‘Cold Fighter’ Chicken Couscous Soup
A delicious, warming soup just made for healing.
I think we all know to turn to a steaming bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup when we’re met with a nasty cold but if you’re looking for the ultimate bowl to make you feel better, look no further than our ‘Cold Fighter’ Chicken Couscous Soup. With turmeric, ginger, garlic, and aromatic chicken broth, it’s designed with nourishing you back to health in mind, but it’s tasty enough that you certainly don’t need sickness as an excuse to make it.
This tastes almost like your traditional Chicken Noodle, but the turmeric and ginger give it a more warming kick (with plenty of anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties to boot). The rest is much the same – the carrots, the onion, the celery, the chicken, the soothing broth – but we’ve subbed pearl couscous in for the noodles.
It’s still pasta after all, so you get that filling and comforting bite, but it makes for a much more slurpable soup. If you can’t quite imagine it, think somewhere between the experience of rice and an egg noodle. It’s a little heartier than rice, with a lot less chewing than a noodle requires.
I honestly prefer this couscous texture to noodles and I find that it keeps a bit better too since it doesn’t absorb liquid the same way and get mushy or expand too much. And the broth… well, it’s the kind you can just envision healing you as you slurp it down. Whether it’s that golden hue or the subtle zing of ginger and turmeric, it’s a warmth you can feel right into your bones.
'Cold Fighter' Chicken Couscous Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried ground turmeric
- 5-6 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in grated ginger and turmeric and cook 30 seconds.
- Add chicken broth, chicken breasts or thighs, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, then stir in couscous. Push chicken down to submerge in broth.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20-25 minutes.
- Remove chicken, shred with two forks and return to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more broth as needed. Serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen.