Lemony Chicken Soup
This nourishing chicken and lemon soup feels a hug in a bowl and is full of goodness. The lemon, garlic and ginger create a delicious soup that your whole family will love.
The clever egg-and-lemon trick is inspired by a traditional Greek method for thickening soups. It creates a beautifully creamy texture while adding protein, but without adding dairy. The lemon also adds a lovely fresh zesty lift to the soup.
It’s wonderfully quick to pull together too. I use left over cooked chicken, making it perfect for busy weeknights or for when you need something comforting and restorative in a rush.
You can find the egg-free switch in the cook’s tips below.
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Lemony Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onions (finely diced)
- 3 Carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 2 Celery (sticks, finely chopped)
- 2 Garlic (cloves, peeled and crushed)
- 1 tbsp Ginger (fresh root, peeled and finely chopped)
- 500 g Chicken (left over cooked chicken or turkey meat)
- 500 ml Chicken Stock (or chicken/turkey bone broth)
- 125 g Quinoa
- 2 Eggs
- 0.5 Lemons (juice only)
- Fresh dill or parsley (for the garnish – optional)
Instructions
- Set a large heavy base saucepan on a low-medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for around 5 minutes, until beginning to soften. Stir in the crushed garlic and finely chopped ginger, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Pour the chicken bone broth and quinoa into the pan and bring up to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables and quinoa are fully cooked through.
- Stir in slithers or chunks of cooked chicken.
- Now crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, add the lemon juice and whisk.
- Use a ladle to pour two ladles of bone broth into a jug. Whilst whisking the eggs constantly, slowly pour in the hot bone broth. Pour this mixture back into the soup pan and stir, and then immediately remove from the heat and it will cook through in a jiffy.
- Garnish with fresh dill or parsley and serve straight away with crusty bread!
Notes
- To make this egg-free, switch the egg to a tablespoon of cashew nut butter.
- You can use ready-cooked quinoa from a pouch and if so add it at the end when you add in the chicken.
- For a grain-free version, replace the quinoa with cooked cauliflower rice.
- For an extra immune-supporting boost, add a pinch of turmeric.
- Left overs will keep for three days in your fridge, and the soup can be gently reheated on your hob. Freeze in a container for up to 3 months.
Per serving. Nutrition content in food is never consistent, so take these estimates with a pinch of salt! Also, our recipes tend to use low-GI carbs and sugars, so these values are not directly comparable with shop-bought UPFs.
Zingy, comforting and delicious. I added in other veg and some legumes too. The egg adds creaminess (I had been nervous about it curdling but worked perfectly following the recipe instructions.)