Looking for a delicious, homemade chicken soup that even picky eaters will love?  This soup was developed by my friend Megan O’Toole who is a personal chef and cooking instructor in Lake Oswego, Oregon.  This soup is loaded with vegetables which are pureed so even those who think they don’t like vegetables will ask for more!

Recipe serves four people

  • 3 bone-in, skin-on organic chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 Trader Joes mirepoix (one pound diced onion, celery, carrots)
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • bay leaves
  • fresh thyme or dry (omit if you don’t have it, it isn’t critical)
  • 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cooked noodles, rice or bread

In a stock pot sauté the mirepoix over medium heat until soft.  Push the mirepoix aside, add the chicken breasts, skin-side down, and increase the heat to high for a few minutes to crisp the skin.

Leaving skin-side down, add bay leaves, thyme (if using), tomatoes and stock.  Reduce heat to medium low and cover pot with lid.  Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Remove chicken, place on a plate and turn heat off completely.

When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and debone.  This should be done by hand so that you can be sure to remove all of those small bones, plus hand pulled chicken has a great texture compared to diced chicken.  Keep chicken separate from stock and set aside.  Discard skin and bones.

Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs.  Take your stock/vegetable mixture and blend in a blender or use a stick blender.  I like to really blend it well for several minutes.  Once blended, add your chicken pieces back into the pot with the soup.  Thin with water or more stock if needed.

TASTE and season with salt and pepper if necessary.  To serve, add cooked noodles, rice or bread.  Whatever you desire!  This soup freezes well too (just don’t add the pasta, rice or bread).