Recipe
Ground Chicken, Squash & Chickpea Soup
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Serves: 10
Looking for a hearty soup to make ahead and have on hand for a quick budget-friendly meal? Then try this colourful, nutritious soup that’s easy on the wallet, and with only 250 calories and 11 g of fat, easy on the waist!
Contributed By: Developed for CFC by Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
Ingredients
1 cup (250 mL)
onion, diced
4
garlic, cloves, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL)
olive oil
1 lb (0.5 kg)
ground chicken, lean, raw
1 cup (250 mL)
celery, fresh, sliced
2 cup (500 mL)
carrot, fresh, sliced
2 cups (500 mL)
butternut squash, fresh, diced
2
bay leaves, dry
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)
black pepper, freshly ground
28 fl oz (830 mL)
tomatoes, diced, canned
2 1/3 cups (585 mL)
chickpeas, canned
4 cups (1 L)
chicken broth, low sodium, ready-to-use
1 tsp (5 mL)
paprika, sweet
1 cup (250 mL)
macaroni, brown rice - gluten free, dry
1 tsp (5 mL)
basil, dried
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL)
thyme, dried
1/2 cup (125 mL)
cheese, cheddar, shredded
Instructions
1
Dice the onions and mince the garlic.
2
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot that has a lid. Add the diced onions and minced garlic and sauté 3 minutes until onions are soft. Stir in ground chicken, continue to sauté 5 minutes while using the back of spoon to break ground chicken into smaller pieces.
3
Meanwhile, slice celery and carrots. Dice the squash into half inch (1.25 cm) cubes. Add to the soup pot along with the bay leaves and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and continue to cook over medium heat.
4
Add the canned diced tomatoes and chickpeas with their juices along with the chicken broth and paprika. Stir, cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
5
Stir in the dry macaroni, basil and thyme. Turn off heat, cover and leave to sit 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaves.
6
To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a tablespoon (15 mL) of shredded cheddar cheese. The soup should still be hot but you can heat it up a bit more if you wish.