Think of my Lemony Chicken Soup with Greens as a warm bowl of comfort. Whether you’re coming down with a cold or looking to cheer up a friend, this soup always seems to do the trick.
Loaded with fresh veggies and plenty of lean protein, this is the perfect meal-in-a-bowl that will warm the belly and soul. Lemon juice, spinach, cinnamon and chick peas are a wink and a nudge to my Syrian heritage.
Of course, after a lengthy debate with my Aunt Paula over the weekend, I now know that this soup is not technically a Syrian dish. However, my Syrian mother raised me on this soup so for all intents and purposes, I think of it as Syrian Chicken Soup.
Feel free to make it your own. Want to add noodles or rice? No problem – just add a little more broth. Have extra veggies in the fridge? Throw in chopped red peppers, zucchini or summer squash. Not a fan of chick peas? Skip it. As with all of my recipes, think of them as a guideline more than a rule book. Just be sure to make extra…I’m sure someone you know could use a little extra comforting.
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- 1 large onion diced
- 2 c carrot diced
- 3 c celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 6 c chicken broth low sodium
- 10 large sprigs parsley plus extra for garnish
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 bag spinach
- 15 oz can chick peas washed and drained
- 1/2 Juice of a lemon or more to taste
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Saute onions, carrot and celery in a latch Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. (I use non-stick spray to save calories but olive oil works well too.)
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Add garlic, salt, pepper and cinnamon and continue cooking for additional minute.
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Stir in chicken broth and whole parsley sprigs then bring to a boil.
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Add raw, whole chicken breasts and bring to a simmer.
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Cook for 10-12 minutes at a low boil.
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Take one chicken breast out and cut in half to check for doneness. (Will take more or less depending on the thickness of chicken.)
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When chicken is cooked through, remove and place on a cutting board to cool.
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Begin shreddiing the chicken when it is cool enough to handle.
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Add shredded chicken back into the broth and veggies.
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Stir in spinach, chick peas and lemon juice.
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Cook until spinach is tender, about 5 additional minutes.
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Remove long parsley sprigs and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Excellent source of Vitamin A and C, good source of calcium and iron.
Check out my Pinterest board for more Lebanese recipes!
Allison
I never comment on recipes I try, but I can’t get over this one. It is so good!! I had a cold this weekend, and so it looked healthy, but I don’t care if I’m sick or not, I will be making this for the cold days to come. I love the uniqueness of the cinnamon and lemon. Yummm!!
Liz DellaCroce
Awww thank you so so much!! So glad you liked it!!
Jazz
Sorry to use “Reply”, but i don’t know how to “Comment” (I don’t belong to Facebook).
So…how big a bag of spinach?
TIA,
Jazz
Liz DellaCroce
You’re commenting perfect! Any sized bag works – depends on how much you like. Usually 4 cups works well!
Karen H
Love your recipes. I am going to make the Lemony Chicken Soup the afternoon but I am curious as to why the sodium count is so high as I don’t see a lot of salt.
Also would it be possible to list fractions in larger fonts = 1/2 tsp etc? This would make it easier to read from the screen. Thanks
Joan
I would like to substitute kale for the spinach and wondering how much extra time as kale takes longer to be tender. btw planning on cooking on the stove top, not the crock pot. Thanks.
Liz DellaCroce
I would say another 3-4 minutes. Kale doesn’t need as much time as you think! :)
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog
Liz! You’re a genius! So based on your instructions I added some lemon to my soup and it was fantastic! I am definitely going to be making this soup next!
Liz DellaCroce
Oh I’m so thrilled!!!! You’ll never eat soup without lemon juice again! I’m serious. Ok maybe chili but that’s it. ;)
Sam
This was a fantastic recipe! When I make it again I’ll probably only use 1 tsp of cinnamon, as I thought 2 made the cinnamon stand out just a little too much. Overall, though, a great twist on standard chicken soup. Thanks!
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I admit, I love cinnamon. ;)
Katie Thomassen
I can’t wait to try this using a my crockpot…with me luck!
Liz DellaCroce
Ooo let me know how it turns out!
Katie
Yum! I did thru step 2 and then threw it all in with the raw chicken breasts and liquids into the crockpot. I think I did three hours on high but it sat on warm for longer than that. Just prior to serving I removed the chicken breasts in order to shred them and added the leafy veg (I used Kale) back in with the shredded meat! Great recipe, I have officially added it to my growing Cp repertoire!
Liz DellaCroce
That sounds fabulous! So glad you enjoyed!!
Peggy
Very good. Added more carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and red pepper! Loved it. Thanks.
Liz DellaCroce
I love that you made it your own! So glad you enjoyed!!
katie
yum! I think this sounds divine! My husband has been fighting the flu the past few days… this would be a nice twist on the traditional chicken soup!
Liz DellaCroce
Yes he would love it!! It’s one of my husbands requests whenever he is sick!
Diane Fuller
Liz, was looking for a chicken soup with a different flavor profile than my basic chicken soup. I am so glad that I ran across your family recipe! Was nervous about using cinnamon in a soup, but I’m so glad that I did! There isn’t a cinnamon-y smell or taste…but a wonderfully complex combination of the garlic, celery, cinnamon, etc. Used homemade chicken stock, home roasted chicken breasts, and even added potatoes ( I’d already diced up some potato, and figured this might be a forgiving recipe, so I added them). Thank you….and mom, Mary, for the name of this soup! Will make it again I’m sure!
mary
yes, it is a Syrian recipe. it’s called chicken yuch ni.
Liz DellaCroce
Love you Mom!
Stephanie
My husband has the flu and I am recovering from it. We made our way to the grocery store to get ingredients for this recipe. This was our first time trying it and we enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing your family recipe. The flavors were very comforting and soothing while we’re sick. I only used one teaspoon of cinnamon because I am not used to using cinnamon in anything other than dessert and was a little scared to use half a tablespoon. I also used a 1/2 pound of shredded, cooked rotisserie chicken and instead of garbanzo beans, I cut a small red pepper. I didn’t use as much spinach in the soup because I wanted to save some for salad. My husband loves this soup and I will be making this again. YUM!
Liz DellaCroce
I am so glad you made this soup – I swear it cures all ailments. :-) Love the variations you made!! We like to change it up each time as well. Sounds delicious!!
Lexa
EXCELLENT recipe! I forgot to add the lemon and, instead of chicken broth, I used chicken bouillon cubes. The soup was perfect. ;)