Easy Italian Chicken Soup

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We’ve been having our fair share of rainy days here in the desert, and I’ve been making soup for dinner at least once a week. I made a big pot of Easy Italian Chicken Soup last week, and it was such a hit that I made it again yesterday. Filled with generous pieces of chicken, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans and fresh spinach, this soup is a complete meal in a bowl!

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I love soup, but most of the time it’s too hot here to enjoy it. Last fall and winter, the weather was pretty mild, but thanks to El Nino, this year is different. So, that means we get to enjoy these wonderful bowls of steaming hot soup more often.

Most of the kids are fine with soup for dinner, except one of my darling teens. Let’s just say that she tolerates it. Barely. Chicken soup is always safe, but I like to change it up a little so that it doesn’t get too monotonous. And this recipe for Italian chicken soup is definitely a kicked-up version of the usual.

Sometimes, I make it from scratch, and other times, I buy organic stock. If I’m really busy and short of time, I’ll even use rotisserie chicken. But even with the shortcuts, it still tastes good, and that’s what counts!

I usually add a little bit of penne pasta at the end, but this is optional. Some of us like pasta in the soup, and some don’t, but this way, everyone gets to choose. And everyone is usually satisfied, even the picky teen!

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Ingredients for Easy Italian Chicken Soup

2 cups cooked chicken, cut up
8 cups chicken stock
1 15-oz can cannellini beans
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 pound penne pasta, uncooked
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large pot, saute the onion and celery in a little bit of olive oil over medium heat until soft.

Stir in the garlic and chicken.

Add the chicken stock, beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper and Italian seasoning. If you’re using store bought stock, you may want to add a cup or so of water.

Bring to a boil, and add the penne pasta, and cook until pasta is al dente.

Lower the heat, add spinach and serve immediately.

I make a big pot of this Italian Chicken Soup, and after we have it for dinner, I’ll save some for another day or use the leftovers for lunch. It’s completely satisfying without being too filling, and it’s great with crusty bread, crackers or just by itself — yum!

Have you had any soup lately? What’s your favorite kind? I’d love to know!