Lemon Chicken Chickpea Soup
Moroccan inspired lemon chicken soup with chickpeas, rice, turmeric, and cumin. Delicious!
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 celery rib, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or powdered ginger)
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2-3 strips of lemon zest from one lemon
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup basmati rice
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- Cilantro or parsley for garnish
METHOD
1 Coat the chicken pieces with the spices: Whisk the salt, turmeric, cumin, and black pepper together in a medium bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss with the spices to coat.
2 Brown the chicken in olive oil: Heat olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed soup pot on medium high. Add the chicken pieces and brown lightly on all sides, 5-7 minutes total. Remove chicken to a bowl and set aside.
3 Sauté onions, celery, garlic, ginger: Add the chopped onion and celery to the pot. Sauté until lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook a minute more.
4 Add chicken, stock, bay leaves, lemon zest strips, then simmer: Add the chicken pieces back to the pot. Add the stock, bay leaves, lemon zest strips. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes.
5 Add rice, chickpeas, lemon juice, simmer: Add the rice, chickpeas, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.
6 Add salt pepper to taste: Remove bay leaves and lemon peel strips. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro or parsley to serve.
