Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup with Spinach
This is a bright, lemony soup that uses rotisserie chicken to make it quick. The quinoa bulks it up so it's filling without being heavy.
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.
Notes
Quinoa continues absorbing liquid as it sits, so thin with extra broth if needed when serving.