Mediterranean Diet Chicken Soup Recipes: A Comprehensive Guide

Chicken soup, a timeless comfort food, takes on a vibrant and healthy twist when prepared with Mediterranean flair. Rooted in the principles of the Mediterranean diet, these recipes emphasize fresh vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats, resulting in nourishing and flavorful soups that are perfect for any occasion. This guide explores various Mediterranean chicken soup recipes, offering detailed instructions, ingredient insights, and tips for customization.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup: A Bright and Cozy Delight

Lemon chicken orzo soup is a comforting and healthy option that is both budget-friendly and easy to prepare. This soup features everyday ingredients like lemon, chicken, orzo pasta, broth, and an assortment of vegetables, creating a bright and cozy flavor profile. Perfect for cold nights, this soup is a delightful addition to any meal plan.

Key Ingredients and Their Benefits

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A staple of the Mediterranean diet, extra virgin olive oil provides healthy fats and a rich flavor base. A medium-intensity EVOO, such as Nocellara Italian extra virgin olive oil, balances the acidity of the lemon in the soup.
• Vegetables: A generous mix of vegetables adds flavor, bulk, and essential nutrients. Common additions include carrots, celery, onion, peas, and garlic.
• Chicken Stock: Using a low-sodium chicken stock allows for better control over the soup's saltiness.
• Orzo Pasta: This small pasta, slightly larger than rice, adds a comforting texture to the soup.
• Lemon: The acidity of lemon brightens the flavors of the soup, allowing each ingredient to shine.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté the Vegetables: In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add chopped yellow onion, celery, carrots, and minced garlic. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, and cook until the vegetables have softened.
2. Cook the Chicken: Add boneless skinless chicken breasts to the pot along with chicken stock and water. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is nearly fully cooked.
3. Add Orzo and Peas: Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate. Add uncooked orzo pasta and frozen peas to the pot.
4. Shred the Chicken: Using two forks, shred the chicken.
5. Finishing Touches: Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and zest, chopped green onions, and fresh parsley.

Serving Suggestions

Lemon chicken orzo soup can be enjoyed as a standalone meal or paired with a side dish. A shaved Brussels sprouts salad complements the soup with its fall flavors. Alternatively, a lemon chicken orzo pasta offers a delightful twist on the soup.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

This soup is ideal for meal prep. To prevent the orzo from becoming mushy, cook it separately and add it when reheating the soup. Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Mediterranean Chicken Noodle Soup: A Soul-Warming Classic

This homemade soup features a flavorful chicken broth base infused with traditional Mediterranean herbs and vegetables. Simmering chicken breasts in the broth creates a depth of flavor, while noodles added just before serving provide a comforting texture.

Read also: A Review of the Mediterranean Diet in Kidney Disease

Key Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The base of many Mediterranean dishes, extra virgin olive oil adds richness and flavor.
• Soffritto: A flavor base consisting of carrot, celery, and onion.
• Dried Chilli Flakes: Add a gentle spice to the soup.
• Chicken Stock: Use homemade or a good-quality commercial stock.
• Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts: A versatile and lean protein source. Free-range chicken is often preferred.
• Noodles/Pasta: Use leftover packets of noodles or pasta.
• Parmesan: Adds a savory depth to the broth. Grana Padano can be used as an alternative.

Cooking Instructions

1. Sauté the Vegetables: Add olive oil to a large saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté diced onion, carrot, and celery until the vegetables soften.
2. Simmer the Soup Base: Add garlic, then add stock, chicken, Parmesan rind, tomato, and herbs. Simmer until the chicken is cooked.
3. Shred the Chicken: Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts.
4. Finish the Soup and Serve: Add the noodles and cook until tender. Season with salt, pepper, and chilli flakes to taste.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

To prevent the noodles from absorbing too much liquid, cook them separately and add them when warming the soup. The soup can be frozen for up to three months. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Turmeric Lemon Chicken Soup: An Eastern Mediterranean Vibe

This chicken soup features warm spices such as coriander, Aleppo pepper, ground ginger, and turmeric, giving it a unique Eastern Mediterranean flavor profile. Fresh lemon juice adds brightness and vitamin C.

Key Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Provides a fruity, peppery finish with healing qualities.
• Spices and Seasonings: Ground coriander, Aleppo pepper, ground ginger, and turmeric create layers of warmth and earthiness.
• Lemons: Zest and juice add tang and brightness.

Simple Steps

1. Make the Chicken Broth: Add boneless, skinless chicken breasts and water to a large Dutch oven or pot. Season with salt and pepper, and add quartered yellow onion and whole garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is cooked.
2. Shred the Chicken: Move the cooked chicken to a cutting board and shred it.
3. Strain the Broth: Strain the broth into a large bowl using a mesh strainer and discard the onion and garlic.
4. Sauté the Carrots, Garlic, and Chicken: Warm extra virgin olive oil in the pot and add minced garlic and thinly sliced carrots. Add salt, pepper, and spices.
5. Add the Broth and Cook: Pour the homemade chicken broth back into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the carrots are tender.
6. Finish with Spinach, Fresh Herbs, and Lemon: Stir in spinach, fresh herbs, and lemon juice and zest before serving.

Tips and Variations

• Use Leftover Chicken: Skip making the broth from scratch by using cooked chicken.
• Make the Broth in Advance: The boiled chicken and homemade chicken broth will last 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or can be frozen for later use.
• Add More Vegetables: Use up leftover vegetables such as chopped celery, zucchini, potatoes, or broccoli florets.
• Add Grains or Chickpeas: Bulk up the soup with grains or chickpeas.

Storage

Store leftover turmeric chicken soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

30-Minute Chicken and Vegetable Mediterranean Soup: Quick, Easy, and Healthy

This soup is a quick and easy option loaded with tender chicken, vegetables, and garbanzo beans. It can easily be made vegan by omitting the chicken.

Key Ingredients

• Vegetables: Onions, celery, fire-roasted tomatoes, and kale provide essential nutrients.
• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breast adds protein.
• Garbanzo Beans: Provide an extra boost of protein and fiber.

Instructions

1. Sauté the Vegetables: In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, sauté onion and celery over medium-high heat until vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add Chicken and Seasoning: Add garlic, chicken, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Sauté until chicken is about two-thirds of the way cooked through.
3. Add Tomatoes and Broth: Add tomatoes and juice, artichokes, chicken broth, and optional zucchini. Boil until chicken is cooked through.
4. Add Beans and Kale: Add beans and kale, turn off the heat, and allow kale to wilt.
5. Season to Taste: Add salt to taste.

Tips for Enhancing Flavor

• Season Sufficiently with Salt: Use kosher salt to enhance the flavors.
• Add Lemon Juice or Vinegar: Brighten the flavor profile with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
• Add a Pinch of Cayenne Pepper: Add depth of flavor with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup: A Comforting Classic

This soup is a family favorite, perfect for a comforting meal. It features pearl couscous and morsels of cheese, creating a delightful texture and flavor.

Read also: Delicious Mediterranean Recipes

Key Ingredients

• Chicken Broth: Provides the base for the soup. Low-sodium broth may require extra salt.
• Lemon Zest: Adds loads of lemony flavor.

Simple Steps

1. Sauté Vegetables: Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
2. Add Broth and Chicken: Add chicken broth, raw chicken breasts, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer.
3. Stir in Couscous: Stir in couscous, salt, and pepper. Simmer until couscous is cooked.
4. Shred Chicken: Remove chicken breasts, shred, and return to the pot.
5. Add Feta and Chives: Stir in crumbled feta cheese and chopped chives.

Tips and Variations

• Replace Couscous: Use long-grain white rice, orzo pasta, or acini di pepe pasta balls instead of couscous.
• Add Vegetables: Add additional vegetables to the soup.
• Use Rotisserie Chicken: Skip cooking the chicken by using shredded rotisserie chicken.

Dietary Considerations

• Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and use vegetable broth.
• Gluten-Free: Omit the couscous or use a gluten-free alternative like rice, quinoa, or gluten-free orzo pasta.

Serving and Storage

Serve the soup with breadsticks and a Greek salad. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To freeze, place the cooled soup in a zip bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Additional Tips for Perfect Mediterranean Chicken Soup

• Use Fresh, High-Quality Ingredients: The quality of the ingredients greatly impacts the flavor of the soup.
• Don't Overcook the Vegetables: Overcooked vegetables can become mushy and lose their flavor.
• Season Generously: Seasoning is key to bringing out the flavors of the soup.
• Adjust the Consistency: Add more broth or water to adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking.
• Garnish with Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs add a burst of flavor and visual appeal.

The Health Benefits of Mediterranean Chicken Soup

In addition to being delicious and comforting, Mediterranean chicken soup offers a range of health benefits. The combination of chicken, vegetables, and broth provides essential nutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds.

• Chicken: An important source of protein, which improves immunity.
• Vegetables: Packed with free radical and disease-fighting antioxidants.
• Broth: Protects your gut and joints, improves sleep, builds stronger bones, boosts immunity, and potentially strengthens the collagen in your skin.

Read also: Mediterranean Diet, Instant Pot Style

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