Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup

Toward the end of the summer I’m pretty much over eating hamburgers and hot dogs and all those tasty (but not so good for you) foods. While those grill-centered recipes are great, I’m ready for a cleansing and delicious recipe for dinner that's full of vegetables and whole grains. That's why I made this Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup. Soup recipes are such an easy way to pack tons of healthy foods into one dish and have it taste amazing. I’ve long said soup is my first love, and there is not one thing in this world that I enjoy making and eating more than soup. Soup is so comforting and the one recipe that I can eat all day, all week. Bonus: it just gets better with time! As you’ll see by the recipe, I prepare for the masses so please feel free to scale down or up to meet your needs. I knew when I was figuring out what to put into this Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup that I wanted it to be healthy, packed with veggies and protein, and I also knew I wanted to use Bob's Red Mill Quinoa. I adore quinoa ever since it came on the trendy scene 10 years ago. It’s a complete protein filled with vitamins and nutrients and has the most delicious nutty flavor. We love using quinoa in salads, pilafs, as a substitute for rice, and of course in soups. Bob’s Red Mill was the first company I ever noticed selling quinoa so it’s honestly the only brand I had ever used. Of course, being exposed to their quinoa led me to find the treasure chest of everything else they make. JACKPOT!!! I prepared this Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup on the stove top, but you can absolutely do it in a slow cooker if you’d like. Doing so would give you some flexibility if you plan on being out and about all day. To preserve the crunchiness of vegetables I suggest you finish the soup with the peas and baby spinach just before serving as they will quickly become overcooked. Also note that when it comes to adding lemon (to just about any recipe) you want to do it at the end. There have been times when I put the lemon juice in too early and it was bitter by the time it was ready to serve.  Lastly, the herbs go in at the end. A great tip to remember: start with dry herbs and finish with fresh herbs.

Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup

Recipe developed by Chef Billy Parisi for Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods Ingredients

• Two 8 oz Chicken Breasts
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Yellow Onions, diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 cup Celery, diced
• 1 cup Carrots, diced
• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa
• 96 oz Chicken Stock
• 2 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup Zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup Peas
• 1 cup canned diced Tomatoes
• 2 cups packed Baby Spinach
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add the chicken breasts in and turn the heat down to medium and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Remove the chicken, finely chop and set aside.
5. In the same large pot over medium heat add in the onions and minced garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned.
6. Next, add in the celery and carrot and cook for a further 4 minutes before adding in the chopped cooked chicken, quinoa and stock. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and tender.
7. Add in the potatoes, sliced zucchini, peas, and tomatoes and cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Finish by adding in the spinach, lemon juice, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.
9. Serve hot.

Makes 1 1/2 gallons of soup

Hello, I’m Billy Parisi, but to some I’m known as “Chef Billy Parisi.” I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but for the most part I’m a Food & Content Creator, Sometimes TV Host, Digital and Social Strategist, Influencer, Picture Taker, Coffee Drinker, Daddy, Husband, College Sports Enthusiast, Fashionisto, Film & Music Lover! 

I’ve been in the kitchen since I started washing dishes in a restaurant at the age of 13, and during that time I knew immediately that I wanted to be a chef. I graduated from Arizona’s Scottsdale Culinary Institute and the University of Missouri, and have logged several years as line cook, sous chef and executive in some of the Midwest’s finest restaurants. I currently live in the city of Chicago with my wife Lindsay and daughter Olivia and cook up new inventions, mash-ups, fusions and twists on old classics. I’m incredibly spontaneous and outgoing, and run two small businesses, BPMVC and my latest venture, 5 Loaves 2 Fish!