Lemon Chicken Couscous Soup (Printable Version)
Chicken and pearl couscous in a vibrant lemon broth with herbs, great for a comforting and nourishing meal.
# Ingredients:
→ For the Soup Base
01 -
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 -
Water, sufficient to cover chicken
03 -
1 small bunch fresh parsley
→ Vegetables and Aromatics
04 -
1 tablespoon olive oil
05 -
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
06 -
4 ribs celery with leaves, trimmed and diced
→ Seasoning
07 -
Cancale seasoning salt to taste, or substitute garlic pepper, lemon pepper, or herbes de Provence
08 -
Salt and black pepper to taste
→ For the Soup Assembly
09 -
1 cup pearl couscous
10 -
1/3 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped, plus more for serving
11 -
1 lemon, juiced
→ For Serving
12 -
Dukkah, oyster crackers, or saltines
13 -
Extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
# Steps:
01 -
Arrange the chicken thighs in a 3.5-litre pot. Season generously with salt and top with parsley sprigs. Pour in enough water to fully submerge the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
02 -
After 2 hours, remove the chicken and transfer to a bowl. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve into a large bowl, discarding parsley. Remove the skins from the chicken thighs and discard. Pick the chicken from the bones and shred into bite-sized pieces. Combine the chicken meat with the strained broth.
03 -
Wipe out the pot and return to the stove. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and celery, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened. Sprinkle in Cancale seasoning salt, stirring to coat. Adjust seasoning as desired.
04 -
Add pearl couscous to the pot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
05 -
Pour the reserved stock and shredded chicken back into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, or until couscous is tender. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 -
Stir in chopped fresh dill and fresh lemon juice. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
07 -
Ladle hot soup into bowls. Garnish with dukkah, oyster crackers, or saltines, extra fresh dill, and a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in each bowl before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
For deeper flavour, make the stock ahead and chill to allow fat to solidify for easy removal.