Description
This Lemon Chicken Couscous Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken thighs simmered in a fragrant broth with fresh herbs, pearl couscous, and a bright splash of lemon juice. Perfect for a hearty meal, this soup combines wholesome ingredients with easy steps to deliver warmth and zest in every bowl.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Water to cover
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley
- Salt to taste
Sauté and Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- Cancale seasoning salt to taste
- 1 cup pearl couscous
Herbs and Finishing
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- Dukkah or oyster crackers
- Extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the broth: Place the chicken thighs in a large pot and season with salt. Add the fresh parsley and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 2 hours to develop a rich broth.
- Strain and clean the pot: Remove the chicken from the pot, strain the broth to remove parsley and impurities, discard the parsley, and wipe the pot clean for reuse.
- Shred the chicken: Remove and discard the chicken skins and bones, then shred the meat. Return the shredded chicken to the strained broth.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in the cleaned pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
- Add seasoning: Stir in Cancale seasoning salt to taste for additional flavor.
- Toast couscous: Add the pearl couscous to the sautéed vegetables and toast for about 2 minutes while stirring constantly to enhance its nutty flavor.
- Cook the soup: Pour in the chicken broth with the shredded chicken, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the couscous is tender.
- Season the soup: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.
- Finish with herbs and lemon: Stir in chopped fresh dill and freshly squeezed lemon juice, then simmer the soup for another 5 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with additional dill, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and serve with dukkah or oyster crackers on the side for added crunch.
Notes
- Simmering the chicken for 2 hours helps create a deep, flavorful broth. You can speed this up by using a pressure cooker if desired, but the slow simmer is ideal for flavor.
- Adjust the seasoning salt and lemon juice according to your taste preferences to balance saltiness and acidity.
- Pearl couscous adds a unique texture; regular couscous can be substituted but may change cooking time.
- Dukkah or oyster crackers add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor as garnish; substitute with crusty bread if preferred.
- Leftover soup keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
