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Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 2 carrots sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 2 stalks celery sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper omit for mild
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes peeled, cut into ¾ inch cubes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper

To Finish

  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Build the Broth

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook 7 to 8 minutes until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the thyme, smoked paprika and cayenne and cook 30 seconds in the fat.
  • Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a bare simmer. Slide in the chicken breasts, cover, and poach 15 minutes at a gentle simmer. Do not let it boil.
  • Lift the chicken out, rest 5 minutes, then shred it with two forks. Skim any foam from the surface of the broth.

Finish the Soup

  • Add the sweet potato cubes to the simmering broth and cook uncovered 15 to 18 minutes, until a cube gives against the side of the pot with slight resistance still in the middle.
  • Take the pot off the heat. Return the shredded chicken and fold in the spinach, which wilts in about a minute and stays green.
  • Stir in the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and finish each bowl with chopped parsley.

Notes

  • Brothy and chunky: nothing is blended. The broth stays clear and the chicken, sweet potato, carrot and celery all stay visible.
  • Cube size matters: ¾ inch cubes hold their shape. Smaller cubes dissolve and cloud the broth.
  • Never boil: a hard boil makes the chicken stringy and pulls starch out of the sweet potato.
  • Lemon at the end: two tablespoons keep the soup savory instead of sweet.
  • Rotisserie shortcut: use 3 cups of pulled meat, added in the last 5 minutes.
  • Storage: 4 days refrigerated, 3 months frozen. Undercook the cubes slightly for a batch you plan to freeze.