Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup is a fresh and bright soup. It’s made with chicken thighs, bacon, onions, carrots, bay leaves, garlic, quinoa, kale, and simmered in a savory chicken broth. This delicious soup is amazing with fresh-baked crusty bread served on the side.
Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup
Chicken quinoa soup can be made in under an hour and is perfect any day of the week. The bold flavors of bacon and onions come together with the carrots, a bay leaf, and garlic to make a wonderfully flavorful yet simple soup.
Teach your kids how to make chicken soup with this recipe. It’s easy to make and filled with fresh vegetables, tender chicken, and fiber from the quinoa. Not only is this chicken quinoa kale soup delicious, but it’s also healthy and gluten-free!
If you really want to give this soup recipe a boost, try eating it with some fresh white country bread. You can make some yourself at home or buy the best quality you can find at the grocery store. The same goes for the chicken stock, which makes all the difference when making soup.
How To Make Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup:
Gather and measure ingredients.
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until done.
Remove bacon from pot and drain.
Chop and set aside for serving.
Add chicken to pot and increase heat to medium-high.
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme.
Cook chicken for 6 minutes, cooking chicken on all sides.
To the chicken, add onion, carrots, and garlic, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes or until the vegetables are softened but not mushy.
Stir in the bay leaves and chicken stock.
Bring to a boil.
When the soup comes to a boil, add the quinoa.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa begins to soften but has not released the curly grain.
Remove lid and add kale to the soup.
Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes or until the kale is tender.
Serve topped with cooked bacon.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Tips for success/variations:
Here are some fun tips, tricks, and variations you can use in your quinoa chicken soup.
- Add some other ingredients that would go well with these flavors like lemon juice, tomatoes, diced sweet potatoes, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes.
- When you’re using more than two cups of chicken broth in a recipe, it’s best to either make your own or buy some fresh from the butcher. If you’ve ever eaten soup with freshly made broth, you know that boxed or canned broth just doesn’t come close to comparing.
- If you’d rather use chicken breasts, that works just as well. The meat is a bit drier and has less flavor than thighs but can work well in a soup like this.
How to serve:
Crack some fresh black pepper and grate a little parmesan cheese over the top of your bowl of soup for the last touch before serving.
Try these sides to go with your soup: Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon, Roasted Green Beans, or Sheet Pan Roasted Broccoli.
Bread goes great with soup and these are some great options: Angel Biscuits, Homemade Cornbread, or Sprite Biscuits.
How to store:
You can keep leftover chicken kale quinoa soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
This soup also freezes nicely. Put two cups of soup in quart-size bags, label, and freeze them laying down on a flat surface. When they are frozen, you can stand them upright to save room. Keeping them in two cup portions helps it freeze more quickly, thaw more quickly, and only use what you need for each meal.
FAQs:
Can you make chicken quinoa soup in a slow cooker?
Yes! It’s easy to make this soup in a slow cooker. Add all the ingredients, except the kale, to the pot, set it to high for 3 to 4 hours, and add the kale just before serving.
How can you make chicken soup in an instant pot?
Yes, you can make this soup in a pressure cooker. Add all the ingredients except the kale, set the pressure to high for 20 minutes, quick release the pressure, and add the kale at the end.
How can I make chicken quinoa soup creamy?
If you want to make this soup creamy all you need to do is add one cup of heavy cream at the end of the cooking process with the kale.
Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup
Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup is a fresh and bright soup. It's made with chicken thighs, bacon, onions, carrots, bay leaves, garlic, quinoa, kale, and simmered in a savory chicken broth. This delicious soup is amazing with fresh-baked crusty bread served on the side.
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock
- ⅔ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 6 cups kale, stems removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
- Gather and measure ingredients.
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pot and drain. Chop and set aside for serving.
- Add chicken to pot and increase heat to medium-high. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook chicken for 6 minutes, cooking chicken on all sides.
- To the chicken, add onion, carrots, and garlic, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes or until the vegetables are softened but not mushy. Stir in the bay leaves and chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
- When the soup comes to a boil, add the quinoa. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa begins to soften but has not released the curly grain.
- Remove lid and add kale to the soup. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes or until the kale is tender.
- Serve topped with cooked bacon. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Adelina
Sunday 7th of November 2021
This looks delicious.