Italian Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Italian kitchens call this a zuppa, a simple soup where the quality of each ingredient matters more than the technique. Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast brown in olive oil before the onion and carrots go in, and the fond they leave behind carries through the whole pot. That ten-minute browning step is the difference between a thin soup and a full-bodied one.

Zucchini rounds and diced tomatoes go in once the aromatics have softened, followed by low-salt chicken broth. Thirty minutes at a gentle simmer is long enough to meld the flavors and cook the vegetables through, but short enough to keep the zucchini from going to mush. Uncovered simmering concentrates the broth just a touch.

The grated Parmesan on top is optional but is highly recommended. A small handful stirred into each bowl melts into the hot broth and adds that nutty, salty depth no bouillon cube can fake.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the chicken in batches if your Dutch oven is crowded. A packed pan steams instead of browns.
• Cut the vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Uneven zucchini slices mean some pieces are raw while others are falling apart.
• Use low-salt broth and season to taste at the end. Parmesan brings plenty of salt on its own.
• Toast a handful of crusty bread and rub it with a cut garlic clove for dunking. Stale bread works even better and rescues what would have been the croutons.

Variations

• Add a cup of cooked small pasta shells or orzo in the last five minutes for a heartier minestra.
• Toss in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or escarole at the very end for a green boost.
• Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken at the end to cut the cook time in half.