Spring Chicken And Greens Soup

Spring Chicken And Greens Soup
4.7 from 3 ratings
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Chicken cooked on the bone with the skin always has the best flavor and texture. You can use 1 pound of boneless skinless breasts instead; reduce cooking time by a few minutes. Buy the best chicken base available; brands I like include More Than Gourmet, Kitchen Accomplices Broth Concentrate and Better Than Bouillon Reduced Sodium.
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
Servings
4
servings
Spring chicken and greens soup recipe - photo of a white bowl on wood background; bowl is full of soup and greens, zucchini, tomato and topped with fresh herbs and fresh queso fresco
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 5 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chicken base or broth concentrate (or follow package directions)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric or curry powder
  • salt
  • 2 small bone-in, skin on chicken breast halves, about 1 ¼ pounds or 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
  • 1 medium-size zucchini, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh shelled or frozen peas (or trimmed snow peas, shelled edamame or baby lima beans)
  • 1 medium-size red-ripe plum tomato, ends trimmed, diced
  • 1/2 small jalapeño, seeded and sliced (optional)
  • 3 cup (2.5 ounces) baby spinach or arugula
  • 2 skinny green onions, thinly sliced or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • finely shredded lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup cooked orzo or brown rice (optional)
  • diced ripe avocado (optional)
  • diced queso fresco (optional)
Directions
  1. Heat 5 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in 1 tablespoon chicken base and ½ teaspoon turmeric until dissolved. Simmer 5 minutes.
  2. Season broth to taste with salt (usually ½ teaspoon, but this depends on the base used). Add chicken breasts or thighs to simmering broth. Reduce heat to very low, cover the pan and cook 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the broth for 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and optional add-ins.
  4. Remove chicken from broth with tongs to a cutting board. Discard skin. Pull chicken away from bones in long shreds. (Broth and chicken can be refrigerated separately for up to 3 days.)
  5. Just before serving, return broth to a simmer. Add 1 sliced zucchini, 1 cup peas, 1 diced tomato and optional ½ sliced jalapeno; cook 2 to 4 minutes (the longer time is for the frozen peas).Step 6: Stir in 3 cups spinach and the shredded chicken; simmer 2 minutes. Stir in 2 sliced green onions, ¼ cup chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon chopped dill. Add any optional ingredients and sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve in deep, warmed bowls.
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