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A flexible chicken and vegetable soup with weighed ingredients and four easy weekday portions.
This chicken soup is intentionally flexible. Potatoes and carrots form the base, while the remaining vegetables can follow what is available in the refrigerator or freezer. Flexibility does not mean the calculation has to be vague. I weigh what goes into the saucepan and update the recipe when I make a meaningful replacement.
When I started tracking food, soup portions were difficult to estimate after cooking. Water changes the weight without adding energy. My practical solution is to record all ingredients, weigh the finished batch when possible and divide that weight between the actual containers. The number per one hundred grams can change with evaporation, but the energy in the ingredients remains in the pot.
I add chicken after the harder vegetables have already started cooking. This reduces the time the meat spends simmering. Pieces should be similar in size and fully cooked before serving. Raw chicken requires separate utensils and careful hand washing so it does not contaminate ready-to-eat ingredients.
Chicken stock can be salty, so I taste near the end instead of adding salt automatically. Parsley, leek and black pepper provide flavour without needing a complicated seasoning mix. Lemon juice can brighten a flat soup, while a small amount of chilli changes its character without changing the basic method.
I cool the soup promptly and divide it into containers. It keeps well for several lunches and can be frozen, although potato texture may soften after thawing. When reheating, stir the portion so the heat is distributed and make sure the chicken becomes hot throughout.
This soup supported the kind of routine that worked during my loss of more than 40 kilograms: cook enough, know roughly what a portion contains and keep an easy meal available. It is not special diet food. It is simply ordinary food arranged in a way that makes consistent tracking easier.
Before cooking, I note the empty saucepan weight or transfer the finished soup to another known container. Once the soup is ready, I weigh the whole batch and subtract the container. Dividing that number by four gives a repeatable serving weight. Extra water changes the weight per one hundred grams but does not add calories, which is why the final batch weight matters.
The soup often thickens slightly in the refrigerator as potatoes and vegetables absorb liquid. I add water only when reheating the individual portion. If I serve bread, spread or another side with it, those foods are logged separately rather than being hidden inside the soup calculation.
The nutrition values use the same ingredient amounts and product values as the Finnish recipe. Brands and the finished weight can change the estimate. Sources reviewed 6 August 2026: Fineli, Finnish Food Authority and EFSA.
Note: This recipe shares my personal cooking and tracking experience. It is general information, not individual medical or nutritional advice.
Johannes P. is a self taught, 24 year old fitness enthusiast who lost more than 40 kilograms. That experience inspired him to build RestinCal as a simple and free nutrition tracking service.
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