There’s a quality to the late spring and early summer sunlight that is different from any other time of year; it’s yellower, brighter and seemingly more deliberate, somehow. The sun shines down on us from a high point in the mellow blue sky in this warm season, and for me, takes on an almost “tangy” quality—a lemony and piquant “high note”.
Late spring and early summer remind me of one of my favorite pieces of produce that I so often use to liven up so many of my foods, both sweet and savory—the fragrant and refreshing lemon.
If a lemon were a person, it seems like it’d be the talkative type, and far from being shy. Lemons are bold and colorful, alive and wonderful in bringing out the best qualities in other foods, and they do it seamlessly. Their flavor often ties everything together into a palette-pleasing and awakening experience, something which begins to be craved in the dishes of this time of year, in particular.
When the weather starts to become warm, and the light outside gets bigger and more golden, a simple and refreshing meal that takes only a few moments to put together sounds like the perfect thing to prepare. Bright, seasonal vegetables, tender chicken, fresh basil and some healthy quinoa come together to create a little “spring harvest” in a bowl—a delicious and light soup finished with a healthy squeeze of a vibrantly ripe and juicy lemon.
It’s spring-time reproduced in a colorful and broth-y soup, and a little taste of sunshine in my spoon.
It always makes me happy when I can somehow capture the unique characteristics of a season in a meal. Mildly tangy, light and healthy, this Lemony Chicken & Spring Veggie Soup with Quinoa and Fresh Basil is the perfect bowl of goodness to prepare for this “lemony” time of year.
So enjoy the glow of the sunlight; enjoy the lightness of the breeze as it flitters and dances around you. Treat yourself to a little taste of the color of the season, and allow a bit of late spring’s tangy light to shimmer and glisten in your spoon.
Taste what’s good and pass it on.
Ingrid
Simple Lemony Chicken & Spring Veggie Soup with Quinoa & Fresh Basil
by Ingrid Beer
Print RecipeYield: Serves about 4
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, quartered, white part sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small (if you can find multi-colored carrots, those are beautiful)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
• 4 cups chicken stock, hot
• 1 cup fresh English peas (or frozen peas)
• 1 cup baby zucchini, small dice
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cubed (you can use rotisserie chicken for convenience)
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• ¼ cup chopped, fresh basil leaves
• 4 lemon wedges, garnish
Preparation:
-Place a medium-large soup pot over medium heat; add in the butter and olive oil, and once melted, add in the sliced leek and diced carrots, and sweat for about 3-5 minutes, or until slightly tender and the leeks are becoming translucent.
-Add in the garlic, and once that becomes aromatic, add in a pinch or two of salt and pepper, and the herbs de Provence; stir to combine.
-Next, add in the hot chicken stock, and bring to a gentle simmer; cover partially with a lid, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
-Turn the heat off; add in the English peas (or frozen peas), the diced baby zucchini, the shredded or cubed chicken breast, and the lemon zest and juice; stir to combine, and allow the peas/zucchini to become crisp-tender and bright green in the hot stock, about 3-4 minutes; check to see if additional salt or pepper is needed.
-To serve, add about ½ cup of the cooked quinoa to a bowl, and ladle some of the soup with the veggies and chicken over top; sprinkle over some of the fresh basil, and squeeze in some additional lemon juice from the lemon wedge garnish, if desired.
I’ve never done quinoa in a soup before! But add lemon to anything and I’m there.
Hi Allyn! I’m so with you—lemon in everything! 🙂 And I also think you’ll like the quinoa, too. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks so much Ingrid! I found your recipe on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. I cooked it tonight, and I am addicted! The lemony tang is amazing! My boys loved it too.
Rachael, I’m so happy to read that! I’m thrilled that your boys loved it, as well—whenever the kiddos enjoy something that’s also full of veggies and healthy for them, it’s always a bonus! 🙂 Thank you for sharing with me.
Hi Ingrid,
I made this last night and my picky eaters gobbled it down. Really delicious and quick especially with the rotisserie chicken. It’s all gone…lemony YUM!
Joanne, I’m so happy to read that! And I’m also glad that it was fairly convenient for you—it’s a good, healthy and quick little soup that both adults and kids, including “picky eaters”, can enjoy! Thanks for sharing your experience with me.
I just made this soup, and oh my goodness, it’s just wonderful! It’s 90 degrees today, but it doesn’t matter. This soup is so light and fresh, it’s not like eating a heavy winter soup. I’ll be making this again and again. I’d never eaten quinoa before, let alone cooked it, but I really like it.
Sarah, that’s great! I have the same thought about a soup like this; that though it’s hot outside, this type of soup is still, somehow, refreshing! So glad that you, too, enjoyed this recipe; and thank you for taking some time to share your experience with me. Here’s to cooking (and trying) new things!
Just a follow-up comment: I ended up freezing some of the soup since it’s just me and I couldn’t eat it all in a few days. It freezes great! I’m having some now and it tastes as good as it did the day I first made it.
That’s excellent, Sara! Thanks so much for taking a moment to share that with everyone!
Your photos are magazine worthy! Absolutely beautiful!
Elizabeth, thank you so very much—my hubby, the photographer, truly appreciated your comment!
Hello. 🙂 This soup looks wonderful and I am looking forward to trying it. I noticed in the pictures something red in your soup, but nothing red in the ingredients list. Is that bell pepper or tomato?
Good eye, Aislinn! No; believe it or not, that is actually carrot! It’s an “heirloom” type of carrot, which I had purchased at my local Trader Joe’s. In the bag there were orange, purple, reddish and golden. Couldn’t help but use those, as they were so pretty and colorful! Feel free to use regular carrots, of course. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I’d love to try this recipe. Could you please tell me where I can find nutritional information for this soup.
Hi Veronica! I don’t have the nutritional info for this soup, but this site may be of help: http://www.calorieking.com/foods/ Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Awesome soup!
Thank you!
Made this delicious soup tonight. It was the perfect evening meal on a warm summer night. I added a few handfuls of baby spinach at the end just because I had it on hand also had lots of fresh basil in my garden that needed to be used so this recipe really fit the bill. Add some fresh baked bread and my husband and I were both happy campers. Thanks!
Eleni, that addition of spinach at the end sounds so very delicious, not to mention the garden-fresh basil! How wonderful. So glad you and your hubby enjoyed this light an healthy soup, with the perfect accompaniment of warm baked bread—one of my and my hubby’s favorite’s with soup, as well! Thank you for your comments.
I just wanted to say…this soup looks great ..I will be making this tomorrow.
I love this soup recipe. Thank you.
So glad you do! Thanks for your comments!
Just made this soup for dinner, came out great. I love anything involving lemons!
Hi Aeryn, that’s great! Thanks for sharing!
This looks so good, I’m going to make it tonight for dinner thank you for sharing the recipe . Janice
Janice, so glad to read that; it’s my pleasure to share! And I’m hoping that you really enjoy your dinner! 🙂
I’ve made this soup two times in the past week. I am in love. It is sooo good. Made a double batch when I made it today.
Haven’t had any quinoa on hand, so done it with barley.
The lemon, though, is so divine. I am in love.
Barley is perfect, too! I love the texture of it. So glad you’re enjoying this recipe—the double batch was a great idea!! 🙂
This was amazing!!! My husband loves soups of all kind and so I’m always looking for new recipes. And he absolutely loved this one. (He thought I got the recipe from his mom 😉 #winning.) I can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thank you
Hi Sara! I can’t wait for you to try other recipes, as well! I love that “#winning”, haha! (And it really is when you’re talking something that reminds a hubby of his mom’s good cooking!) Thanks so much for your comments, and continued happy cooking to you!
This was really great! We’re making it again tonight. I’d never used Herbs de Provence or leeks before. I’ve since used leeks in another recipe instead of onions and the flavor was awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Melissa, don’t you love to find something new that you end up really enjoying and using again? So glad to hear that this soup is having an encore presentation at your home—thanks for sharing! Glad you’re enjoying…
This is super delicious! We added a bit more broth and doubled the peas. Because I had no leeks, I used vidalia onion and a shallot. Super delicious—even without the quinoa (it’s just not for me.) Thanks for an awesome, beautiful and healthy recipe!
Holly, so glad you enjoyed this with your specific swap-outs! Thank you for sharing your comments.
I have not tried this yet but I defintely will. Is there any reason you cannot mix the Quinoa in with the soup. I didn’t know if there was a reason for serving the soup over it.
Hi Carol, that is a great question, and I’m glad you asked. You can certainly add quinoa into the soup as it’s cooking; however, the reason that I never like to add anything like quinoa, pasta, barley, etc. into the soup is that it will end up absorbing a lot of the liquid, especially by the next day. This way, when it’s separate, the soup stays brothy, and I control how thick it stays. Hope that explains it!
Thanks, that is what I thought, I just wanted to verify. I will probably add the Quinoa and if the soup gets too thick I will thin it with water and a bouillon cube.
It’s getting pretty cold in MN already, but I still wanted a light soup. This was delicious–thanks for the recipe!
My pleasure, Michele!
hello! this looks so yummy i just bought all the ingredients but i’m totally new to leeks. could you be a bit more specific about how you’re supposed to cut them?excited to make it! thanks so much!
Hi Sarah, my pleasure to help! Best way to cut leeks is to just lop off all of the green part and toss it, leaving just the white part (it looks like the white part of a huge scallion/green onion.) Take that white part, and quarter it (slice it in half lengthwise, then again so you have four smaller sections) then slice. Basically, you just want to slice the white part of the leek into thin slices. Hope that helps, Sarah! Please enjoy…
We have just recently decided it was time we started eating healthier. I made this last night and I was pleasantly surprised at how fantastic it was. I had left over turkey breast and used that in place of chicken. Added green onions and a cup of spinach. This will be a great way to use up left over turkey after Thanksgiving. I’d give this recipe a 9. Great.
Hi Kim, thanks for that! So glad you enjoyed this with your own little twist—it’s definitely a soup that can handle people adding in their own veggies or other substitutions. Best wishes on healthier eating! 🙂
Hello, I’m very interested in trying this soup, it sounds delicious! However, being a vegetarian, do you think it would be possible to substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth and tofu for the chicken (i.e. same quality and reasonable taste)?
Hi Kristina, you can certainly sub veggie stock for the chicken, and tofu for the chicken. Truthfully, you can even leave out the tofu (or chicken, in this case) altogether, and just make it veggie soup. 🙂 Enjoy!
Hello! This looks like a lovely soup to warm up with this week. It’s pretty cold up here in North Dakota and soups are always my go to when we need some comfort food! I love that this one sounds like a little bit of sunshine, which we definitely need. I’m hoping my 14 month old daughter will like it too. She loves peas and soup so I’m thinking it’ll be a hit. Thanks for the great idea!
Hi Angie, I’m so excited that you’re thinking of trying this soup out! I really believe that your little precious gem of a daughter will also love this, especially if she’s already one to enjoy soup (and peas!). This will perfectly warm your bellies, and I do hope that it takes the edge off the cold for you! Please enjoy.
Thanks for this! Just made today and just wanted to say thank you. What a fabulous fresh soup, and hearty too. Also perfect for any time someone mentions they aren’t feeling well.
Robin, my dear, you are more than welcome—it was my pleasure to share this with you! And you’re right; this is definitely one of those soups that is perfect for preparing for someone a under the weather, for a little comfort and warmth. I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
Made this today and so yummy. I am on a strict diet so no butter or oil. I water sauteed the veggies. I also made it vegetarian so I am sure changed the flavor a bit but none the less delicious. I also added spinach as I didn’t have fresh basil. Will use fresh next time.
Hi Pam! Way to make this recipe “taylor-made” for you—great substitutions, especially considering that it’s a very strict diet. Glad you enjoyed!
Just made this last night!! It was very good! Thought I would share something funny – I used some purple carrots in with my regular carrots and well….everything (except the zucchini and peas) turned purple! Hahaha we had purple chicken soup for dinner last night! I wonder if this was bc I chopped them in my small food processor or if I should just rinse them post-chopping 🙂 Super fun dinner tho!
That is so funny, LeAnn! Thanks for sharing that…you know, certain foods, like beets for example, easily leech out color. So perhaps had you kept it a bigger dice, it wouldn’t have colored the soup so much; who knows! 🙂 I’m just glad you enjoyed, regardless of the mauve color, haha!
I made this last night, shocked how great it is! The lemon is such a tasty, tangy touch. I love soup (and make it A LOT) and this might be one of my favs. I did use more broth than suggested, but I tend to not measure and just eyeball it. Thanks for the great recipe! Excited to have a spring/summer soup on hand 😉
Hi Amanda, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for your comments.
Oh my gosh, this is SO GOOD. I made it weeks ago and couldn’t quit thinking about it. I had to make it again. I love the lemon in it! It’s really really perfect. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Mel, it’s my pleasure! So glad you’re enjoying this soup! 🙂
Looks delicious…would this work in a crockpot? I guess I could keep the broth portion in crockpot and add quinoa 30min before serving to allow for heating?
HI Audra, you could certainly try and prepare this in a crockpot if you’d like, but honestly, it’s super quick cooking on the stove top, if it’s just a matter of time for you. (I’d hate for you to have cooked-to-death veggies!)
And as far as the quinoa, keep that separate; you don’t want to add it directly into your soup anyway, as it will completely absorb all of your good broth. Just add the cooked quinoa to each bowl of soup as you’re about to eat it. (And if your soups hot, it’ll warm the quinoa with no problem.) Hope you enjoy!
I just cooked this soup and it was absolutely delicious. Had to substitute barley for quinoa and mixed veggies for peas due to lack of other ingredients. The soup was out of this world. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I’m drooling over your photos. Pinned as a must make for sure!
Made this for dinner! Sooo tasty. Looking forward to having it for lunch tomorrow!!
Glad you enjoyed this soup Lindsay! Thanks for your comments.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I found it last week and have made it twice already! My husband loves it too. There are very few foods I like so much that I can eat them several days in a row and not get sick of them, and I can eat this every day! So wholesome, healthy, fresh, and delicious. Will be good any time of year; I will put this into regular rotation and make it forever. It’s perfect, and you rock! Will definitely be checking out more of your recipes 🙂
Hi Robyn! How awesome! So glad you and your hubby are enjoying this…and I feel honored that one of my recipes serves as something that you could eat several times and not get bored! 🙂 I truly hope that you do check out more of the recipes, and happy cooking to you!
Hi,
I love this soup, I want to make it for a friend who just had a baby. I feel like it would be easier for her to re warm it if I omit the quinoa and add noodles. Do you think I could just add some cooked noodles to it? Thanks!
Hi Alyssa, what a sweet, wonderful gesture that you’d like to prepare this soup for your friend who just had her baby! I think she’ll really enjoy this; nice and light, but comforting and healthy. You can absolutely swap out noodles for the quinoa, if you think she’d prefer that; however, let me suggest that you do not add the noodles directly into her soup; keep them separate, as you would the quinoa. (Notice I don’t add it directly into the soup pot, only into the bowl prior to ladling the soup in.) Noodles (or quinoa) will absolutely absorb the broth/liquid, and the soup will become way too thick. So whether you choose to keep it to the quinoa or choose to use noodles, cook it/them separate (as per the recipe) to have on the side to add into individual bowls of soup, as needed. Hope she enjoys this!
Is the red veggie in the pictures red pepper or carrots? I didn’t see red pepper in the ingredient list- just wondering;).
Hi Becky, believe it or not, those are carrots! Trader Joe’s occasionally carries heirloom-type carrots, with bright orange-red, purple, and yellow, and I used those for extra color. But regular carrots are perfect, of course, as well!
I made this today, and it was the best soup I ever had! I need more of your recipes asap!
Carolyn, yes you do, lol! 🙂 So thrilled that you enjoyed this soup recipe so much, and thank you for taking a moment to comment and let me know! Now go grab some more soup (and other!) recipes!
Absolutely wonderful and delicious. I didn’t have leeks on hand, so I used a small, sweet onion instead. I’ll definitely be making this regularly.
That’s perfect, Melissa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi. I absolutely loved this soup. We had it for the first time tonight. I’m just now starting to keep track of calories. Do you by chance know an estimated guess per bowl since it doesn’t pop up on my Spark app? I will be making this a lot!! ❤️
I LOOOVEEE soup, and this is seriously my most favorite. I often alter recipes, not this one. It is perfect as is. I’ve made it multiple times, and every time I am delighted. I’ve gone vegetarian since the first time I made it, and I honestly think it’s even better without the chicken, the vegetables really shine. Thank you for the great recipe! (I share it a lot too!)
I love your comment, Amanda! So glad you are enjoying this soup, even your now vegetarian version! Good for you! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me, and for sharing my recipe with others, as well!
This is the BEST soup! I made it tonight and soooo yummy! Thank you for such a fabulous and easy recipe. I can’t wait to eat it for dinner again tomorrow. Deeeelish
Darlene, it’s my pleasure! So excited that you are enjoying the recipe so much—perfect light, healthy, and comforting little dinner! Thanks for your comments.
I have made this soup twice and given out the recipe to others who have made it. Everyone loves it! The lemon, fresh basil and quinoa combo are delicious!
Christy, I’m so glad you’re “tasting what’s good and passing it on”, lol! Glad you’re sharing this recipe. 🙂 Thanks for commenting, and I hope you and all of those who you’ve shared the recipe with continue to enjoy it!
Do you think this could be done in a slow cooker? If so, what would you change about the recipe?
Hi Erica, I don’t see why not! Truthfully, I don’t use a slow cooker, so can’t comfortably advise on any changes; I’d think that cooking on low to keep the veggies nice and bright (not overcooking) may be helpful.
I have a friend who has had surgery, making this for her tomorrow. Sounds yummy.
Hi Helen, you’re being a sweet little “angel-nurse”! Lovely! This is a perfect recipe to prepare for someone who’s been through something like your friend has; very nourishing yet light, healthy, and soothing. I think this will be a much appreciated gift to your friend, and my hope is that she recovers and gains her strength from your loving efforts in the kitchen. May you prepare this with lots of love!
THANK YOU. IT TURNED OUT DELICIOUS. I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE THIS AGAIN.
Yay! Very glad! Thanks for stopping back to share that with me. 🙂
This looks delicious! This maybe a silly question, but what is herbs de Provence?
Hi Tracey, there is no such thing as a “silly question”, lol! Herbs de Provence are dried herbs found in the spice/seasoning section of the market, and they are a blend of herbs used in the south of France; they typically include herbs like rosemary, lavender, tarragon, basil, parsley—nice and aromatic. Hope that helps!
This recipe sounds amazing! I’m kind of a beginner level cooker and am excited to try cooking with leeks for the first time. I do have a question… What do you mean by hot chicken stock? as I’m typing this I realize how silly this question is!! Lol!
Hey Kristen, you’re funny! 😉 So, I guess you probably answered your own question, lol—but if not, then it just means temperature-wise “hot”. Hope you give this soup a try, I think you’ll enjoy it!
This was amazing!! I made a double batch and my family gobbled it up in 2 days. Thank you!
Brenda, that’s wonderful! Healthy and full of veggies, I’m always thrilled when the kiddos, especially, love something like this! Thank you for sharing,
Can’t wait to make this! Do you think I could just cook the quinoa in the broth? One less pan that way! Thanks!
Hi Mary, you certainly can! Just be aware that it will suck up a lot of the liquid from the soup, however, and that’s why I recommend keeping it separate (especially if you have leftovers for the next day and would like to keep it soup-y…) But it’ll taste delicious either way! And if you don’t mind a thicker soup, don’t waste another clean pot or pan, lol!
I see red in the picture? Did you add red pepper or tomato?
Hi Addie! I think you’re the second person to ask about that, lol! You know, it’s just the heirloom carrots that I used. There were a couple in there that were a bright orange-red, so that’s how it translated in the photos. 🙂 No pepper or tomatoes.
I am making this soup for the 6th time tonight. I sometimes use shrimp instead of chicken and it’s so yummy!! I live in Colorado so luckily I have soup weather for a good portion of the year!! Love this recipe!
Wow, Brittany! 6 times- I love that! Glad you’re enjoying, and the shrimp is a perfect change-up for this recipe. Thanks for commenting!