Quinoa, Kale, and Chicken Soup

Quinoa, kale, chicken, and white beans combine in a hearty soup that serves as a healthy remedy to this bitterly cold winter.

I know everyone is sick of hearing about how frigid it is this winter, so I’ll skip all the whining and jump straight in to talking about this soup. The soup contains all sorts of good-for-you ingredients, so there’s no guilt in indulging in a big bowl of it after shoveling the driveway for the third time in a week. Sorry, I said I wasn’t going to talk about the weather…

It’s no surprise at all that we loved this soup. In fact, I’ve made it the past two Sunday nights for us to have to take in our lunches throughout the week. While kale and quinoa are two of my favorite ingredients, our friend Michelle despises both. I wish we still lived in Boston so I could bring her a bowl of this and hopefully change her mind about quinoa and kale.

I adapted this from a crockpot recipe and just made it on the stovetop. If you want to see the crockpot version, be sure to click through to the original recipe.

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Quinoa, Kale, and Chicken Soup

Quinoa, kale, chicken, and white beans combine in a hearty soup that serves as a healthy remedy to this bitterly cold winter.

Yield: Serves 6-8

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

~1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, chopped and thoroughly washed
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 spring rosemary, chopped
4 cans chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 can white beans (such as cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
1 bunch curly kale, chopped after removing ribs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper for seasoning
shredded parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
bread for serving (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degF.

Cut the chicken breasts in half and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Put chicken in the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or stock pot. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, and leeks. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, 5-7 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, quinoa, and beans. Set heat on high and cover with a lid. When the soup begins to boil, reduce heat to med-low and continue to simmer.

When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes. Chop the chicken in to bite sized pieces.

Stir the chicken, kale, parsley, and lemon juice into the soup. Taste soup and season with salt and pepper if desired. Allow to cook another 2-3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe from Beantown Baker, inspired by Cooking Classy