Nourishing Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup

This Nourishing Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup recipe is one of my favorite healthy chicken soup recipes. Lemon chicken soup is loaded with tender bites of chicken, quinoa and vegetables, all simmered in a cozy lemony chicken broth seasoned with thyme.  

This lemon chicken soup is deliciously rich and flavorful and it’s perfect for a chilly winter day.

Lemon chicken soup with quinoa is similar to chicken lemon rice soup only we sub out the rice and use quinoa instead.  It’s a soup that I’ll make if I’m feeling a  little under the weather.  

Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe

• Olive oil
• Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Garlic
• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Dried thyme
• Low-sodium chicken stock
• Water
• Bay leaves
• Quinoa
• Lemon 
• Flat leaf parsley

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How to Make Chicken Quinoa Soup

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
2. Add chicken to the pot and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
3. Remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Add the remaining oil to the pot.  Add the garlic, onion, carrots and celery.
5.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until barely tender,
6. Add the thyme and cook for another minute.
7. Pour in the chicken stock, water, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.
8. Add the chicken and quinoa.
9. Reduce heat to low, place the lid on the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and tender
10. Stir in lemon juice and parsley.
11. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can make the broth for this soup with a good long simmer, until the meat practically falls from the bones.  A good long simmer provides a broth rich with immune-boosting nutrients pulled from the bone.   Or you can whip this soup together in no time by quickly sautéing the chicken and vegetables, then adding the broth and simmering  just until the veggies are tender, and the quinoa is done.

I personally love a good long simmering soup on my stovetop.  If I have the time!  But if I’m exhausted after a long day at work, I’ll go for quick and easy soup any day!

Looking For More Easy Chicken Soup Recipes

• Roasted Garlic Chicken Soup
• Chicken Udon Soup
• Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
• Mexican Chicken Rice Soup

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Yield: 6 servings

Nourishing Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

This Nourishing Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup is loaded with tender bites of chicken, protein packed quinoa, and some fresh vegetables, all simmered in a cozy lemony chicken broth seasoned with thyme. Pure comfort food!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and copped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup mountain spring water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
2. Add chicken to the pot and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
3. Remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Add the remaining oil to the pot. Add the garlic, onion, carrots and celery.
5.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until barely tender,
6. Add the thyme and cook for another minute.
7. Pour in the chicken stock, water, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
8. Add the chicken and quinoa.
9. Reduce heat to low, place the lid on the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and tender
10. Stir in lemon juice and parsley.
11. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Instead of chopping the chicken, you can simmer the whole chicken breasts with bone in the chicken broth for about 40 minutes or until the meat falls from the bone. Then chop the meat and return it to the soup after the vegetables and quinoa are tender.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 28g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.