Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 4 1/2 cups water (plus more if needed)
- 3/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups packed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- Juice of 3-4 lemons (or to taste)
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, for serving
Cook the Aromatics in a Large Pot
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks.
Let cook for ~4-5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften, stirring a few times.
Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Toast the Quinoa and Add the Liquids
Add 1 1/2 cups of dry quinoa to the pot and stir to coat with the oil and vegetables.
Let the quinoa toast for ~1-2 minutes – you’ll notice it starts to smell a bit nutty.
Add 6 cups of chicken broth, 4 1/2 cups of water, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 bay leaf; stir to combine.
Simmer Until the Quinoa is Fully Cooked
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for ~10-12 minutes.
You’ll know the quinoa is done when you see the little germ ring (that squiggly tail) has separated from the kernel.
If the soup has thickened too much, add 1-2 more cups of water or broth to loosen it up.
Quinoa absorbs a lot of liquid and will continue to do so as it sits, so don’t be shy about thinning it out.
Add the Chicken, Spinach, and Lemon Juice
Stir in 4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken and 3 cups of chopped spinach.
Simmer for ~3-4 minutes until the spinach wilts completely and the chicken is warmed through.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the juice of 3-4 lemons – start with 3 and add more if you want it brighter.
Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve with a heavy sprinkle of grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano on top.
Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup with Spinach
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 4 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
- 3/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups packed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- Juice of 3-4 lemons, or to taste
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; cook 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add dry quinoa and stir to coat; toast for 1-2 minutes until nutty-smelling.
- Pour in chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, and bay leaf; stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer and cook 10-12 minutes until quinoa is tender and germ ring separates from kernel.
- Add more water or broth if soup is too thick.
- Stir in shredded chicken and chopped spinach; simmer 3-4 minutes until spinach wilts.
- Remove bay leaf and add lemon juice to taste.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.