When I meal prep for my weekly lunches, I tend to stick to vegetable-based dishes. They’re a little easier, usually cheaper, and I worry less about them keeping well if I don’t quite finish everything by Friday and lunch quietly spills into the weekend.
This week, though, I was craving something with a bit more protein. I didn’t want a standard chicken soup—which is great, by the way—but it just wasn’t what my mood was calling for. While I wanted the extra protein, I still needed pack in the vegetables. I rely on meals like this to get as many ingredients from the earth into my week as possible, with as little thought as possible once Monday rolls around.
Which brings me to this Green Chicken Minestrone. If you’re not craving the protein like I was—or you don’t eat meat—you can simply leave the chicken out. You’ll still end up with a hearty, warming soup that’s satisfying enough to keep you going all afternoon.
There’s something about sticking almost entirely to green vegetables that feels both fresh and comforting. It looks vibrant, tastes bright and, based purely on what’s going into the pot, I’m fairly confident it’s doing me some good (full disclaimer: I’m neither a nutritionist nor a dietitian, so I’ll leave the health advice to the experts). In fact, given the amount cocktails I create, I’m definitely not one to dish out health advice – only how I try to enjoy it while keeping things in balance.
In the middle of winter, it’s exactly the sort of meal I want. It has all the soul-warming comfort of a big bowl of soup, but with enough freshness from the lemon, herbs and green vegetables to stop it feeling heavy.
’m also slightly obsessed with these tiny pasta shells. Any small pasta will work—or even broken spaghetti if that’s what you have—but these little shells are perfect. They soak up the broth in every nook and cranny and somehow manage to feel like tiny dumplings with every bite.
I like to cook the chicken separately and a little more gently before adding it to the soup, but it’s by no means essential. If you’re in the mood to throw everything into one pot and call it dinner, I completely understand. Sometimes easy wins.
Either way, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And if you’re looking for more make-ahead, one-pot meals for the week ahead, my Vegetable Loaded Dahl and Black Bean, Corn & Sweet Potato Soup are both regulars in my kitchen too.
Worth Making?
- Yes – if you want a soup that’s filling enough to keep you satisfied without feeling heavy.
- Yes – because it packs an impressive amount of green vegetables into one pot without tasting like you’re eating “healthy food.”
- Yes – if you love a bright, brothy soup where lemon, herbs and Parmesan are just as important as the chicken.
- Skip it – if you think soup isn’t a complete meal unless it’s thick, creamy or served with a loaf of bread.
- Skip it – if you’re after a traditional tomato-based minestrone. This is a completely different take.
Green Chicken Minestrone
Ingredients
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 1 large brown onion, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium zucchini (about 350g), diced
- 3 cloves 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 litres good-quality chicken stock
- 400 grams chicken breast or thigh, cooked Can use already cooked chicken or refer below for recipe on chicken thighs
- 400 grams cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
- 150 grams frozen peas
- 120 grams small pasta (ditalini, small shells or risoni/orzo)
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach (80-100g)
- 2-3 Tb chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tb chopped fresh basil
- 1 lemon zest
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 40 grams grated Parmesan or pecorino (plus extra for serving)
- freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to season
Cooked chicken thighs
- 400 grams chicken thighs
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely diced
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 250 grams salsa verde
- 2 tsps olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Stir in the zucchini and garlic and cook for another few minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the chicken and simmer for 8-10 minutes until just cooked through.
- Stir in the pasta and cook according to the packet directions, usually 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cannellini beans and peas during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking.Turn off the heat and stir through the spinach until wilted.
- Mix in the parsley, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and crusty buttered bread.
Chicken Thighs
- Heat oil in medium sized saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add chicken thighs – no need to cut, can add whole.
- Add salsa verde and stock. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for about an hour or until chicken is cooked through and can be broken up with a fork.
- Break chicken up with fork and add to soup
Make it your own way
- Swap chicken for shredded rotisserie chicken and add it at the end.
- Leave the chicken out and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
- Replace the cannellini beans with butter beans or chickpeas.
- Add asparagus, green beans or broccoli for extra vegetables.
- Stir through a spoonful of pesto just before serving.
- Use kale instead of spinach if you prefer a heartier green.
