Chicken Minestrone Soup (with Rotisserie Chicken!)

This Chicken Minestrone Soup is sure to warm you from the inside out. It's packed full of fresh vegetables, like celery, carrots, and green beans, and made a bit more filling with the addition of kidney beans and shredded rotisserie chicken. You can whip it up in under 45 minutes to be served as your next favorite meal-prep friendly lunch or dinner!

Warm, comforting minestrone soup with a subtle twist!

Traditional Italian minestrone soup is classically tomato and vegetable-based. And for years, while I ate mostly plant-based, it was one of my favorite wintertime soups. So much so, that I created this bean-forward Vegan Minestrone Soup that I enjoyed for a long time.

However, as my eating habits changed and I incorporated more meats into my diet, I decided to experiment with adding chicken into some of my favorite recipes. Through some serious recipe testing, I can confidently say that this Chicken Minestrone Soup definitely rivals the original one I love so much.

With the vegan soup in mind, as well as the Fall Minestrone Soup that my mom and I included in our cookbook, Crowded Kitchen, we filled this recipe to the brim with nourishing ingredients (like the fresh vegetables) and stayed true to the inherent characteristics of minestrone (like the tomato-infused broth and flavorful Italian spices - a combination of thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley), but we also added our own flair with some pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

Not only does the chicken help make this feel more like a complete meal, but because it's purchased already cooked, it saves you so much time and preparation. And to really round out the meal, you can serve this with some homemade Italian breadsticks or our easy no-knead focaccia.

For a creamy, more comfort food-forward soup, try our copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup next.

Key Ingredients Needed for Chicken Minestrone Soup

How to Make Minestrone Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, add oil and onion, sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
2. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, so nothing sticks to the bottom or burns.

4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and seasonings. Stir well and bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes on low. 
6. Add pasta, green beans, kidney beans, and shredded chicken. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
7. Serve topped with chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and more red pepper flakes.

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Use low-sodium chicken broth. This helps you remain in control of the saltiness of the soup! Adjust salt to your taste.
• Frozen green beans work well too. If you don't feel like using fresh green beans, feel free to measure out 1 cup of frozen green beans instead.
• If you're not eating the soup right away, cook the pasta for less time. The pasta will continue to cook in the warm broth. To avoid soggy noodles, you can cook the pasta for slightly less time than the recipe indicates.

More Veggie-Packed Soup Recipes You'll Love

We can't wait for you to cook up this Chicken Minestrone Soup in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

Recipe

Alana Lieberman

Chicken Minestrone Soup (with Rotisserie Chicken!)

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This Chicken Minestrone Soup is full of fresh vegetables, kidney beans, and rotisserie chicken. Whip it up in under 45 minutes to be served as your next favorite meal-prep friendly lunch or dinner!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 33 minutes mins

Total Time 43 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: American, Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch, Soups

Cuisine: American, American-Italian, Italian

Calories: 330

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion about ½ a large onion
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 to 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes depending on desired spice level
• ⅔ cup ditalini pasta
• 1 cup fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (frozen works too!)
• 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken roughly chopped
• Fresh chopped parsley for topping
• Grated parmesan for topping

Method

 

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, add oil and onion. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
2. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Add celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often so nothing sticks or burns.
4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and seasonings. Stir well and bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes on low.
6. Add pasta, green beans, kidney beans, and shredded chicken. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. 
7. Serve topped with parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and more red pepper flakes.

Notes

• If making this soup ahead of serving, cook the pasta a few minutes less than the recipe indicates. The longer the pasta sits in the broth, the softer it will become.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 29gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 1077mgPotassium: 579mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3974IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg

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