Loaded with fresh veggies and plenty of lean protein, this chicken soup with greens is the perfect meal-in-a-bowl.
Have you ever tasted a dish that feels like a hug? My easy chicken soup with greens is literally 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 nutrients and plenty of lean protein, soups such as this or my Lamb Vegetable Soup are one of my favorite meals-in-a-bowl. One of the reasons I make soups regularly is because they are perfect for using up any leftover produce I have sitting in the fridge. This particular chicken soup is a wink and a nudge to my Syrian heritage. Made with cinnamon, lemon, garlic and chickpeas, this chicken soup is naturally gluten-free because there are no noodles!
Ingredients
- Onion: Yellow or white onions add mild flavor that caramelizes well with the other vegetables.
- Carrots: Slightly sweet and crunchy, allowing them to cook without getting too soggy or mushy.
- Celery: Celery is chalk full of nutrients, and are great at soaking up the flavors of the ingredients around it as it cooks!
- Garlic: Nutty, pungent, and aromatic flavor that sweetens as it cooks.
- Cinnamon: Inspired by my Lebanese roots, cinnamon adds a bit of warmth to the soups flavor.
- Chicken broth: Makes for a flavorful base for the soup.
- Parsley: A mildly peppery and earthy tasting herb, fresh parsley is a great source of vitamin C.
- Chicken breasts: Affordable and accessible, chicken is a great lean source of protein.
- Spinach: Full of iron, potassium, and vitamin C, the somewhat bitter taste of spinach disappears as the leaves cook!
- Chickpeas: Instead of noodles, I like to add chickpeas to my soup for a change in texture, but boost of more protein and nutrients.
- Lemon: Lemon juice adds a bright, fresh flavor to the soups broth.
How to Make Easy Chicken Soup with Greens
Making this Chicken Soup with Greens is very easy. To start, begin chopping your mirepoix of celery, onions, and carrots.
Then get your garlic ready by using a microplane to grate it.
Then in the bottom of a large soup pot, sauté the vegetables over medium heat until they start to soften.
Next add the garlic, cinnamon, and some kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Stir and continue to cook until garlic is aromatic.
Stir in the chicken broth and the parsley sprigs and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the whole chicken breasts and cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes.
When chicken is cooked through, take breasts out and cut into cubes or shred, whichever you prefer. Then add back to the pot.
Right towards the end, add the chickpeas, spinach, and lemon juice and cook until spinach is wilted and bright green.
Take out any large springs of parsley, add a bit more freshly chopped parsley, serve and enjoy your Chicken Soup with Greens!
Make It Your Own
- Add a grain. You could easily add some noodles or rice to this soup, just add a bit more chicken broth!
- Use more veggies. If you have any extra veggies in the fridge, toss them in! Chopped red peppers, zucchini, or kale would all taste great as well!
- Swap the chickpeas. You could use white beans or black beans instead of the chickpeas for a similar texture and taste.
Frequently asked questions
Don’t overcook them! It’s best to add greens to soups and other dishes towards the end, so they cook just long enough to wilt or brighten, and then take them off of the heat.
This soup will taste even better as it sits so I often make it a day or two before we plan to enjoy it. This soup will last up to 5 days stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
To freeze chicken soup, bring the temperature down as quickly as possible by cooling it in an ice bath. Next, place soup in freezer safe, resealable plastic bags and seal tightly, removing all excess air. Freeze the bag flat so that it takes up less space in the freezer.
more Easy Soup Recipes
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Beef and Bean Chili
- Arabic Lentil Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup with Hominy
Eat It, Like It, Share it!
Did you try this recipe and like it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dish.
It’s good to think of all of my recipes as more of a guideline than a rule book. So take my Easy Chicken Soup with Greens and change things up! Just be sure to make extra, I’m sure someone you know could use a little extra comforting.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- 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.) Add garlic, salt, pepper and cinnamon and continue cooking for additional minute. Stir in chicken broth and whole parsley sprigs then bring to a boil.
- Add raw, whole chicken breasts and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes at a low boil. Take one chicken breast out and cut in half to check for doneness. (Will take more or less depending on the thickness of chicken.) When chicken is cooked through, remove and place on a cutting board to cool.
- Begin shreddiing the chicken when it is cool enough to handle. Add shredded chicken back into the broth and veggies. Stir in spinach, chick peas and lemon juice. Cook until spinach is tender, about 5 additional minutes.
- Remove long parsley sprigs and garnish with fresh chopped parsley to serve.
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