Cajun Chicken Soup

My Hubby is an intelligent, funny, hard working man and I love him to death. Unfortunately, when it comes to eating healthy, he is a bit on the clueless side. I just recently convinced him that smothering a healthy chicken breast with BBQ sauce, makes it... well, somewhat unhealthy. He also happens to be a bit of a Cajun food fanatic and when he recently decided to try his hand at a more healthy lifestyle, I decided that being the wonderful Wife that I am, I would concoct something that would make the transition a bit more easy on him. This mildly spicy Cajun soup is the direct result of my excellent Wiving skills. And guess what? After eating a couple of bowls, my dear Husband even announced that he felt he had already lost a pound or two.



Cajun Chicken Soup Recipe: {Print Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" cubes)
1 large zucchini (sliced, then cut in half)
3 stalks of celery (chopped)
3 carrots (sliced)
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (divided)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry rotini pasta
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided)

Instructions:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in dutch oven, or large pot, over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning, place in dutch oven and brown on all sides. Remove from heat.

Place 1 teaspoon of oil in dutch oven and add zucchini, celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Sautee for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are just starting to become tender. Add diced tomatoes, parsley, thyme and cajun seasoning and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. Add chicken back to mixture. Add chicken broth and bring soup to a boil.

Once soup comes to a boil, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add pasta and kidney beans and cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.