Lemon Ginger Couscous Chicken Soup.
This lemon couscous chicken soup is warming and comforting – a hug in a bowl! Loaded with fresh ginger and lemon zest, it’s made with couscous instead of noodles for the ultimate cozy feel. It’s so good!
Soup season is in full swing over here.
And this lemon ginger couscous version is so soul warming and nourishing. It is exactly what you need after a long day of work. Or on a sunday night with a loaf of crusty bread and some parmesan cheese.
That sounds so perfect right now.
In this episode of “how many different ways can we make chicken soup,” we’re adding a ton of fresh ginger, some fresh lemon and lots of vegetables. It’s DELISH.
The thing is, I have SO many chicken soup recipes that I love. I actually have an old lemon chicken soup recipe that is super good – I based this one on that! Earlier this year (feels like a lifetime ago, right?!) I made this chicken and orzo soup too! And my creamy chicken tortellini soup is DIVINE.
This chicken noodle egg drop soup is also really good. And I have a chicken and gnocchi soup that I make frequently, coming to you in the new year!
This one is definitely ranking high up on the favorites list right now. It’s so warming and cozy from the ginger. It has that bright something special from the lemon!
And the couscous is what really makes it shine. It’s fantastic.
We LOVE couscous in this house. I will go as far to say I love it more than rice or any other grain that I may make as a side dish. I don’t serve it as a pasta – it always replaces a grain for us. And the pearl couscous is the absolute BEST. I love how huge it is. The texture is chewy but soft at the same time. It’s perfect for soup.
I also love how EASY it is for soup. Throw it in and it will cook in 10 minutes or so. It’s really simple and adds such a satisfying element to soup.
One of the reasons I love this soup is the same reason I love chopped salads: everything is small and you can fit a bite of everything all on one spoon. My favorite! The couscous also makes the soup feel heartier than traditional egg noodles. It’s still brothy, but gives you the feel of having more in the soup.
This is a meal you can easily throw together on a weeknight. I like to use a rotisserie chicken for ease. If you don’t have one, you can either use leftover chicken or make 2 chicken breasts and chop them.
My go-to method for making chicken breasts for soup is actually boiling them – throw them in some water, bring to a boil and cook until done. So easy!
To make the simplest lemon couscous chicken soup:
- Sauté all the vegetables – the celery, carrots, onions, ginger and garlic first.
- Toss in the chicken and a parmesan cheese rind for richness.
- Add your broth, bring it to a boil and throw in the couscous! Cook until plum.
- Spritz in some fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for an extra punch.
- Serve with fresh herbs, extra parmesan and most importantly, a huge hunk of crusty bread!
Lemon Couscous Chicken Soup
Lemon Ginger Couscous Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery sticks, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 ½ to 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 1 parmesan cheese rind, optional
- 7 to 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/4 cups pearl couscous
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, like parsley
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- ½ lemon, freshly juiced
- parmesan cheese, for topping
- lemon wedges, for spritzing
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add in the onion, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper - I’d say at least ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to start. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften. Stir in the shredded chicken.
- Add in the chicken stock and the parmesan rind. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the couscous and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the couscous has cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and fresh herbs. Taste and season additionally with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with extra parmesan, herbs and lemon wedges. Oh and crusty bread!
Notes
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Craving that comfort.
11 Comments on “Lemon Ginger Couscous Chicken Soup.”
This soup was so delicious! Bright with a taste of lemon and crispy vegetables to boot. A bit more chopping than I expected, but it came together quickly.
Would it be okay to substitute the chicken with leftover turkey?
definitely!
I’m planning to make this with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!
Making this now for dinner later tonite. Smells so good. I made the couscous separately because reheating when everyone gets home. Should I wait on the lemon zest/juice as well or add in now?? So glad I found your website and cookbook! Your recipes are all so delicious and accessible! Thank you for keeping my family fed!
This was incredible, I made homemade chicken stock with a whole chicken and then shredded that. Came out really good, love it.
This is delicious! Love how lemon-y it is. Cilantro was the only herb I had on hand, so used that instead of parsley and it was great. Just wish the ginger came through more. Might add extra next time. I’ve made this three times in the last couple months. So good!
This was super yummy. I added spinach at the end for extra greens. Definitely light enough for late spring- Made extra to freeze for my parents so I hope it reheats well for them.
This soup is amazing! I loved the flavor of the broth. I made it vegetarian by using Beans (Great Northern) instead of chicken to make it vegetarian but otherwise followed the recipe.
This is my favorite chicken soup recipe! It’s just perfect. I use slow cooked chicken thighs for the meat and I toast the couscous for a few minutes before adding in the broth.
LOVE this soup and you can switch out any type of pasta for the couscous. It was like a warm hug in a bowl. Well done!