Hearty Chicken and Stars Soup

This time of year, when the weather is starting to warm up, while I’m anxiously awaiting Spring, my body craves winter comfort foods… like soup.

Not only are soups delicious, but they absolutely hit the spot on a cold evening.

Plus, soup is great to make ahead of time, or at least prep ahead, which is absolutely perfect for those weeknights where you need dinner on the table pretty quickly!

This soup is hearty and savory; packed with plenty of tasty veggies, juicy chicken, and tender rice in a rich and slightly creamy broth. So grab a big piece of crusty bread, and let’s dig in!

What do I need to make this recipe?

• Butter – I prefer to use unsalted, but salted will also work well.
• Onion – I like to use a yellow or white onion.
• Carrots – not baby carrots, pick up the whole carrots that are longer.
• Celery – I like to use celery hearts, but regular celery will also work.
• Garlic – if you’d rather use pre-minced garlic, try using about 2 tsp.
• Seasonings – in this recipe, these are poulty seasoning, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes.
• Chicken – you want about 2 cups, which I like to get from a rotisserie chicken.
• Chicken stock – I prefer to use reduced sodium chicken stock, so the salt level can be controlled.
• Bay leaf – you can use fresh, but dried bay leaves are more readily available.
• Parmesan – shredded Parmesan cheese is added before serving, but to add TONS of great flavor, cut off the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese and add it to the soup as it cooks.
• Pasta – the star shaped pasta is called stelline, but other types of short cut pasta can be used.
• Lemon juice – freshly squeezed is my preference, but in a pinch, bottled will also work.
• Parsley – this adds a bit of freshness, as well as a vibrant color.

How to make hearty chicken and stars soup:

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Cook aromatics. Sautéing the vegetables softens them, as well as enhances their flavor.
2. Add seasonings. It may look like a lot, but remember that a large amount of liquids will be added.
3. Add chicken. Just give it a good stir.
4. Add stock and bay leaf. Bay leaves add a subtle flavor that really goes well with almost any soup.
5. Bring to a boil, add pasta and simmer. Keep the lid off while it’s simmering, and stir occasionally.
6. Finish. Remove bay leaf, stir in lemon juice and parsley, then top with Parmesan cheese.
   

Variations of this recipe

• Chicken – meals like this one are great if you have some leftover chicken in your refrigerator. We love to use a rotisserie chicken, as it adds great flavor. And if you’d prefer to use dark meat (like from chicken thighs), as opposed to white meat, please feel free.
• Raw chicken – if you’d prefer to make this recipe using raw chicken, you can add one or two boneless skinless chicken breasts when you add the chicken stock. Let it come up to a high simmer, and simmer uncovered for 10-18 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, or until it reaches 165°F. Remove to a plate, then add the rice and proceed with the rest of the recipe. While the soup is cooking, shred the chicken and add it back to the pot.
• Veggies – carrots, celery, and onion are the classic vegetables used in a chicken soup, but if you’d like to use different ones (like squash when it’s in season, etc) you absolutely can.
• Chicken stock – I prefer to use a reduced sodium chicken stock, but if all you have is regular, just omit the salt. Then when the soup is finished cooking, give it a taste and add some salt as needed.
• Pasta – this recipe was tested with stelline pasta (which is a star shape). Other varieties of short cut pasta will work (such as ditallini, acini di pepe, etc), but likely have different cooking times, and could potentially need more liquid.
• Dairy – if you’d like to make this a creamy chicken and stars soup, try ading a splash of heavy cream, evaporated milk, whole milk, or half and half.

Making chicken soup ahead of time

In general, soups are amazing to make ahead, since most of the time they actually taste better the next day! All the flavors have had time to really meld together.

However soups that have grains or pasta in them can be tricky to make ahead, as the pasta/grains will absorb more of the liquid in the soup than you’d like.

I’ve found you have two options for soup recipes like this one (with grains and/or pasta).

Prep ahead:

• Chicken – if you’re using cooked chicken that isn’t shredded, you can shred it ahead of time and keep it refrigerated.
• Veggies – the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic can be chopped and kept refrigerated.
• Spices – the poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes can be measured, combined, and stored at room temperature.

Cook pasta separately:

• If you want to still make the soup ahead of time, you can cook the pasta separately.
• Make sure to store the soup and pasta separately as well, then just reheat them together.

Storage

Leftover soup should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-4 days. Keep in mind, that the pasta will absorb some of the broth and possibly be a bit mushy.

If you plan to keep a large portion of this soup as leftovers, I highly advise cooking the pasta separately, and storing it separately.

Freezing

This soup can also be frozen for longer storage.

Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat.

Just as with making this soup ahead of time, it will freeze best if you cook the pasta separately, and freeze it separately as well.