This one is worth the effort! Spend a few minutes chopping the veggies and prepping the chicken, sauté and simmer all in one pot, and before long you’ll have a soup to enjoy that’ll leave you saying: I wish I’d made more! 😍 Great for weekend meal prep (consider 1.5 or 2x ing the recipe — just make sure you have a big enough pot).
It’s subtly sweet and definitely savory, and consistently a hit with the grown ups in our house (working on the kids 😏) I used Trader Joe’s “Carrots of Many Colors” because I just think they’re extra fun and pretty, so all that yellow, orange and purple you’re seeing are just the carrots 😊
This recipe makes about 6 2-cup servings. I used vegetable broth as it’s what I had on hand, rather than the chicken stock it calls for, and it was still super tasty! Serves well sprinkled with some sharp cheddar cheese, a few thin slices of avocado (salted with pink Himalayan sea salt), or as pictured: with a piece of crusty bread (we’re on a sourdough kick here as I hear it’s often less gluten-y than other types, if it includes “sourdough starter” on the ingredient list). I got all my ingredients at Trader Joe’s!
Brimming with tender shredded chicken and classic vegetables this Chicken and Kale Soup is perfect for fending off seasonal colds or just keeping toasty in the midst of winter’s chill.
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion (or 1/2 onion) diced
- 1/2 cup leeks sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoons fresh thyme diced (or 1 tsp. dried)
- 2 cups carrots diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth low sodium
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 cups chicken breast cooked and shredded
- 4 cups kale packed
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Melt coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat.
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Sauté onion, leeks, garlic, and thyme until onions are translucent.
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Add carrots and celery and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
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Add chicken stock and sea salt.
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Bring to a boil.
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Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Add chicken and kale.
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Cover and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
I sometimes use rotisserie chicken for this to make it even easier!
If using Tuscan or "dino" kale, anything but Baby Kale really, you'll probably want to rip the leaves off any stems that are included if you buy it pre-bagged. Those stems can remain tough and be a bit bitter.
Freezing Directions:
Prepare soup per above directions. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Divide between quart freezer bags, label, and freeze.
TO SERVE: Thaw in fridge. Reheat in microwave until warm, about 1-2 minutes.
And if you’re new to leeks like I was, here’s a quick how-to on washing/prepping for a recipe like this one:
I’d love to hear what you think of it when you try it out! Let me know if it sounds good to you and/or if you plan to make it 😍 Go ahead and go back up to the photo and “pin it” for later if so! 😘
