Description
Hearty springtime lemony chicken and veggie soup delivers Mediterranean comfort with zesty herbs and garden-fresh ingredients. Balanced flavors and nourishing broth invite you to savor each spoonful of this soul-warming culinary experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 4 cups warm chicken stock/broth
- 1 leek, quartered, and white part sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- 1 cup fresh English peas (or frozen peas)
- 1 cup baby zucchini, small dice
- 2 tbsps butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp herbes de provence
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tsps lemon zest
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped, fresh basil leaves
- 4 lemon wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté Base: Melt butter and olive oil in a spacious soup pot over medium heat, creating a rich foundation for the aromatic vegetables.
- Vegetable Medley: Add leeks and carrots, cooking until leeks turn translucent and carrots soften, releasing their natural sweetness while developing deep flavor profiles.
- Spice Infusion: Introduce garlic, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence, allowing the spices to bloom and intensify their aromatic qualities for maximum flavor extraction.
- Liquid Integration: Pour chicken stock into the pot, bringing to a gentle simmer and partially covering to allow vegetables to tenderize and meld flavors for 10-15 minutes.
- Final Composition: Remove from heat and fold in green peas, zucchini, chicken pieces, lemon zest, and lemon juice, letting the residual warmth gently heat the fresh ingredients while preserving their vibrant textures.
- Flavor Refinement: Adjust seasoning to ensure a harmonious balance of tastes, creating a perfectly nuanced culinary experience.
- Elegant Presentation: Ladle the soup into serving bowls, crown with a scoop of fluffy quinoa, and garnish with fresh basil leaves and a bright lemon wedge to elevate the dish’s sensory appeal.
Notes
- Sauté Technique: Gently cook leeks and carrots until soft to develop deep, sweet underlying flavors without burning vegetables.
- Spice Blooming: Toast herbs and spices briefly in hot oil to release maximum aromatic compounds and intensify overall taste profile.
- Temperature Control: Maintain gentle simmer when adding stock to preserve vegetable nutrients and prevent overcooking delicate ingredients.
- Finishing Touch: Add fresh ingredients like peas and zucchini at the end to retain crisp texture and vibrant color, preventing them from becoming mushy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg