Healthy zesty meal like chicken and quinoa soup with a kick. And there is plenty leftovers that can be frozen.
This soup with quinoa is a Mexican version of North American chicken soup. As soon as I saw Lindsay’s Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup, I was in love with the flavours. She has many great ideas and is a pro in making comfort Mexican food. My recipe is completely different but incorporates the same flavours – fresh lime, jalapeños, cilantro and is served with multigrain tortilla chips.
As I was preparing the soup, it wasn’t in my plans to post it on the blog at this time. But it came out so good, I didn’t have to test it again. Warning: the recipe makes a lot, uses whole chicken and makes a large batch of chicken stock as well. It’s more like a meal type of soup. That’s what I like. You can easily cut the recipe in half or freeze the leftovers (my preference).
Organic chicken breasts can be pricey therefore I always buy a pack of 2 whole chickens at Costco and make soup. I remove the skin completely (very easy) and trim all fat. Then add chicken to a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and cook skimming the foam occasionally. Then I transfer the chicken stock to plastic containers, let them cool and freeze.
After, I fill the pot (with cooked chicken in it) with cold water again and then make this soup. The broth was fatty and flavourful enough even the second time. Then I remove all bones, shred the meat, and add quinoa, veggies and spices.
Spicy chicken broth with sweet bits of corn and zesty lime juice, the whole family inhaled this soup in 1.5 days. Everyone enjoyed adding multigrain or organic tortilla chips on top and kids didn’t complain a one bit. It was perfect amount of spice for them but you can adjust it to your own taste. I definitely hadn’t have to worry about lunch the next day or my balanced meals of lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Enjoy and let me know how you like it!
Ingredients
- 1 medium whole chicken (4 - 5 lbs), skin and fat removed
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 3 - 4 bay leaves
- 5 - 7 peppercorns
- Cold water, enough to cover the chicken
- 1/2 cup tomatillo salsa
- 3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2 cups corn, frozen (unthawed)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 jalapeño, seeded & minced
- 1 + 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lime, juice of
- Cilantro & extra lime for serving
Directions
- To make chicken stock (optional): Add chicken, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns to a large pot and add cold water enough to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 hour, skimming the foam occasionally. Transfer chicken stock to plastic containers, let them cool and freeze.
- To make the soup: Fill the pot (with cooked chicken in it) with cold water again, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Discard onion, bay leaves and peppercorns. Transfer chicken to a large plate, remove the bones, shred and return to the pot. Add salsa, quinoa, corn, cumin, jalapeño and salt. Cook for 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked. Add lime juice and adjust any spices if desired. Serve hot with extra cilantro, lime and tortilla chips.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 13
Amount Per Serving = 1 cup:
Calories: 184.6
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 66.5 mg
Sodium: 404.4 mg
Total Carbs: 13.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 24.4 g
WW Points+: 5