Quick & Easy Chicken Soup Recipes

This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients--boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

Here's the quintessence of Japanese home cooking: an aromatic, protein-rich broth served over rice. Admittedly, Japanese cooking leans heavily on sugar--for a less traditional taste, you could reduce or even omit the sugar.

This Asian-inspired chicken soup recipe has soy, five-spice powder and ginger, which add a flavor punch without adding lots of calories or fat.

This soup recipe for two is inspired by the flavors and ingredients of paella, but unlike paella it's simple enough for a speedy weeknight dinner. If you can't find Spanish chorizo, use pepperoni (add a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it). Serve with warm whole-grain garlic bread.

Make your own cup of instant soup at home with this chicken curry zoodle (spiralized zucchini noodles) recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.

In New Mexico and Arizona, posole is usually made with homemade pork stock and served at celebrations. For a quick weeknight meal, choose chicken and spice it with ground red chile and toasted oregano.

Transform canned tomato soup by adding chicken, black beans and corn for a filling and quick lunch or dinner.

Many cultures have a version of dumplings; for Russians, they're called pelmeni. One of the ways they're often served is in a cabbage soup. We substitute easier-to-find tortellini in this healthy soup recipe with great results, but if you can find pelmeni, go ahead and use them.

This soup is inspired by the flavors and ingredients of paella, but unlike paella it's simple enough for a speedy weeknight dinner. If you can't find Spanish chorizo, use pepperoni (add a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it). Serve with warm whole-grain garlic bread.

Posole, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, is traditionally served around Christmastime. It's so tasty and--with a few convenience items like canned hominy and chili powder--easy to make that we like it any time of year. Shredded cheese, cilantro or thinly sliced radishes are traditional toppings for this stew.

This healthy vegetable soup is a great way to repurpose leftovers. The recipe calls for leftovers from two other recipes--Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables and the chicken from Chicken Kebabs with Warm Cabbage-Apple Slaw (see Associated Recipes). With the help of those two recipes, this soup come together in less than 15 minutes for a fast and delicious meal. The coconut milk broth would work well with other vegetables and with chickpeas for a vegetarian version.

Once again, rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine.