Quinoa, Kale, and Chicken Soup
Quinoa, kale, chicken, and white beans combine in a hearty soup that serves as a healthy remedy to this bitterly cold winter.
I know everyone is sick of hearing about how frigid it is this winter, so I’ll skip all the whining and jump straight in to talking about this soup. The soup contains all sorts of good-for-you ingredients, so there’s no guilt in indulging in a big bowl of it after shoveling the driveway for the third time in a week. Sorry, I said I wasn’t going to talk about the weather…
It’s no surprise at all that we loved this soup. In fact, I’ve made it the past two Sunday nights for us to have to take in our lunches throughout the week. While kale and quinoa are two of my favorite ingredients, our friend Michelle despises both. I wish we still lived in Boston so I could bring her a bowl of this and hopefully change her mind about quinoa and kale.
I adapted this from a crockpot recipe and just made it on the stovetop. If you want to see the crockpot version, be sure to click through to the original recipe.
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Five Years Ago: Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Gravy
Quinoa, Kale, and Chicken Soup
Quinoa, kale, chicken, and white beans combine in a hearty soup that serves as a healthy remedy to this bitterly cold winter.
Yield: Serves 6-8
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
~1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, chopped and thoroughly washed
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 spring rosemary, chopped
4 cans chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 can white beans (such as cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
1 bunch curly kale, chopped after removing ribs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper for seasoning
shredded parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
bread for serving (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degF.
Cut the chicken breasts in half and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Put chicken in the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or stock pot. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, and leeks. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, 5-7 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, quinoa, and beans. Set heat on high and cover with a lid. When the soup begins to boil, reduce heat to med-low and continue to simmer.
When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes. Chop the chicken in to bite sized pieces.
Stir the chicken, kale, parsley, and lemon juice into the soup. Taste soup and season with salt and pepper if desired. Allow to cook another 2-3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread.
Recipe from Beantown Baker, inspired by Cooking Classy
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I don’t really like pork, but you make it looks so good! 🙂
Happy 250th post. <3
[http://dlishfoods.wordpress.com]
Thanks Taylor! This really is an amazing pulled pork recipe if you are ever in the mood for pork.
I really need a crock pot – this looks great and I am bookmarking it for when I do get one, my husband loves pulled pork sandwiches.
This looks awesome! I love making pulled pork in the crockpot 🙂
This looks great! I have been in search of a good pulled pork recipe.
Happy 250th post!
I love all the spices you used on the pork – it looks so tender and yummy! Congrats on 250 posts!
Hey Jen, this is Ashley (formerly) from Performance in Evendale! I found your blog through some others and I love it …. we tried this recipe last night and it. was. amazing. Thank you! Your kitchen is going to be gorgeous, can’t wait to see the final pictures.
Hi! I made your recipe last night for my extended family. They RAVED about it! I posted a link back to this post. Thanks again!
Hey Ashley! I always get a kick out of when people I know in real life find my blog. We LOVE this recipe.
Well, 6 months later, I come upon your recipe through Google and it is amazing!! I served this up to some dinner guests and we all loved it!! It IS the best pulled pork recipe and I thank you for leaving it here for me to find!
We tried this recipe over the weekend (with a couple of minor tweaks) and it came out great!
Thanks for posting.
This is our new favorite pulled pork recipe! Thanks for posting it!
About how many did this serve?
Joshua and Stacie – the recipe says it serves 6, but I’d say it serves more like 8.
thanks for the recipe. I’ve been searching for a good one.
This was a great recipe! It was my first pork roast, and it was so easy. My 7 lb roast was fork tender in 8 hours.
Started this the other day and had it in the crockpot all day today. So delicious. Very satisfied husband. Thanks for posting this!
beantownbaker — June 10th, 2013 @ 12:33 pm
So glad your husband enjoyed this. This recipe is in our regular rotation.
Love this recipe. Have used it many times and it always gets rave reviews. Making it again this weekend.
beantownbaker — July 4th, 2013 @ 1:44 pm
Glad you enjoy it! We love it too and make it on a regular weekend. Especially since it freezes so well!
What Barbeque sauce did you prefer. There are so many different flavors out there these days?
beantownbaker — August 22nd, 2013 @ 11:16 am
I actually make my own BBQ sauce, but any flavor that you prefer works in this recipe.
Only complaint from people when I made this was…”Why didn’t you make more??!?!” Love Love Love this recipe!
Thanks for publishing!
beantownbaker — October 23rd, 2013 @ 12:25 am
I get that a lot too! So glad you enjoyed it!!
This recipe is awesome!!! I have only made pulled pork a few times but was never a huge fan as I found them to be too BBQ sauce flavored! I saw this recipe on pinterest and decided to try it tonight for dinner! OMG it is FANTBULOUS!!!!!! I love the rb idea and honestly I could have done without the BBQ sauce as the drippings and sauce in the pot was amazing with the pork on its own! I did add the bq sauce however and was still quite impressed! This recipe had changed my whole opinion of pulled pork! Kudos on a great spice rub blend!!!
beantownbaker — October 23rd, 2013 @ 12:28 am
So glad I was able to convert you to a pulled pork fan! I actually have a batch of this cooking in the crockpot as I type. It’s going to cook overnight for my sister and her husband since they’re new parents and it freezes so well.
This is the easiest and I’m sure tastiest recipe I’ve ever found. I just rubbed all the spices on the pork and it’s marinating in the fridge right now…. I will cook it tomorrow morning I’m very excited about serving this to my family. I’ll come back and post how it was!
beantownbaker — October 23rd, 2013 @ 12:29 am
I’ve got a batch cooking in the crockpot right now! I hope you and your family enjoy it.
I tried this tonight and OMG it was delicious! That rub really makes it. I couldn’t let it sit in the fridge for days but it was still amazing. I will definitely be making this again.
beantownbaker — December 17th, 2013 @ 10:55 am
So glad you enjoyed it! We really love this recipe and make it all the time.
Hi. I am making this as we speak for tomorrow. My only concern the spices seem a little over powering. When I opened the crockpot to check on it it seemed very spicey. Is that what you experience?
This is one of the best crockpot pork recipes ever! I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce or make my own secret barbecue sauce. Either way it is the best. We also use the rub when my husband cooks a shoulder on the grill. Great find – thanks!
Sounds delish! What brand and flavor bbq sauce did you use, exactly?