Kale + Sweet Potato + Quinoa Chicken Soup
It may be March, but chilly temperatures still have me craving soup! This recipe happens to be one of my favorite soup recipes for some of the following reasons…
What is more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup? I like to keep a few containers in my freezer for those extra cold nights or those days I find myself battling a cold or the dreaded flu.
This version has all the appeal of a traditional chicken soup with the added health benefits of kale + sweet potato and quinoa! I promise you won’t even miss the noodles!
Just look at that color! This soup makes me feel like I’m eating the rainbow. We eat with our eyes and my eyes tell me this soup tastes just as delicious and nourishing as my mouth does!
ingredients:
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
4 medium sized carrots, sliced
6 celery stalks, sliced
1 sweet potato, cubed
2 large handfulls baby kale
5 (32 oz.) containers chicken broth or stock
2/3 cup dry uncooked quinoa
1 tbs olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp thyme
Simply Organic All-Seasons Salt (can be substituted with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt)
salt & pepper
*optional: parmesan cheese for topping and crusty bread for serving
directions:
Preheat oven to 375°
In a large pot or stockpot, combine olive oil, carrots, onion and celery. Sauté until carrots are softened and onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Add bay leaves, thyme and 4-32 oz. containers of chicken broth to the veggies and bring to a simmer.
In the meantime, place chicken breasts in a deep baking dish (9x13 or larger). Generously season each breast with all-seasons salt on both sides. Using the remaining 32 oz. container of chicken broth, add broth to the baking dish until each breast is completely submerged (approximately 32 oz. or less). Place baking dish in the oven and bake until chicken is fully cooked (approximately 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken).
Remove from oven. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the baking dish broth into the pot of simmering veggies and broth. Add diced sweet potatoes to the pot.
Shred chicken breasts and add to the simmering pot of veggies and broth. Simmer until veggies are at your desired softness.
Add quinoa to the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer covered until quinoa is fully cooked. Once cooked, add baby kale and stir until wilted.
Remove from heat and cool slightly. Top with parmesan cheese.
