Italian Chicken Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion diced small
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika (optional) *see notes below
- 1 tablespoon mild paprika
- 8-10 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
- 12 ounces carrots thinly sliced (about ¼-inch thick)
- 1 red bell pepper diced small about ¼-inch dice
- 1 large yellow bell pepper diced small
- ¼ cups prepared basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (if using regular chicken broth, decrease the salt to 1 teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
To finish:
- 1½ cups dry Ditalini pasta
- 2-3 cups rotisserie chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves packed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- shredded Parmesan cheese for serving optional, for garnish
Instructions
For the soup:
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In a large heavy-duty soup or stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, paprika and smoked paprika and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste deepens in color and the mixture is very fragrant.
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Add 8 cups of the chicken broth, the fire-roasted tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, pesto, brown sugar, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir to combine then bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat to maintain a low but steady boil for 20 minutes.
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While the soup is cooking, bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Add the ditalini (or pasta of your choice) and cook for the length of time specified on the pasta box or package. (Ditalini is usually about 10 minutes for al dente pasta.) Drain well, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and stir to coat the pasta and keep it from sticking together.)
To finish:
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When the soup has finished cooking, remove the cover and add chicken and the cooked pasta. Finely chop the basil leaves and add to the soup along with the fresh rosemary. If the soup seems too thick, add more chicken broth. Taste the soup and add more kosher salt, if needed.
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Serve topped with shredded or shaved parmesan cheese (optional) and more fresh basil leaves for garnish, if desired.
Recipe Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.
This soup reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop.
*Some readers have loved the taste of the smoked paprika and some not so much. To me, it adds a nice depth of flavor BUT, if you're not a big fan of smoked paprika, either start with 1 teaspoon or omit it all together. The soup will still be delicious!