Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 4 celery ribs, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 leeks, halved lengthwise, sliced, and rinsed
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 1 bay leaf
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Build the Soup Base

Get a large pot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat and add the olive oil.

Once it’s shimmering, add the carrots, parsnips, celery, leek, and onion.

Cook for ~5 minutes, stirring pretty frequently. You just want them to soften up a bit.

Add the garlic, salt, and pepper.

Stir for one more minute.

Poach the Chicken and Finish the Soup

Add the thyme, tarragon, bay leaf, chicken breasts, and broth to the pot. Turn the heat up to bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.

Let it simmer for ~15-20 minutes.

The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

Use tongs to pull the chicken out and place it on a cutting board. Shred the meat with two forks. It should pull apart easily. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot.

Let it simmer for another minute or two.

Before serving, fish out the herb stems and the bay leaf.

Stir in the fresh parsley.

Print Pin

Classic Chicken Soup

Poaching chicken breasts directly in the soup keeps them tender while infusing the broth – no separate stock-making required. Fresh thyme and tarragon do the heavy lifting flavor-wise; dried herbs just don’t have the same impact.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 5 medium carrots peeled and sliced
• ▢ 4 parsnips peeled and sliced
• ▢ 4 celery ribs sliced
• ▢ 1 medium onion diced
• ▢ 2 leeks halved lengthwise, sliced, and rinsed
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• ▢ 3 sprigs fresh tarragon
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add carrots, parsnips, celery, leek, and onion. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently until softened.
• Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute.
• Add thyme, tarragon, bay leaf, chicken breasts, and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover.
• Simmer 15-20 minutes until chicken reaches 165F.
• Remove chicken, shred with forks, return to pot.
• Simmer 2 minutes more.
• Remove herb stems and bay leaf.
• Stir in parsley and serve.

Notes

Ensure leeks are thoroughly rinsed to remove any sand or dirt.