Chicken & Vegetable Soup with Quinoa
My Chicken & Vegetable Soup with Quinoa is bowl of heartwarming and wholesome goodness. Bursting with flavour and nutrition, this comforting soup is a delicious fusion of tender chicken, vibrant vegetables, and hearty quinoa. Whether you're craving a cozy meal on a chilly evening or seeking a nourishing dish if feeling under the weather, this recipe promises to satisfy both your palate and your well-being.
Equipment
- Large saucepan or stock pot
Ingredients
- 20g butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 leek, halved lengthways and sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 bouquet garni (See Note 2)
- 1.5L (6 cups) chicken stock
- 4 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed of excess fat, halved (See Note 3)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 zucchini, finely diced
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (See Note 4)
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, leek and carrot and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and bouqet garni Season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring gently to the boil. Add the chicken thighs and return to a gentle boil. Once boiling, cover partially with a lid, reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 min or until chicken is cooked through. Reduce heat to low.
- Carefully remove chicken thighs with tongs and transfer to a plate. Allow to cool for a few minutes before shredding the chicken or cutting into bite size pieces.
- Return the chicken to the pot and add the peas, zucchini and lemon zest. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until the peas and zucchini turn bright green and just tender. Season to taste. To serve, divide quinoa (or other grain or pasta) among bowls and ladle over the soup. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with fresh crunchy bread or toast of your choice.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - BOUQUET GARNI:
I made a small bouquet garni using herbs from my garden. I gathered 2 bay leaves, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and oregano and one sprig of sage. I tied them together in a bundle with kitchen twine to keep them together in the pot. This makes it easier to remove at the end of cooking time. This is a great option if you grown your own herbs. To purchase this many herbs just for a few sprigs would end up being quite expensive. So you can choose to just use 1 or 2 herbs of your choice or too make it even easier (and cheaper) simply replace the fresh herbs with 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs. - OTHER OPTIONS TO USE INSTEAD OF QUINOA:
Quinoa is not for everyone! It's one of those grains that you either like or perhaps don't like. This soup is so versatile in that you can choose which grain or pasta to use in place of it. Some other options you may like to choose from:
Pasta: any pasta will work here but my favourites to choose would be orzo or a macaroni. But you could use whatever pasta you have. If you only have long pasta, break it into smaller pieces before cooking.
Barley or freekeh
Rice: brown, white or wild
Noodles: udon, ramen, instant (2 minute noodles), soba, hokkien etc - CHICKEN THIGHS:
You could also use breast fillets. I would use 2 small/medium breasts in place of the 4 thigh fillets. You want around 600g chicken.