Meal-Prep Paleo Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe

We like to make this recipe on a lazy weekend day, because with the help of the slow-cooker, you don’t have to think about it much and by evening, you’re eating warm, delicious, nourishing soup. Or for those times when you have a big week ahead, it’s great to have on hand knowing that a healthy dinner is covered. Serve it with bread, salad, grilled cheese sandwiches, or tortillas. This recipe is a meal prep staple for us because you can vary up the sides to keep it interesting and enjoy it throughout the week for lunch or dinner.

gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo

Makes (2) 1 quart jars, freezes beautifully
Serves 8-12 

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

• 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.25 - 1.5 lbs)

• ½ cup olive oil

• 1 large sweet onion, chopped

• 4 small cloves of garlic, minced

• 7 medium carrots, chopped

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 bunch fresh thyme – separated into 3 chopped Tablespoons + tied herb bundle

• (2) 32 oz cartons Organic Kettle & Fire Chicken Broth

• sea salt to taste (about ½ - ¾ teaspoon total) – our favorite brand is Redmond Real Salt

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

• Start the chicken thighs in the slow-cooker in the morning:

1. Place chicken thighs in slow-cooker, season with salt, add 1 carton of chicken broth, cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, until tender.

• About 1 ½ hours before the chicken is ready, make the soup base:

1. Prep the ingredients by mincing the garlic, and chopping the onion, carrots, celery, and thyme. Speed this up with a food processor, if desired. Set aside.

2. In a Dutch Oven (we love this one by Lodge because it's more affordable, withstands the test of time, and comes in cheerful colors), warm the olive oil over medium heat. 

3. Add the onions, sprinkle with some salt, and sauté until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

4. Add garlic and sauté 5 minutes more, watching to make sure it doesn’t brown.

5. Add the carrots and another pinch of salt. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes.

6. Add the celery and sauté until not quite soft, about 8 minutes.

7. Add the chopped thyme (you can also substitute 1 Tablespoon of dried thyme if you don’t have fresh thyme) and stir to combine, cooking 5 minutes more.

8. Pour in 1 carton of chicken broth and stir to combine. Add herb bundle.

9. Cover and simmer on low heat, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender.

10. Turn off stovetop, remove herb bundle (and any thyme stems), and use an immersion blender to puree the ingredients together until smooth. You can also ladle it into a blender and blend until smooth. We love the Vitamix for this. It’s a bit spendy, but a great investment that will last.

11. Once the chicken is tender, remove from the slower cooker and place on a cutting board or plate. Use two forks to shred the chicken. 

12. Add the shredded chicken and broth from the slower cooker to the pureed vegetable mixture. Stir to combine.

13. Season with salt, if desired and serve.

RECIPE NOTES

This recipe freezes very well, so if you’re not feeding a big group, you might freeze half of it to use another time. We like to use quart-size glass Ball jars (to avoid the harmful chemicals in plastic food storage containers). Just remember to let the soup cool before placing it in the freezer. When you do so, don’t put the lid on (yet) and leave some room at the top for the soup to expand. Once it’s frozen, go back and put the lid on. When you’re ready to use it, defrost it in the refrigerator for a day or place the jar in a bowl of warm water until the soup releases from the sides of the jar. Then you can heat it gently in a saucepan on the stovetop.