Chicken soup with spring vegetables is a delicious, hearty soup that bridges the gap between the chilly days of winter and the fresh produce of springtime. Made in one pot with all the veggies you love in a traditional chicken soup, with the addition of peas, asparagus, fresh dill, and a burst of bright lemon juice. Ready in less than an hour!

A shallow ceramic bowl filled with chicken soup with spring vegetables - peas, carrots, celery, and asparagus. Garnished with fresh dill and lemon wedges.

The best herbed chicken soup with spring vegetables

You know those chilly days that fall somewhere between the end of winter and the *true* beginning of warm, spring days? This soup is for those days.

When you’re craving something cozy, WITH the bright green flavors of spring vegetables.

It’s a light, easy variation on a classic chicken and vegetable soup recipe that we make all the time, and it’s always a hit with the fam!

There is just something about the delightful combination of a flavorful broth swimming with fresh herbs, veggies, and a generous dose of bright lemon juice that hits the spot every time.

And if you love making different tasty variations on classic chicken soup be sure to check out our recipes for Turmeric Chicken Soup, Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup, Cashew Cream Chicken and Vegetable Soup, Brothy Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup, and our Cashew Cream Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup!

Why you’ll love this chicken soup with spring vegetables

It is:

Warm and cozy
Full of bright flavors
Brimming with green, spring veggies and herbs
Easy and simple to make
Satisfying
Whole30, paleo friendly, gluten free, and dairy free
SO very tasty!

Ingredients

This simple chicken soup is made with relatively similar ingredients to what you would use in a classic chicken soup, with the addition of spring vegetables, fresh herbs, and lemon.

Like your favorite chicken soup but without the noodles and with EXTRA veggies!

Here’s what you need

Olive oil – Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee would all work well for sautéing the veggies.
Onion, carrots, & celery – These three vegetables make up the flavorful, aromatic foundation for this simple soup. You could substitute leeks for the onion, or even use them in addition to yellow onion.
Peas – I like using frozen peas because they’re easy to find at the store, and relatively inexpensive. If you can get your hands on fresh shelled peas you could also use those.
Asparagus – A quintessential spring veg, asparagus adds a lovely bright green flavor and welcome bite of texture.
Chicken broth – Chicken broth or vegetable broth both work for making this soup.
Boneless skinless chicken breast – Boneless skinless chicken breast is what I used in this recipe, but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs for a richer, more tender protein option.
Fresh herbs – I love a combination of fresh dill and fresh parsley, but if I had to choose just one I would opt for dill – the fresh and exceptional flavor is out of this world delicious.
Lemon – The addition of fresh lemon juice at the end of cooking brightens up and marries all the flavors in the soup.
Salt & pepper – To taste

Can this soup be made vegetarian?

This soup can easily be modified to be vegetarian!

To make a completely veg friendly version you should:

Leave out the chicken, and/or swap it out for white beans or a protein rich grain like quinoa.
Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

What part of chicken is best for soup?

Typically I use boneless skinless chicken breast for chicken soup, but boneless skinless chicken thighs also work well.

Chicken breast has a reputation for being dry and flavorless, but I find that as long as you’re careful not to overcook it, it will remain tender through the cooking process.

For this recipe, that might mean pulling the chicken breasts before they’re cooked completely through, dicing them up, and returning to the soup to finish cooking.

Chicken thighs tend to yield a more rich, juicy flavor.

Can you make this soup with noodles or rice?

Absolutely. As written this recipe is made with no noodles or rice. But you could add cooked noodles or rice just before serving if you like!

I think it would also be delicious with this gluten free orzo!

How to make chicken soup with spring vegetables: Carrots, onion, and celery sautéed in a large enameled soup pot.

How to make chicken soup with spring vegetables: Broth, chicken, salt, and pepper added to the large enameled soup pot.

A shallow ceramic bowl filled with chicken soup with spring vegetables - peas, carrots, celery, and asparagus, with a spoon dipping in. Garnished with fresh dill and lemon wedges.

How to make chicken soup with spring vegetables

All you need to make this easy chicken soup is a cutting board, knife, and a large soup pot.

Here’s the step-by-step

Cook onions, carrots, and celery. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot. When oil is hot, add onions, carrots, and celery, and sauté until soft and starting to caramelize.
Add broth and chicken. Add salt, pepper, broth, and whole chicken breasts and bring to a simmer. Make sure the chicken breasts are submerged beneath the broth and cover the pot. Simmer on low until the chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
Dice chicken and add remaining soup ingredients. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Cut into bite sized pieces or shred using two forks. Return chicken to the soup pot along with frozen peas, asparagus, fresh herbs, and lemon juice.
Bring back to a slow simmer and allow chicken to warm through and peas and asparagus to cook until bright green and crisp tender.
Season and serve. Season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper, and more lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Can you put raw chicken in soup to cook?

Yes, you can put raw chicken in soup to cook.

This is actually one of my favorite ways to make chicken soup, since it’s easy and you don’t have to handle the raw chicken much outside of lowering it into the hot broth.

You could dice the raw chicken before adding it, but I prefer to add the whole piece of meat (either breast or thigh), and allow it to cook almost completely before removing it to cut into bite sized pieces or shred using two forks.

It can then be returned to the soup pot to finish cooking if necessary, and warmed through.

Storage and reheating

To reheat: This soup can easily be re-heated in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top.

To store in the refrigerator: To store in the refrigerator, allow it to cool completely and transfer to an air tight container before moving to the fridge. Will keep for up to 5-6 days.

To freeze: To freeze this soup, allow to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 4 months. To thaw, move to the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

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Love this chicken soup? Try these other yummy soup recipes!

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