Easy Chicken and Kale Soup
This easy chicken and kale soup recipe is so simple and fresh, I had to share with you all. If you’re anything like me, lunchtime comes around and you’re thinking about something filling, healthy but most importantly, delicious. I can’t stand to eat the same salad or sandwich every day so this soup is perfect to make ahead!
I know, I know, everyone is totally crazy about kale these days. Well, true confession, it’s not my favorite. But, cooked down in this flavorful broth, it adds a great texture and is super filling. Collard greens would be a very good alternative, too.
The best thing about this recipe is that it requires a cup of “this”, a cup of “that” and a dash of “this and that”. What I mean is you can’t really go wrong with your portions here…and “a cup” is super easy to remember.
Anytime I pull a rotisserie chicken, I reminisce about sweet memories at my grandma’s kitchen table. She was always “pickin’ a chicken” for Sunday supper, whether it be for her famous dumplin’s or my favorite, cornbread dressing.
Once you have all of your chicken pulled and ingredients chopped, the hard part is over and the fun part begins. One of my favorite scents is onion and celery sautéing in olive oil. When that wave of aroma crashes over you, you’ll see smell what I mean.
When the onion and celery are translucent, add in your broth and bring to a boil – I used about 1½ cartons. Add in the tomatoes, mushrooms, pasta, garlic and kale and boil on medium heat until the pasta is al dente.
Add in the pulled chicken and heat until cooked through. Serve in large bowls and top with lemon juice and Parmesan.
Don’t skip the lemon; the juice gives this soup the perfect blast of freshness. If you’re like me and want to store the soup in Tupperware for lunch, I recommend adding the lemon juice after re-heating in the microwave.
And that’s it! Enjoy!
Ingredients
- ½ rotisserie chicken, pulled (2 cups)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups of raw chopped kale
- ½ white onion, chopped (1 cup)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 4 oz. white sliced mushrooms
- 1/3 cup Ditalini pasta
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic, pressed
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a large stockpot on medium to high heat, sauté onions and celery in olive oil until translucent (about 3 minutes)
- 2. Add pressed garlic, salt and pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
- 3. Add pasta, tomatoes, mushrooms, kale and red pepper flakes. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- 4. Reduce heat to medium low and add chicken. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- 5. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and Parmesan.