Summer Grilled Lemon Chicken and Vegetable Soup

No matter the weather, hot or cold, I always crave soup! It warms the heart and soul on even the hottest days, and summer soups are my absolute favorite! With so many fresh vegetables in season and available, the options are endless, plus they are so easy to throw together after a long day playing in the sun.

Our staple meal all summer long is grilled chicken with a side of fresh fruit and vegetables. Its easy, healthy and delicious. Last week I decided to combine the two and created this tasty grilled lemon chicken and vegetable soup!

I took a lemony spin on my classic chicken noodle, and the results were AMAZING. It will definitely be on repeat this summer!

We loved the addition of lemon in this recipe so much. It pulls flavor unlike anything else. If you are trying to lower your sodium intake, JUST ADD LEMON. Did you know fresh lemon is one of the closest natural flavors to salt? Try it next time, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

First things first, I marinated the chicken the night before to guarantee maximum lemon infusion, highly recommend. The grilled chicken definitely kicks this recipe up a notch.

Look at those fresh summer veggies. I mean, hello pretty!

For the base of the soup I used our favorite organic chicken broth by Pacific, it has such a rich hearty flavor without all the added junk. I’m loving that my local Kroger store has brought in so many ORGANIC options, now I no longer need to store hop to pick up my specialty items. They have dedicated an entire aisle to all things all natural and clean eats, and you can’t beat their low prices!

During the Kroger Natural & Organic Event you can save over $100 on organic items with digital coupons at Smiths. Just download to your phone and start saving! Its as easy as that. Visit here to learn more and start saving  now through 7/26.

I prefer my soups more hearty rather than watery, the more veggies the better in my opinion. Feel free to lessen the quantity of veggies if you prefer a higher broth to veggies ratio. Either way its a winner!

I also like to make my pasta on the side and add it to each individual bowl. I’m not a huge pasta fan, but some of us prefer a little soup with our pasta over here, so it’s nice to be able to customize it per serving.

Finally, top it off with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and thank me later.

This soup tastes like summer in a bowl! It’s hearty, healthy and refreshing! You’re whole family will love it!

Print

Summer Grilled Lemon Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

To make chicken:

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Combine above ingredients and marinate for at least two hours preferably overnight. Grill chicken until juices run clear.

To make the soup:

• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cups celery. chopped
• 2 cups carrots sliced
• 1 cup frozen petite peas thawed
• 4 ears cooked corn cut off cob
• 3 medium zucchini julienned 
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• juice of 2 lemons
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 10 cups Pacific organic chicken broth
• 2 cups pasta of your choice dry
• 3 breasts grilled chicken diced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add chicken stock, zucchini, bay leaves and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
4. To the chicken stock add, tumeric, corn, peas and grilled chicken. Stir in lemon juice and parsley, season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve over pasta, with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.