Italian-Style Chicken and Mushroom Soup
This Italian Chicken and Mushroom Soup recipe is warming to the soul and is totally easy to make a big batch of on a chilly night! Packed with flavor and hearty ingredients, you'll love this soup on fall and winter nights when all you want is something cozy and comforting.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 ribs celery chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 whole heads garlic (this means the entire bunch!)
- 8 ounces button mushrooms cleaned
- 1 cup orecchiette pasta (or other small pasta shapes such as bow ties or elbow macaroni)
- 1 cup canned cannellini or navy beans rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 8 cups firmly packed spinach washed, drained, and stems removed
Instructions
- Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the celery, and cook about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broth, chicken, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Place both heads of garlic on a small sheet of aluminum foil, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Wrap tightly and place in the oven to roast at 450 degrees F., about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the garlic is soft.
- Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms with the remaining olive oil in a baking dish (or some more foil), place in the oven, and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown, stirring once or twice during cooking to coat evenly.
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven, and add to the soup. Remove the garlic from the oven, peel the cloves, and add to the soup, leaving them whole.
- Add the orecchiette to the soup and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes longer, just until the pasta is al dente. Add the beans and heat through.
- Add the rosemary and parsley, and stir to mix. Remove soup from the heat.
- Add the spinach, and stir until wilted.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
Notes
- You don't need to be a 5-star chef to make roasted garlic OR this soup, either. It's so simple, and beyond worth the 45-ish minutes of cook time (much of which is spent simmering or roasting things, aka it's hands-free time for you).
- It makes amazing leftovers, and it's also a goodie for cold season because it's got antioxidants and healthy nutrients that boost your immune system. To say this soup is a multitasking machine would not be an overstatement.
- Soup naysayers often don't think soup has enough flavor, but this soup certainly doesn't have that problem. Between onion, two heads of roasted garlic, chicken stock, and some great herbs, it will be full of flavor that you'll love.
- This soup offers a great mix of textures—from the tender chicken and vegetables to the slightly chewy pasta, fresh herbs, and crisp greens.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 of 8 servings | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1571mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2981IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 3mg
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