Sometimes you want something warm and hearty and other times you feel like something light and bright…. this lemon chicken soup is for the days that you want both.
A flavorful broth full of onions, garlic and fresh lemon juice with shredded chicken, beautiful rainbow Swiss chard and the most adorable little pasta you have ever seen. This soup is delicious and filling with a cheerful citrus punch that I just can’t get enough of and I know that you are going to love it too.
Let’s get it started…
To make 4 big servings of lemon chicken soup, you will need 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of butter, 3 large finely minced cloves of garlic, 1 medium finely chopped yellow onion, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest, 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 4-6 ribs of rainbow Swiss chard, 1 cup of dried farfalline (or any type of tiny pasta), 8 cups of chicken stock and some salt and black pepper.
Farfalline is so adorable! Mini bowtie pasta with round ends that fill up with whatever sauce or broth that you toss them in. They cook fast and are a great addition to this soup. If you can’t find farfalline, you can use lancette, ditalini, orecchiette or any small pasta you can find.
Swiss chard is full of vitamin K and beta-carotene and very low in calories. Today, I am using rainbow chard for the simple fact that it is just so beautiful. The stems come in everything from bright yellow and hot pink to purple stripes and a gorgeous blaze orange color. Their flavor is a bit bitter when raw, but that bitterness leaves after just a bit of cooking. It maintains nice texture even when simmered in soup, so it is a beautiful and purposeful element to this soup.
Start by adding 1 tablespoon of butter into a medium skillet over medium high heat. Season up a boneless skinless chicken breast with some garlic powder and onion powder and brown it on both sides in the skillet.
Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a cutting board and reduce the heat to medium. Transfer the onions into the skillet and cook them for about 5 minutes. While the onions are cooking, shred the chicken breast.
After about 5 minutes, the onions should be a bit soft (perfect for soup). Add 3 finely minced cloves of garlic into the skillet and cook for another 60 seconds, stirring consistently. As soon as the garlic is really fragrant, deglaze the skillet with 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. “Deglazing” is simply adding a bit of liquid into a skillet and stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to work up any brown bits from the skillet into the broth or sauce that you are making. There is so much flavor in those bits, so don’t leave them behind!
Transfer the lemon juice, onions and garlic into a deep pot and place it over medium high heat. Add 8 cups of chicken broth, season with salt and pepper and bring the broth up to a simmer.
Once the broth is simmering (and smelling delicious), add 1 cup of farfalline, the shredded chicken, chopped Swiss chard and lemon zest. Stir everything together, reduce the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
My entire kitchen smells so good with this lemon chicken soup simmering away on my stove.
Once the rainbow chard is a little soft and the farfalline is cooked, ladle some of this soup into your favorite soup bowl (grab the big one), sprinkle some chives and grated parmesan over the top and get ready to fall in love…
I just love the way this soup is both light and cozy. It would be great for a chilly evening or a sunny afternoon. It is zesty and citrusy and exactly what lemon chicken soup should be. You’re going to love it…
Enjoy!!
Lemon Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup farfalline (or any tiny pasta)
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4-6 ribs of rainbow Swiss chard, stems and leaves, thinly sliced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- salt and black pepper
- 8-10 chives, finely chopped (optional garnish)
- parmesan, grated (optional garnish)
- lemon wedges (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon of butter into a medium skillet and place it over medium high heat
- Once the butter has melted, place 1 boneless skinless chicken breast seasoned with garlic powder and onion powder into the skillet and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through
- Transfer the chicken onto a cutting board, shred into small pieces and set aside
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 chopped yellow onion into the skillet
- Cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 60 seconds, stirring consistently
- Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and stir, scraping the bottom, until all of the browned bits have been brought up from the bottom of the skillet
- Transfer the lemon juice, garlic and onions into a deep pot and place the pot over medium high heat
- Add 8 cups of chicken stock into the pot and stir to combine
- Bring the broth up to a simmer
- Season with salt and pepper
- Add 1 cup of farfalline, the shredded chicken, chopped Swiss chard and lemon zest into the simmering broth and stir to combine
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes
- Garnish with chopped chives, grated parmesan and lemon wedges
