This is one of those soups I make all year round, not just when it is cold outside. It is light enough that I reach for it in summer too, since it is nothing but blended vegetables and a light broth, no cream, no heavy starch. But once the weather turns cold, it becomes something else entirely, the kind of chicken soup cold weeks call for, warm and comforting in a completely different way. Blended smooth, it has that creamy texture people expect from something much heavier, without any actual cream. It started as my chicken soup for sick days recipe and turned into something we eat both in July and in January.
One thing I learned making this so many times: cook the chicken low and slow in salted water first, then use that same broth for the vegetables. It turns a simple pot of soup into a homemade chicken broth that tastes like it simmered all day, and gives you a proper chicken soup with chicken broth from scratch rather than anything from a carton. This might be the best chicken soup you make all year, whether you want it as a light summer lunch or a warm bowl in winter.
Key Features
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 75 minutes
- Total time: 90 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Dietary labels: Gluten-Free
- Servings: 4
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Chicken Soup
- Naturally gluten free chicken soup, no substitutions needed
- Made from simple, everyday vegetables you likely already have
- The broth comes from the chicken itself, so you end up with a real chicken soup with chicken broth and nothing is wasted
- Blended smooth for a creamy texture with no dairy required
- A good homestyle chicken soup for cold weeks when you want something gentle, and just as easy the next day as leftovers for this chicken and vegetable soup
Ingredients
For this chicken and vegetable soup, you only need a handful of vegetables, two chicken drumsticks and a small pot of pantry staples.
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 3 small potatoes, peeled
- 1 medium onion, peeled
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 small celery root (celeriac), peeled
- 1 small parsley root, peeled
- 2 chicken drumsticks
- 2 l (8 cups) water
- 1 tablespoon millet, rinsed
- 2 to 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, optional
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
How to Make
Step 1: Cook the chicken
Place the chicken drumsticks in a large pot and cover with the water. Add half the salt, bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, until fully cooked through.
Step 2: Set the chicken aside
Lift the drumsticks out of the pot and keep the broth for the vegetables. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. I usually set mine aside and turn it into a baked chicken and potato dish for lunch the next day, but you can chop it and stir it back into the soup at the end if you prefer a heartier bowl.
Step 3: Prep and cook the vegetables
While the chicken cooks, peel and roughly chop the carrots, potatoes, onion, zucchini, celery root and parsley root into large chunks. Add them to the pot with the broth, since it is already full of flavor from the drumsticks. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until everything is completely soft.
Step 4: Blend it smooth
Take the pot off the heat and blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. A heat safe regular blender in batches, or a fork and potato masher, both work if you do not have an immersion blender.
Step 5: Finish the soup
Return the pot to low heat and stir in the rinsed millet, the remaining salt, black pepper, Greek yogurt and lemon juice if using. Simmer for 5 more minutes, just until the millet is cooked through but still holds its shape. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
Serve with gluten free cornmeal muffins for a full dinner and enjoy!
Pro tip: if your chicken is frozen, this recipe works even better, since it thaws and cooks at the same time, and you get to use that flavorful water as your homemade chicken broth instead of throwing it away.
Homemade Chicken Soup with Millet
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the chicken drumsticks in a large pot and cover with the water. Add half the salt, bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, until fully cooked through.
- Lift the drumsticks out and set the broth aside. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and chop it finely. Set aside to stir back in later.
- While the chicken cooks, peel and roughly chop the carrots, potatoes, onion, zucchini, celery root and parsley root into large chunks.
- Add the chopped vegetables to the pot with the chicken broth. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until everything is completely soft.
- Take the pot off the heat and blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
- Return the pot to low heat and stir in the rinsed millet, remaining salt, black pepper, Greek yogurt and lemon juice if using. Simmer 5 more minutes, until the millet is cooked through but still holds its shape.
- Turn off the heat and stir the chopped chicken back into the soup along with the fresh parsley.
Notes
Substitutions and Variations
- No celery root or parsley root? Use any root vegetable you have, like extra carrots or a small parsnip.
- No millet? Rice or quinoa work as a swap, just adjust the simmering time at the end.
- Want it dairy free? Skip the Greek yogurt, the soup is still creamy from the blended vegetables.
- Want a Greek lemon chicken soup twist? Add extra lemon and a little more yogurt at the end for a tangier bowl. This gluten free chicken soup is easy to adjust either way, since the base recipe has no gluten in it to begin with.
Storage and Reheating
This homestyle chicken soup keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months, leave out the yogurt before freezing, and stir it in fresh after reheating. To reheat, warm it gently over low heat on the stove, adding a splash of water or broth if it has thickened too much.
FAQ
Yes, though drumsticks give the broth more flavor since they have bone and skin. If you use breast, you may want to add a little extra salt to make up for it.
Of course, if you prefer a chunky soup, just skip the blending step and serve it as is once the vegetables are tender.
Old fashioned chicken soup cold remedies have been around for generations, and there is something to it. The warm broth is soothing, and this chicken soup for sick days in particular is gentle on the stomach since everything is blended smooth.
Tried this homemade chicken soup? Let me know in the comments how it turned out for you.
