Detox Chicken Soup
by Chungah
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This detox chicken soup is cleansing and immune-boosting with all the feel-good vegetables! Perfect for cold season or when you need a reset!
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why you’ll love this detox chicken soup
- 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.
What is detox chicken soup?
Detox chicken soup is a soup made with lean protein, aromatics, vegetables, and low-sodium chicken broth to support immunity, provide hydration, and nourish the body after cold and flu season.
How to make detox chicken soup
- Brown the chicken. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper, then cook until golden brown in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, about 6-8 minutes.
- Cook the vegetables. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until tender, then stir in the garlic and mushrooms until the mushrooms are browned.
- Sauté the aromatics. Stir in the thyme and oregano.
- Simmer. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Then stir in the orzo, rosemary, and chicken, simmering until the orzo is tender and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Pro tip: if preparing for leftovers or to freeze for later, cook the orzo separately or else the orzo will continue to soak up the broth.
- Add in leafy greens. Stir in the kale and beans until the greens have wilted. Then stir in the lemon juice and parsley, seasoning one last time with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve. Serve warm with crusty bread.
what to serve with detox chicken soup
Tools For This Recipe
Detox Chicken Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Mushrooms can be skipped or you can substitute eggplant, zucchini, or tofu as they can absorb all the good flavors and mimic the texture of mushrooms.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. For example, the correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh thyme = 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
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 excellent substitutes.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the orzo (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thawing overnight and gently reheating on the stovetop until warmed through and adding freshly cooked orzo just before serving.
Detox Chicken Soup
Video
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
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.
Equipment
Notes
- 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 and extra herbs such as lemongrass, ginger or dill.
- Freeze without the orzo. Orzo acts like a sponge and will continue soaking up the liquid. If preparing for leftovers, cook the orzo just before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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!
Made this today for lunch, it is so good, I have enough for the week
I have made this several times and both my husband and I love it. I’ve recently started counted calories and noticed that the total calories and nutrition label is different on the Yummly app than what it is on this website’s Nutrition facts above. Which is accurate and what is the serving size utilized? Thanks
Dana, I cannot speak for the Yummly app but the nutritional information here is calculated by a nutritionist. Serving size is roughly 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Thanks!
i think this would be awesome if the sodium wasnt so high. what is driving that? the broth?
You can substitute low sodium chicken broth – I do it all the time and never notice a difference in taste!
Everyone is talking how good it is.but will it help detox your system. It sounds good.
This soup is amazing- so fresh and bright! Some changes I made:
No Beans
Extra veggies
Lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice
Spinach instead of kale
A little extra orzo
It was so good, and even though I’m not a fan of eating mushrooms (I like the flavor just not eating the actual mushroom), I loved them in this! Thanks for the great recipe!
We seem to be having a flu epidemic in the Puget sound. I’m not going to be a part of that so I made this soup today.
It has to have immune properties, I know it does. It is super delicious. Thank you.
LOVE! This soup Rocks the planet!!! Make it all the time. Thank you so very much
My diet says no pasta. Would it be good without? How about replacing with Brown rice? If so for how long?
Yes, you can omit or substitute with a grain of your choice. However, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise exact cooking time for substitutions and modifications.