Peppery Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
4 celery stalks chopped
4 large carrots peeled and chopped
1-2 Chicken breasts (or left over chicken) Shredded
1/2 cup dried quinioa
6 cups Chicken broth
1 Tbsp dried or fresh parsley
1 medium lemon (zest and juice) around 4 teaspoons juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Cook your chicken with salt and pepper and set aside
2. In a large pot saute onion in olive oil on medium to medium-high heat until translucent, about 4-5 minutes
3. Add garlic, celery, carrots and sauté for another 3 minutes
4. Add chicken broth and quinoa. Bring it to a boil then put a lid on the pot and lower heat to low to simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. (If you have precooked or leftover chicken, add it at this point)
5. Add your shredded chicken, zest and juice of a whole lemon and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. I go heavy on the pepper to add a little zip to the flavor. And Viola!
This soup is light but also warm and satifying. Healthy. Easy ingredients. Simple and versatile. You can easily add your family’s favorite herbs and spices. Add mushrooms or your favorite vegetable. You can switch the quinoa to brown rice or small pasta. You can use shrimp instead of chicken. You can make it vegan by omitting the meat and using veggie broth. Top it with green onions or chives. It really is something that can be made on a whim when your brain just can't. If you’re new to cooking for yourself, learn how to make this and you’ll survive all winter. This is a great meal to impress your mother-in-law that you just found out decided to pop-over for dinner. Friend, I've got you! We almost always have a variation of these ingredients on hand so it's a no-brainer. Start to finish you can make this in 45 minutes or less if you have leftover chicken. I hope it serves you and your family well. Enjoy!
I come from a mixed bag of food traditions. I don’t come from a line of professional cooks but I do come from people who really love their families and love them through food and meals together. My mother was the main cook in my home growing up. She grew up as a preacher’s kid and was one of 6 children. Their budget was tight and menu quite midwestern. This means there was a lot of casseroles and simple meals to make the food stretch. My mom also had to learn how to cook for many mouths and my father who was a meat and potatoes man from Ohio. By the time I lived on my own, I shared an apartment with one of my best friends. Thankfully we shared a love and curiosity of food and cooking. We loved watching cooking shows and experimenting with new recipes. We made a lot of food and a lot of cooking mistakes as we learned. She became a bad as nutritionist and I became this (insert awkward wave and grin). My husband is Albanian and grew up durning a time in his country where food was rationed and very limited. Everything my mother-in-law made was from scratch and centered around vegetable with very little meat. I’ve watched her carefully because I love to learn but also because, like tradition stands, I love others through food. So this is me and where I come from. I love food. I love good food. I love the connections made sitting around a table. So, let's make some food together and make the world better but loving our people with real food. As Michael Pollen says, "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Amen! Let's figure this out together and nourish our souls as well as our bodies.
