Chicken vegetable soup with mushrooms is a healthy and nutritious dish that makes a satisfying and comforting meal or appetizer. Adapted from Cooking for Friends, this chicken vegetable soup is made with fat-free chicken broth, onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, bay leaf, fresh mushrooms, bow-tie pasta, and chicken tenderloin, garnished with low-fat Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. Serve this with crusty bread for a scrumptious and heartwarming meal. Low in fat and calories, you can enjoy this simple dish as a regular part of your diet.

Before making this home cooking recipe, the chicken broth has to be prepared before hand and the chicken needs to be cooked and cut into chunks. You can use homemade broth or buy chicken broth in the grocery, packaged in cans or cartons. This is a great recipe to make if you have leftover chicken from roast or baked chicken from the weekend. To make your own chicken broth, boil down a whole chicken for an hour together with some onions, chopped celery, and carrots. Place the cooled broth in a container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The grease will form and harden on the surface of the chicken broth. Remove this to lessen the fat of the broth and then use the skimmed broth to make this chicken soup. Use a slow cooker or heavy bottomed pot for slow cooking and even heat distribution.

You can also add other vegetables to the mix such as beans, broccoli, carrots, peas, spinach, or asparagus. For a more invigorating chicken vegetable soup, add aromatic herbs like rosemary, basil, oregano, tarragon, and sage. It is best to use fresh mushrooms than canned mushrooms for a better texture and flavor. Button mushrooms, portobello, crimini, or porcini will work well for this recipe. Using different kinds of mushrooms will create an interesting, fuller and earthy flavor.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
6 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 can (7.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. coarse, ground black pepper
3/4 cup uncooked small, whole-grain, bow-tie pasta
2 cup cooked chicken tenderloin, cut into chunks
1/4 cup low-fat Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes

Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic and carrots. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, bay leaves and pepper.

Bring liquid to a boil. Stir in pasta, reduce heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked, about 10-12 minutes.

Stir in chicken and cook just until heated through. Serve with cheese and parsley sprinkled on top.