Chicken Minestrone Soup (Instant Pot / Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (omit if using garlic-infused oil)
• 1/2 cup leek greens or white onion, finely-chopped
• 1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken bone broth or vegetable broth (see note)
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dried chives (optional if using onion)
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for sprinkling (see note)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional – lessen or omit if you’d like less heat)
• 1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen), trimmed and chopped
• For Garnish (Optional):
• Fresh parmesan cheese, grated (omit for dairy-free, Paleo, Whole30)
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep Ingredients: Before starting to cook this chicken minestrone, prep ingredients per the list above unless using frozen green beans, which should be kept in the freezer until the soup is done cooking.

2. 2

   Prepare Chicken: Dry chicken with paper towels, chop into ½ inch pieces, place in a small bowl, generously sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste, and toss with your hands to coat evenly in seasoning. Set bowl aside.

3. 3

   Sauté Vegetables: Hit the "Sauté" button on the Instant Pot or place a large skillet on medium heat on the stovetop if using a slow cooker. Once hot, add olive oil and swirl the pot /skillet to coat. If using minced garlic, add and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chopped leek greens (or onion), carrots, celery, and zucchini. Sauté until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. 4

   Sauté Chicken: Add seasoned chicken and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. 5

   Sauté Italian Seasoning: Stir in Italian Seasoning and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

6. 6

   Deglaze: Pour 1 cup of vegetable/chicken broth into the pot or skillet and scrape up any browned bits. Hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot / remove skillet from heat.

7. 7

   Assemble Soup: Add diced tomatoes (with juice), chickpeas, tomato paste, dried chives (if using), nutritional yeast (if using), salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to combine. Pour in the remaining broth (3 cups) and stir.

8. 8

   Cook:

9. 9

   Instant Pot: Seal lid, hit the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button, set the timer for 5 minutes, then allow a 5-minute natural release before releasing the rest manually. Open the lid and stir in green beans.

10. 10

    Slow Cooker: Transfer skillet contents to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 3 hours. Add green beans in the final 30 minutes.

11. 11

    Taste: Once the soup is cool enough, taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

12. 12

    Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.