish/seafood of choice.
• Using Left-over Meat:  If you have left-over chicken, turkey, burger, etc. vs. raw meat that you want to use for this soup, you definitely can do that.  You won't get the same fullness of flavor that cooking the meat directly with the soup brings, but it will still be good.  Just add the already cooked and chopped/shredded meat in when the veggies are nearly done to heat the meat through, and there you go!   The soup will be ready a lot sooner this way, 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.

I hope you will give this recipe a try soon and that it becomes a family favorite for you, too!