Hidden Veggie Soup
on Feb 19, 2023, Updated May 29, 2024
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This hearty and healthy Hidden Veggie Soup is packed with secret š„ vegetables, making it a great way to sneak in extra nutrients for picky eaters. The blended veggies create a smooth and creamy base without the need for added cream, keeping it light yet satisfying. Perfect for āļø chilly days or when you’re feeling under the weather, this soup is a comforting classic with a healthy twist. Serve it with a slice of crusty bread or a fresh green salad for a complete and wholesome meal.
Why You’ll Love Hidden Veggie Soup
You’ll love this Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup because it’s an enjoyable and delicious way to eat a variety of š§ vegetables without even realizing they’re there! The blended veggies create a creamy, rich texture that makes the soup feel indulgent without adding any cream, so yes, this soup is dairy-free! This soup is perfect for meal prepping, because it stores and reheats well, making it perfect for quick lunches or dinners throughout the week. Whether you’re serving it to picky eaters, looking for a nutritious meal, or just craving a š warm bowl of soup, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite.
How to Prepare
š¦ Prepare a liquid base in a pot with a combination of water and unsalted broth or just water.
š„ Add vegetables (scallions, bell pepper, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic) and bring to a boil.
š Add chicken to the boiling mixture, skim off foam, and season with salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning at the end.
š„ Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft, chicken is fully cooked, and broth has reduced.
š§ Remove chicken, let cool, then shred. Discard any bones or skin.
š„ Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon, blend in a blender with two ladles of broth until smooth, and return the mixture to the pot.
š„ Break egg noodles into pieces, add to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cook noodles for 5-10 minutes.
šæ Remove soup from heat, add parsley for garnish, and stir. Optionally, add freshly squeezed lemon juice to each bowl before serving. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip š„£
When blending hot soup, do so in batches, filling the blender no more than half full. Remove or loosen the center cap of the blender lid, cover with a dishcloth, and hold down the lid to prevent spills and burns.
Variations and Substitutions for Hidden Veggie Soup
This soup is your culinary canvas! But remember that if you are changing or adding ingredients you may have to experiment and adjust quantities or cooking times.
- Substitute the egg noodles for quinoa, orzo, brown rice, pastina, broken-up angel hair or spaghetti, or couscous. There are so many options for this aspect of the soup! Choose what you ā¤ļø love.
- Feel free to try this recipe with different šæ herbs like dill, thyme, or basil for added flavor.
- Try adding other vegetables to your soup, like peas, spinach, or kale.
- The soup can be made š„¬ vegetarian by omitting the chicken. For a vegan version, ensure that all other ingredients (like broth) are vegan.
- For enhanced flavor, add a Homemade Chicken Bouillon Cube to the broth along with the water. Alternatively, you can swap half or all of the water for chicken or vegetable broth.
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Best Served With
- Some crusty bread like my No Knead Peasant Bread
- A fresh salad such as a Caesar Salad
Common Questions
I love any broths by Kettle and Fire; you can click HERE and use my code THEMODERNNONNA for 20% off!
I use Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is always to taste. Always taste and adjust as you cook.
Absolutely! Feel free to use fide, orzo, or pastina in this soup instead of egg noodles. You can even break angel hair pasta or spaghetti into small pieces and use that instead. This soup is extremely versatile so be sure to make it your own.
Allow the Hidden Veggie Chicken Soup to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Then, place it in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
If you have more leftovers than you can consume in a few days, freezing is a great option. First, portion the soup into airtight containers or resealable freezer bags, but be sure there’s some room for expansion to prevent containers from cracking. Then, label the containers with the date. The soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy your leftover soup, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight if frozen. To reheat, use a microwave, stovetop, or an oven. Make sure to heat it thoroughly until it’s steaming hot. You may need to add a bit of water or broth to adjust the consistency.
Start by preheating a thermos with boiling water and keep it closed. While the thermos warms up, heat the soup on the stove. This entire process should only take about 10 minutes. Once the thermos is ready, empty the hot water and add the soup, leaving some space at the top to prevent a vacuum seal, which would make it harder to open.
Yes, you can make this soup vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth instead of water.Ā
For enhanced flavor, you can add any seasonings you enjoy. You can also add a bouillon cube (or 1 tablespoon bouillon paste) to the water/broth, or use Vegeta as my mom does.
I add 8 to 10 cups of water or broth depending on how much chicken and noodles I use. You can definitely add more if you see that it’s way too thick at the end.
Yes, you can make this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. You can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and thighs, and remove the bone and skins after cooking.
If you donāt feel confident, you can most definitely use a meat thermometer to check and ensure that your meat has reached the correct internal temperature.
Hidden Veggie Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 5 cups chicken broth, or veggie broth
- 4 scallions
- 5 mini bell peppers, any colours
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1 celery rib
- 1 yellow onion, peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- salt, to taste
- 5 chicken thighs , (or breasts)
- 130 grams egg noodle pasta, broken into little pieces (or any pasta of choice)
- fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- fresh lemon juice, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a big pot with water or Ā½ water and Ā½ organic unsalted broth (you want 10 cups of liquid total). Add in the scallions, bell pepper, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, add the chicken. Skim off any foam with a spoon. Season with salt. Make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning at the very end of cooking.
- Once everything is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and semi cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer for 45 minutes or until the veggies are all super soft, the chicken is fully cooked and white throughout, and the broth has reduced.
- Remove the chicken, let it cool, and shred or cut it. If the chicken has bone or skin, discard and/or compost it. Remove the whole veggies with a slotted spoon and transfer them in a blender with two ladles of the broth.
- Blend until everything is nice and smooth and add the blended mixture back into the pot with the shredded chicken. Break the egg noodles into little pieces and add them to the pot. Bring everything to a boil. Once the noodles are cooked, about 5 to 10 minutes, take the soup off the heat.
- Note: Hot soupĀ (or any hot liquids for that matter)Ā will steamĀ and expand in a blender, which can push the top off andĀ cause a mess and burn hazard. When pureeing hot soup, do so in batches.Ā Fill the blender 1/3 to 1/2 full, remove or loosen the center cap from the lid of the blender. Cover the lid with a folded dishcloth and hold it down when blending.
- Add parsley for garnish, and stir. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is lovely in each bowl. Enjoy!
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe looks and sounds so good and healthy. Sounds like it should be a stable in my freezer. The only problem I’m seeing is that the carbs are at 43g. If I eliminate the noodles, do you think it would bring the carbs down to around 36g. I do hate eliminating them completely.
Hi, Nonna Donna! You may be able to substitute them with a low carb pasta to hit your goals!
Making this todayā¦I love your soups! The recipe shows 3 servings with 10 cups of liquid in the soup. Is this correct?
Hi Giselle, yes the servings and ingredient quantity are accurate. I hope you enjoy!
Soo good and my kids love it without the fights over veggies
Yay for peaceful, hidden veggie dinners š So glad the kids liked it, Keyla ā¤ļøš
Didnāt love chicken noodle soup growing up or the whole boiled veggies in them. I cannot get enough of this soup! Chicken? Yes! Noodles? Yes! Yummy broth? Yes! Love that I get the veggies without having to chew them. My favorite little addition Iāve done is pan fry the chicken skin after boiling and sprinkle it over the soup like bacon. This is chicken soup for the soul.
This made me smile, Dani š
I love this recipe! I found her iteration of this a few years ago (2020/2021) and have been using it ever since āŗļø I didnāt grow up with a family who handed down cooking traditions so Iāve had to forge my own recipes to pass on to my future littles. This is one of them! I add some aromatics and sometimes a root veggie or two but as a foundation, this is the best. So grateful!
Oh Allegra, thank you! This means so much to me š„¹
Delicious and easy recipe that can be adapted to whatever vegetables you have. Always a family favourite.
I’m so happy your family loves this as much as mine does!