Chicken Soup Recipe with Quinoa & Vegetables

A great chicken soup recipe is a must for any household, particularly during the cold and flu season! The fiber in this recipe is pumped up with the addition of quinoa and vegetables. 212 calories and 3 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

As many of us are freezing of our behinds in these winter temperatures, I thought it was high time for another soup recipe. And nothing is better for warming the soul and the belly than a hearty chicken soup recipe.

And since many of you are walking, running, skiing and snowshoeing in these frigid temps and burning some serious calories (or logging your 10,000 steps or strength training), I knew it needed to be something that was not only warming and satisfying, but would also fuel you with whole grains and lean protein.

Enter…chicken quinoa soup with plenty of veggies to help meet your daily fruit and veggie goals.

How do you make easy chicken soup?

• This soup follows a basic formula, which makes it easy to switch up the ingredients depending on what’s available in your fridge and pantry. Also, it just uses one large saucepan, which means less dishes to clean!
• Start by sautéing the chicken in the saucepan with some olive oil until the chicken just turns white on the outside. It will cook more in the simmering stage. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.
• Next, sauté the veggies and herbs. In this case, that’s shallots, carrot, celery and dried thyme.
• Stir in the dry quinoa, broth and chicken, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Add the peas in the last few minutes so that they don’t become overcooked and start to shrivel.
• Feel free to switch out a small pasta, such as ditalini or orzo, for the quinoa. If you decide to sub the quinoa with a longer-cooking grain, such as barley or farro, hold off on the adding the chicken until the last 10 to 15 minutes so that it doesn’t become tough. Also, you’ll need to increase the amount of broth to compensate for any evaporation during the longer cooking time.
• You’ll likely have leftovers. If you don’t feel like slurping up the rest for lunch the next day, the soup freezes well.

What do you need for this chicken soup recipe?

• A large saucepan: If you’re hoping to cut back on the amount of olive oil you use, either a nonstick saucepan (affiliate) or a ceramic saucepan are the way to go. That being said, a stainless steel one works just as well – you might find you need to lightly coat it with cooking spray or increase the olive oil.
• Olive oil: Since you’re just using it to sauté the chicken and vegetables, a light olive oil (rather than a really flavorful drizzling olive oil) will do.
• Vegetables: Shallots, carrots, celery and garlic all add flavor for the base of the soup. Frozen green peas are added at the end.
• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, but chicken thighs – or a combination of the two –  would also work well.
• Chicken broth: I used a regular, fat-free chicken broth for this recipe. If you’re watching your sodium, swap it with a reduced sodium broth.
• Seasonings: Simple as can be! Dried thyme, salt and pepper.

Other healthy soup recipes:

Thai Noodle Soup with Shrimp & Cabbage {Cookin’ Canuck}
Whole Wheat Orzo, Cauliflower & Kale Soup {Cookin’ Canuck}
Black Bean & Butternut Soup {Sprouted Kitchen}
Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup {Green Kitchen Stories}

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.

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Chicken Soup Recipe with Quinoa & Vegetables

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 50 mins

A great chicken soup recipe is a must for any household, particularly during the cold and flu season! The fiber in this recipe is pumped up with the addition of quinoa and vegetables. 212 calories and 3 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 large shallots, minced
• 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cup quinoa
• 5 1/4 cups 99% fat-free chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast meat, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken has just turned white on the outside. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add 1½ teaspoons olive oil to the pan. Add chopped shallot, carrots, celery, and dried thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in quinoa, chicken broth and chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer until quinoa is translucent, about 15 minutes.
4. Add frozen peas and heat for additional 5 minutes. Taste and season with additional ground pepper, if desired. Stir in chopped parsley and serve.

by From the kitchen of cookincanuck.com

Recipe Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 5 (Points+)

This recipe was originally published on January 8, 2014, and has been updated.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.