Spring Soup with Vegetables and Chicken
This Spring Soup with Vegetables and Chicken is made with easy chicken sausage, vegetables like snap peas and carrots, and couscous and cannellini beans to round it out.
Servings: 8
Calories: 606kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb chicken sausage removed from casings
- 2 oz pancetta diced small
- 1 leek thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lb carrots diced
- 10 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 parmesan rind
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 12 oz sugar snap peas diced
- 1½ cups pearl couscous
- 1 15oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen peas
- chives minced, for topping
- parmesan, freshly grated for topping
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the olive oil and the chicken removed from its casings, breaking the chicken up in the bottom of the pot. Cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add the pancetta and cook until crispy and the fat has been rendered, 5-7 minutes. Add the leeks, garlic, and carrots, stirring occasionally 5-7 minutes. Add additional olive oil if needed.
- Add the chicken stock, parmesan rind, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the sugar snap peas and couscous and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the white beans (drained and rinsed), frozen peas, and the chicken that was set aside. Allow to warm through 2-3 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind.
- Serve with minced chives, grated parmesan, and black pepper if using.
Notes
- Deglaze with Wine: Once the pancetta has been cooked add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up any little brown bits from the bottom. This is optional.
- Pancetta: The fat in the pancetta adds flavor. For less fat, strain out some of the fat after cooking it. Use bacon if you cannot find pancetta, but pancetta has a lighter, more subtle flavor. It often already comes minced or diced small, but if not cut it into small pieces.
- Pearl Couscous: Be sure to use pearl couscous, rather than regular couscous.
- Black Pepper: Add a pinch of black pepper either to the soup or to individual bowls for a subtle punch of heat. This is optional.
- Salt: Add additional salt according to preference.
Nutrition
Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1306mg | Potassium: 905mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 9160IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 5mg
