Gluten Free Chicken/Veggie Noodle Soup

Healthy and homey - who doesn’t love chicken vegetable noodle soup? This recipe is a warm hug of delicious, filling, healthy food. If you want to go vegetarian, simply omit the chicken to stick with the veggie version. This recipe can be easily modified- feel free to add a veggie that sounds tasty to you! Squash or potatoes would make an excellent addition if you’re looking for something even heartier. We used Green Lentil Rotini, but there are so many lentil or chickpea-based pasta alternatives out there!

We used:

1-2 Large Carrots

1 Bunch of Celery

1 Large Onion

3-5 Fresh Garlic Cloves

2 Cups of Sliced Mushroom

1 Large Bell Pepper

1 32oz. Carton of Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1 Package of Lentil Pasta (we used Tolerant Organic Rotini)

4-5 Skinless Chicken Thighs

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Dried Parsley

1 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tsp Dried Thyme

1 tsp Ground Pepper

Salt to taste

First, chop carrots, celery, bell pepper and onion into small easy-to-eat pieces. Dice garlic extremely finely. 

Heat oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Once hot, add onion and diced garlic to the pot and stir. Once the onions begin to become translucent, add carrots. Cover and stir periodically for about 5-8 minutes or until carrots begin to soften. At this point add pepper and celery - again, cover and stir periodically for about 5 minutes. 

When peppers begin to soften, finally add mushrooms and stir. 

While the veggies soften, heat oil in another pan over high heat. Wait until the pan is very hot, then add chicken. Let the chicken brown for about 5-7 minutes, then flip and do the same on the other side. We are not cooking the meat through- just giving it a little color. 

When chicken is browned on both sides, turn off the heat and add chicken thighs to the veggie pot. At this point, add all seasonings: parsley, oregano, thyme and pepper. Stir until seasoning is evenly incorporated. 

Finally, add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, you can reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for about 30-40 minutes (or longer, if you’d like!). This will allow the chicken and vegetables to become soft and flavorful. 

Finally, add the lentil pasta and stir so all the noodles are covered in liquid. Increase the temperature back to med/high so the soup comes to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes or until pasta is cooked to desired doneness. Remove from heat and serve!

This soup is so simple and so satisfying. Add more salt and pepper to your boil to taste!
This keeps in the fridge for up to a week and is perfect for reheating in the microwave!