Ground Chicken Soup
This ground chicken soup is an even-easier take on classic chicken noodle soup, loaded with veggies and al dente pasta. Seasoned simply and brightened up with a touch of lemon juice and lemon zest, it’s a warm and cozy meal that’s perfect for chilly days or anytime you’re feeling under-the-weather.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- I love a good kitchen shortcut, and believe me – this is a good one! Budget-friendly ground chicken replaces shredded pieces of chicken in this chicken noodle soup recipe, making it (amazingly) even easier to make than traditional versions.
- It’s seasoned beautifully, with garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice. Couple that with the fresh carrots, onions, celery, and minced garlic, and you’ve got a soup that’s brimming with incredible flavor.
- Ground chicken soup is super versatile and really adaptable, which makes it a great dish for fridge or pantry clean-out day. You can add any of your favorite vegetables, use a combination of pasta types, throw in canned white beans, season it with any spices you’ve got on hand.
Chef’s Tips
- Ground chicken cooks quickly, so don’t brown it too long to start. Cook it just until it starts to crumble, then add in the spices.
- After you brown the chicken, pack it really tightly into a small bowl, then cover the bowl with a lid or a clean kitchen towel. That way, the meat sits in its own juices, retaining as much moisture as possible. Make sure you include those juices when you add the chicken to the soup later – that’s delicious flavor you’d be leaving behind!
Soup’s On! Check Out These Other Tasty Soup Recipes
- Spaghetti Soup
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Popcorn Soup
- Hazelnut Soup with Parsnips
- Chickarina Soup
- Chicken Velvet Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Keto Egg Drop Soup
- Creamy Everything Bagel Chicken Soup
- Turnip Green Soup
- Escarole Soup
Ground Chicken Soup
An easy, budget-friendly version of classic chicken noodle soup using ground chicken.
- large, heavy-bottomed pot
- large wooden spoon
- slotted spoon
- small bowl
For the Ground Chicken
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For the Ground Chicken Soup
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (approximately [adjustable]4[/adjustable] large cloves)
- 3 large stalks celery (halved lengthwise, then sliced into ½-inch-thick pieces)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled, chopped into ½-inch cubes)
- 1 cup chopped white onion (approximately [adjustable]1[/adjustable] medium onion)
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (more or less to taste)
- 7 cups chicken stock (plus more as needed)
- 4 ounces small pasta (orecchiette, ditalini, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (zest from [adjustable]1[/adjustable] medium lemon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (juice from [adjustable]1[/adjustable] medium lemon, plus more to taste)
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- ½ cup minced fresh parsley
Place large pot on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add [wprm-ingredient text=”3 tablespoons avocado oil” uid=”0″] to pot and heat oil until hot and shimmery.
When oil is hot, add [wprm-ingredient text=”1 pound ground chicken” uid=”1″] to pot. Cook chicken 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until meat begins to break into small pieces.
When ground chicken begins to crumble, add [wprm-ingredient text=”½ teaspoon garlic powder” uid=”2″], [wprm-ingredient text=”½ teaspoon salt” uid=”3″], and [wprm-ingredient text=”¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper” uid=”4″] to pot and stir to incorporate. Cook chicken, stirring frequently, approximately 2 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
Using slotted spoon to drain liquid, transfer ground chicken to small bowl, packing chicken into bowl tightly to retain moisture. Cover bowl with lid or kitchen towel and set aside.
Add [wprm-ingredient text=”1 tablespoon avocado oil” uid=”16″] to pot. Heat oil over medium-high heat until warm, then add [wprm-ingredient text=”2 tablespoons minced garlic” uid=”5″], [wprm-ingredient text=”3 large stalks celery” uid=”6″], [wprm-ingredient text=”2 medium carrots” uid=”7″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 cup chopped white onion” uid=”8″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 teaspoon salt” uid=”17″], and [wprm-ingredient text=”¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper” uid=”18″].
Stir ingredients together and cook, stirring frequently, approximately 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
When onion is translucent, add [wprm-ingredient text=”7 cups chicken stock” uid=”9″] to pot. Stir to incorporate, then increase heat under pot to high. Bring chicken stock to rolling boil.
When stock begins to boil, add [wprm-ingredient text=”4 ounces small pasta” uid=”10″] and reduce heat under pot to medium-high. Boil pasta 1 to 2 minutes less than time indicated on package instructions. Note: If pasta absorbs too much liquid, add ½ to 1 cup additional chicken stock to taste.
When pasta is al dente, return ground chicken to pot, along with any juices that accumulated in bowl while meat rested.
Cook ground chicken in soup 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is heated through, stirring soup frequently.
Once chicken is heated through, add [wprm-ingredient text=”1 teaspoon lemon zest” uid=”13″] and [wprm-ingredient text=”1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice” uid=”12″] to pot. Stir to incorporate, then taste soup and adjust salt and/or pepper if desired.
Ladle ground chicken soup into serving bowls. Garnish with [wprm-ingredient text=”½ cup minced fresh parsley” uid=”11″] divided evenly between bowls and serve immediately.
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