Detox Chicken Soup
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Cleansing, immune-boosting soup with all the goodness (kale, mushrooms, celery, carrots) without compromising any taste!
Featured Comment
I have been home all week with this big pot of warm, cozy, soul-warming brothy soup. It has truly become my lifeline here.
why i love this recipe
- Immune-boosting. This soup is the perfect remedy for post-holiday resets, cold and flu season, or when you’re simply in need of something veggie-packed and fast for those busy weeknights. Loaded with vitamin C-rich kale and lemon juice, inflammation-battling mushrooms, metabolism-boosting protein and antioxidant-packed garlic.
- Flexible recipe. Because this is such a flexible recipe that is also incredibly forgiving, any lingering veggies or extra herbs can be thrown right in for a great clean-out-the-fridge hearty meal.
- Freezer-friendly. This detox chicken soup is incredibly freezer-friendly (without the orzo, of course), making it perfect for meal prep or a lightning fast meal during the week.
tips and tricks for success
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice will elevate your detox chicken soup, adding a fresh, bright flavor and balancing out all the saltiness and richness of the soup.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Kale, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Mix it up. Swap or add in additional vegetables such as bell peppers, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, corn or peas + extra herbs such as lemongrass, ginger or dill.
what to serve with detox chicken soup
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Detox Chicken Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Mushrooms can be omitted completely if it’s not your thing. Eggplant, zucchini, or tofu can be substituted, if desired, as it can absorb all the good flavors and mimic the texture of mushrooms.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
You can use either chicken broth or chicken stock but always season, to taste, as store-bought broth is often saltier than store-bought stock. Broth is made from meat and vegetables while stock is often lower sodium and thicker than broth, and is made from bones and vegetables.
The orzo pasta is cooked directly in the soup, absorbing all the flavorful broth. But if you are planning for leftovers or freezing, the orzo should be cooked and stored separately.
Spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options to swap out the kale.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the orzo (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked orzo when serving.
Detox Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup orzo pasta
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 6-8 minutes; set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the stockpot. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in thyme and oregano until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo, rosemary and chicken; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in kale and cannellini beans until the kale has wilted, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
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Sounds nice, but I read elsewhere that night shades (tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers and eggplant) actually CAUSE inflammation when they are cooked. You would have to eat them raw for them to keep their anti inflammatory compounds. Not sure if that’s true, I guess eat the soup and find out, right?
This is not supported by science. The opposite has actually shown to be more true.
Wonderful soup! I didn’t have any parsley so I substituted it with dill and green onion. I also didn’t use chicken stock but plain water, which turned out to be perfect since the ingredients are packed with flavor. Finally, I added parmesan cheese as a garnish. Yum!
Very good recipe. Tastes amazing. Always come back to it.
Excellent … lemon brought it to *****!
This is my favorite soup! Thank you so much!
Very comforting on a cold winter night! I woke up with a sore throat today so I’m trying to ward off illness and this soup sounded perfect!! I added some fresh ginger for a little extra immune boost! Also, I poached chicken breasts and shredded them before adding to the soup. Very delicious!!
Sounds delicious!
Can you put this in the crockpot?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
I made this in my instant pot. It was delicious.
Did this soup make anyone else’s tummy rumble excessively and extra trips to the potty?
Yes, it definitely detoxes the bowels, but that’s exactly what I was looking for!
How long does this stay good in the refrigerator?
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps, Katie!
I made this because it looked so good. It’s friggin delicious. PLOT TWIST: it’s healthy! Thanks for sharing.
Loved this soup! It had great flavor. The only thing is if you like a soup with a decent amount of broth I would add a few extra cups. I added about four extra and it was perfect.
This soup was amazing. Only change I made was instead of kale I did spinach. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Can this be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze in plastic freezer bags (I like to lay them flat in the freezer to save on space), thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat over low heat.
After being sick for 10 days and two visits to different doctors. Both stating drink plenty of fluids and rest.
I made this wonderful soup. I do have to say to people get ready to sweat. After, eating this twice I feel human again.
I’m going to pass this recipe on to other nurses I work with. Thank you
Awesome, Tracy! Glad you’re feeling better!
If 8 cups chicken broth are replaced w/low sodium chicken broth, how much sodium would be in a serving? Thanks!
Adrienne, nutritional information is actually provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if you would like to make changes to a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
This was delicious! So full of flavor and goodness. Only thing I did different was to use fresh thyme. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, thanks Kara!
That looks amazing! That would be the perfect under the weather soup!
It totally is, comforts you right back to health 🙂
For anyone saying this soup lacks flavor you are crazy and afraid of salt and pepper, this has to be one of the best soups I’ve ever eaten. Definitely one of the most flavorful. Salt and pepper people. Use it don’t be afraid of it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa!
How many carbs would this have without the pasta and beans?
Dana, nutritional information is actually provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if you would like to make changes to a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
Can’t wait to make maybe Sunday or Monday. Yum!