Description
A warm and comforting chicken and pearl couscous soup, perfect for chilly evenings or lazy afternoons, filled with fresh herbs and rich broth.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Enough water to cover chicken
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 4 celery stalks with leaves, trimmed and diced
- Your favorite seasoning salt (e.g., garlic pepper, lemon pepper, or herbes de Provence)
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- ⅓ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dukkah, oyster crackers, or saltines for serving
- Extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a large pot, season with salt, and add the parsley sprigs on top.
- Pour enough water to ensure the chicken is fully submerged and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about two hours.
- After cooking, remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a bowl. Strain the broth into a clean bowl, discarding the parsley.
- Wipe out the pot, remove the skin from the chicken, and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the strained broth.
- In the cleaned pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the diced onion and celery for about five minutes until softened.
- Season with your chosen seasoning salt, adjusting to taste.
- Add pearl couscous, stirring for about two minutes to lightly toast it.
- Pour in the prepared chicken stock and shredded chicken, bringing it back to a boil before reducing to a gentle simmer.
- Cook uncovered for approximately 15 minutes, or until the couscous is tender, then adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Stir in fresh dill and lemon juice, allowing the soup to simmer for another five minutes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnishing with additional dill and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with dukkah, oyster crackers, or saltines.
Notes
For added texture, consider incorporating vegetables like carrots or peas. Adjust seasoning frequently to achieve well-rounded flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: chicken soup, couscous, comfort food, homemade soup, family recipe