Welcome to the improved Mia Cucina Italiana. Now with healthy recipes! Due to a recent health diagnosis, my menus have completely changed to a more healthy outlook. Even though I’m watching amounts of fat, carbs, sugar and sodium, I insist on eating good food, and the blog will reflect tasty and nutritious meals. The only thing you might need to add is salt. I use a salt substitute, but feel free to use salt to taste.
This soup is one of my new go-tos. Italian Chicken Noodle with veggies. It’s both light and fulfilling with pasta (I use Ronzoni Gluten-Free, or any whole wheat pasta will do). The marinara sauce adds a nice punch of flavor. I like to cook chicken for this recipe, but you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken and cut down on time for a quick weeknight meal that any fans of chicken noodle soup will love.
Italian Chicken Noodle Soup
ITALIAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Serves 6
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 halved boneless chicken breasts
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 zucchini, roughly chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup cooked macaroni of your choice per serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach per serving
Top with 1 Tbsp. crumbled reduced fat feta cheese or grated Parmesan per serving
1. Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add chicken and season with a small amount of salt and pepper or salt-free seasoning. Cook chicken 5 minutes on each side until browned. Add 1 cup water to pan, cover and cook on low heat 5 more minutes. Remove chicken from pan and save all the liquid to a separate glass container.
2. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in soup pot on medium heat until warmed. Turn heat to medium-low and add onion and carrots. Add Italian seasoning, bay leaves and garlic to pan and simmer on low until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in broth, reserved chicken cooking liquid, zucchini and marinara. Simmer 15 minutes. While soup is simmering, fork or cut cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the soup to warm.
4. Place macaroni and spinach into individual soup bowls. Add servings of soup and top with feta cheese.