Chicken, Yellow Zucchini and Lemon Soup
It's truly sunshine in a bowl. Fresh lemon juice highlights the turmeric, yellow zucchini and basmati rice in broth. Added garlic for depth and kick.
Ingredients
- 1 small-medium onion minced
- 2 medium to large garlic cloves minced
- 2 medium yellow squash or zucchini if large, use 1 1/2 zucchini
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 4-5 cups chicken stock you can use vegetable stock, but the chicken stock adds a certain 'butteriness'
- 4 oz (1/2 cup) basmati rice
- 1 chicken breast poached, roasted, broiled or even leftovers, shredded
- maldon or finishing salt and cracked pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill garnish
Instructions
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Wash the zucchini. Don't worry about removing the peel.
Slice into rings and then finely dice these- you should end up with little cubes or confetti of yellow zucchini!
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Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium (large enough to hold all the ingredients) pot over medium high heat.
Add the minced onion and garlic. Sauté until just softened.
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Add the zucchini (summer squash) to the onions and garlic. Stir.
Add the lemon zest and remaining oil, stir to coat, and then cook on gentle heat for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally till slightly softened.
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Stir in the turmeric, and then pour in 4 cups of the stock and lemon juice.
Finally add in the rice.
Cook uncovered for 10-20 minutes at medium high heat, or just until the zucchini (summer squash) and the rice are tender. About 2 minutes before the rice is finished cooking, add the shredded cooked chicken.
If you find the soup too thick for your liking, add the remaining cup of stock. Or else use the fifth cup of stock for the avgolemono option before adding it in. See Notes.
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Taste for seasoning. Use salt, pepper, even dill to season. Start with 1/2 tsp of each salt and pepper and move up.
This soup is actually even better slightly cooled. So let it cool down to a pleasant warm temperature.
Serve with dill fronds if you'd like.
Recipe Notes
To turn this into an avgolemono style soup:
Whisk together 4 eggs with 2 tbsp lemon juice.
Save the fifth cup of stock for the next step. Warm it through to medium heat. Add 1/4 cup slowly to the bowl with the eggs and lemon juice. Whisk to temper. Slowly add more stock, 1/4 cup at a time, till it is all combined.
Pour this back into the soup and warm through on medium heat. Do not bring this up to a boil or else the eggs will scramble.
This soup was inspired by Nigella Lawson's Happiness Soup, found in 'Forever Summer'.