Hearty Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup
This hearty and yummy Chicken Kale Quinoa soup is loaded with antioxidant-rich kale, nutritious quinoa, and immune-boosting garlic. It’s also got the delicious flavors of bacon (because who doesn’t love bacon) and plenty of spices. It’s a great dinner choice for the whole family, whether the cold winter months have you in full-on “soup mode,” or you are feeling a bit under the weather and need a little bit of extra nutrition. This flavorful soup also comes together quickly, making it great for busy weeknights. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious spin on classic chicken soup, you’ll love this recipe!
In your favorite large soup pot or dutch oven, start out by cooking some bacon over medium heat until done. Once it’s fully-cooked, remove the bacon from pot and drain. Chop and set aside the bacon, but keep the grease in the soup pot.
You’ll add your chopped, boneless chicken thighs directly to the pot, cooking them in the bacon grease. This really infuses the bacon flavor into the chicken. While your chicken cooks, season it with pepper, salt and thyme as well. Thyme, bacon and chicken thighs are a classically delicious and satisfying combination (very French.)
Use tongs to turn the chicken pieces to be sure they are cooked on all sides. After about 6 minutes, your chicken should be cooked through.
Now it’s time to add your veggies (all except for the kale). Add chopped onion , carrots, and garlic in with the chicken. Cook it all together for 5 – 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are a little soft (but not mushy).
Stir in the bay leaves and chicken stock, and bring everything 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.
Tip: It helps to soak, then rinse the quinoa beforehand if you can.
Once the quinoa has cooked and expanded, remove the lid and add the kale to your soup. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, or until the kale is tender. You don’t want to overcook it–just let it get soft.
Your soup should be smelling pretty fantastic right about now. When you are ready to serve it, top it with a little bit of that chopped bacon that you set aside earlier. Some Parmesan cheese goes nicely with it, too! Yum!
We hope that you enjoy this recipe for Hearty Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup. There’s nothing like a great soup recipe when it’s cold outside! We’d love to know if you try and what you think!
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Chicken Kale Quinoa Soup
Description
This hearty and yummy Chicken Kale Quinoa soup is loaded with antioxidant-rich kale, nutritious quinoa, and immune-boosting garlic. It’s also got the delicious flavors of bacon (because who doesn’t love bacon) and plenty of spices. It’s a great dinner choice for the whole family, whether the cold winter months have you in full-on “soup mode,” or you are feeling a bit under the weather and need a little bit of extra nutrition. This flavorful soup also comes together quickly, making it great for busy weeknights. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious spin on classic chicken soup, you’ll love this recipe!
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
- 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.
