Savory Chicken Vegetable Soup (Low-Cal)

Preheat your grill to 450 F.

Rub olive oil into the chicken and season both sides with Italian seasoning.

Place chicken on hot grill and cook for 3 minutes. Turn once and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Cook time may vary to 5 minuntes per side if your chicken breasts were large or really think). Remove chicken from grill, squeeze a lemon on the hot chicken and cover with foil. This will make the chicken juicy and moist. Let it rest at room temperature while you start the soup.

Chop all of the vegetables before you begin cooking so everything will be ready and you won’t be rushing around.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy soup pot and add garlic and onion. Cook over medium heat until the onions start to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add carrots, celery, peppers and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir occasionally and cook for 3 minutes.

Raise heat to high and deglaze the pan by stirring in 4 tablespoons of vermouth. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning to the vegetables.

Add 2 quarts chicken broth and 1 cup water. Stir. Add fresh parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, saute the mushrooms (in a skillet over medium heat until the liquid cooks out) and blanch the green beans (in a pot of boiling water for about 60 seconds, or until bright green).

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add it into the soup mixture. Add the green beans and mushrooms to the soup. Stir. Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon lemon (juice only, make sure you remove any seeds) into soup. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. (This is where you would add the fresh cheese ravioli or tortellini if you really want a treat, and calories don’t count).

Then add the chopped spinach and stir. Cook over high heat until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes.

Ladle soup into a nice bowl, give it another squeeze of lemon, garnish with Parmesan and enjoy!