Chicken Vegetable Soup

This light, flavorful, and nutritious soup is the perfect grain-free alternative to the chicken and noodle soup Mom made. Using the chicken thighs also makes it extremely economical. The vegetables can be exchanged for just about anything in season or that you have on hand. It's one of my favorite recipes for using up partial bags of frozen veggies.

{ingredients}
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 carrots peeled and finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 lbs chicken (I used thighs), chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups kale, chopped
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp parsley
approximately 8 cups of chicken broth
zest of 1/2 fresh lemon
2 scallions

{method}

1. Warm coconut oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Add onion, carrots and celery to oil and cook until onions are translucent. 
2. Add chopped chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and zest of 1/2 a lemon to the pot and sear, stirring frequently. Cook until pink is no longer visible on the chicken.
3. Add chicken broth to the pot, cover and cook at a light simmer for 20 minutes. 
4. Add broccoli and kale to pot, simmering uncovered for 5 minutes. 

Serve soup topped with scallions and a thin slice of lemon.