Chicken Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash

This recipe makes a warming chicken vegetable soup with butternut squash that is full of nutritious vegetables and perfect for the winter days ahead.

There is never a better time to enjoy soup than in the winter and though it is not quite here yet, it’s always good to have some recipes ready for when it hits.

This chicken vegetable soup is a recipe that I have been making for many years and I love it so much that I even make it in the summer but the colder months is when I feel the real benefits.

The soup is made using chicken thighs for maximum flavour and I use thighs on the bone as it provides the soup with plenty of flavour. The vegetables included are onions, carrots and butternut squash with the addition of potatoes for the starch component.

The ingredients included in this soup are all low-calorie foods so this soup is perfect for those trying to reduce calories in their diet. A serving of this soup contains only 259 calories.

The soup will provide you with a range of nutrients especially vitamin A and vitamin C which are both important for health and to keep your immune system healthy during the winter months.

This soup is great for meal prepping or if you just want to make ahead of time. I usually enjoy this soup for lunch and occasionally for dinner.

Ingredients for Chicken Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash

Please find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Chicken - use chicken thighs on the bone for the best flavour.
• Seasonings - salt, black pepper, garlic granules, onion granules and paprika.
• Oil - I use extra virgin olive oil.
• Onion – use a brown onion for this recipe.
• Chicken stock cube - dissolved in water or ready prepared stock.
• Thyme - use fresh or dried.
• Soy sauce - for this recipe, I use reduced salt.
• Carrots - use fresh carrots.
• Butternut squash – or pumpkin.
• Potatoes - I use Maris pipers.

How to Make Chicken Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash

1. Add the chicken to a bowl then season with salt, black pepper, onion granules, garlic granules and paprika. Add the olive oil to a large heavy duty saucepan and place on a medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add the chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side.

2. Dissolve a chicken stock cube in 500ml boiling water and pour over the chicken in the saucepan. Pour on another 500ml boiling water and stir. Add the thyme and soy sauce then stir. Cover the saucepan with the lid and allow the chicken to cook for 1 hour.

3. After 1 hour, add in the chopped carrots, butternut squash and potatoes then cover the saucepan again. Allow to cook for 25 minutes or until the butternut squash and the potatoes are soft. Carefully remove the chicken skin and bones from the saucepan as they should have detached from the chicken by now. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. If at any point too much water has evaporated then top up with some boiling water from the kettle.

Recipe Tips

• Try and purchase reduced salt chicken stock and soy sauce as they can be quite salty. You can also leave the salt out of the recipe.
• You can use chicken drumsticks for this recipe if you prefer.
• Feel free to add any of your favourite vegetable to this soup. The more veg the better.
• If you follow a gluten free diet then use gluten free stock cubes as standard cubes may contain gluten.

Nutrition

Nutrition based on 1 serving: Calories: 259kcal | Fat: 7.1g | Saturates: 1.6g | Carbs: 38.0g | Sugar: 12.9g | Fibre: 7.4g | Protein: 12.5g | Salt 0.91g.

Storage

Once prepared, this soup can last in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

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