Chicken Couscous Soup is a delicious blend of vegetables, chicken, couscous, peas, and broth. Perfect for when you’re under the weather or craving comfort food!
The Best Chicken Couscous Soup
Feeling sick and need comfort? This chicken couscous soup is just what you need! Packed with vegetables, shredded chicken, and pearl couscous, it’s hearty and delicious. The flavorful broth is rich in immune-boosting ingredients to help you feel better fast.
Chicken soup’s cold-curing legend is backed by science: it provides protein, carbs, and hydration while soothing sore throats and clearing congestion. Plus, it’s quick to make—ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- Vegetables: Cut veggies to similar size so every bites is similar.
- Chicken: Use rotisserie chicken for a quick option, or leftover grilled chicken.
- Pearl Couscous: Use pearl couscous instead of regular couscous in this recipe, as its larger pearls cook properly and provide the right texture for the soup.
- Broth: Use low-sodium so you can control the saltiness.
- Herbs and Spices: You can swap any dried herbs for fresh if you have on hand.
How To Make Couscous Soup
- Cook Veggies: In a large pot, heat oil and cook chopped onions, carrots, and celery until soft.
- Add Chicken: Mix in shredded chicken and cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in Broth: Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add Couscous: Stir in couscous and any extra veggies. Cook couscous til tender.
- Season: Add herbs, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Spoon into bowls and enjoy your comforting soup!
Tips For Success
- Use Tasty Broth: Pick a good-quality broth. Add extra spices if needed.
- Check Flavor: If it tastes bland, add salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon. Serve with buttered bread for dipping.
- Adjust Thickness: Add more broth if it’s too thick, or stir in more frozen veggies if it’s too thin.
- Try Herbs and Spices: Add fresh herbs, chili flakes, or paprika for more flavor. Drizzle olive oil on each bowl. Taste as you go!
Variations
Couscous Soup Customizations
- Swap peas for baby spinach or kale; stir in at the end to wilt
- For a vegetarian/vegan version, use drained chickpeas and vegetable broth. You may need extra seasoning.
- The recipe is naturally dairy-free. If you’re not dairy-free add some fresh parm on top.
- Adjust seasonings to taste. For more spice, add spicy yellow curry powder or red pepper flakes.
Serve On The Side
There are many side dishes that can be served alongside Couscous Soup to make a complete meal. Some options include:
- Salad: A simple Garden Salad with mixed greens, vegetables, and a light dressing goes great with this soup.
- Bread: A slice of warm crusty No-Knead Bread, Dinner Rolls, or a small baguette of French Bread is a classic pairing with soup.
- Roasted vegetables: Roasted Vegetables such as Brussels Sprouts, Asparagus, or Broccoli can add a nice balance of texture and flavor to the soup.
- Grilled cheese sandwich: A Grilled Cheese sandwich made with gooey cheese and your favorite bread makes a delicious pair with the soup.
Storage
Couscous Soup Storage
- Couscous Soup is best served fresh, as the couscous absorbs liquid and swells.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- To reheat, gently warm in a pot, stirring frequently, and add a splash of chicken broth to thin if needed.
- This soup doesn’t freeze well, as the couscous can become mushy.
More Soup Recipes
- Potato Leek Soup with fresh leeks and chicken stock
- 15-Bean Soup made in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or stove-top
- Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup made with quinoa
- Vegetarian Split Pea Soup Recipe with carrots and onion
- Black Bean Soup with sweet red pepper
Chicken Couscous Soup
This chicken Couscous Soup is an absolute delight! It's packed with a variety of vegetables, shredded chicken, pearl couscous, sweet peas, and a rich and flavorful broth. Whether you're feeling under the weather or simply need some comfort food, this soup is sure to hit the spot and help you feel better.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (1-1/2 cups)
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery (~2 long stalks)
- 1 cup peeled carrots, cut into thin rounds (2 medium/4 small)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- Fine sea salt & cracked pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon each: yellow curry powder & ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs (3-4 small/medium breasts–See Note 1)
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup pearl couscous (Note 2)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- Optional: 1 lemon, crusty bread for dipping
Instructions
- VEGGIES: Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion, celery, carrots. Season to taste– we add 1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are turning translucent and begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- SEASONINGS AND CHICKEN: Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, dried thyme, plus more salt and pepper to taste (we add another 1/4 teaspoon of each). Stir constantly for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until very fragrant. Add in the uncooked chicken (Note 1), chicken broth, and bay leaf; stir.
- COUSCOUS: Bring soup to a boil and then stir in the couscous. Be sure to press chicken below the liquid. Bring back to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer (uncovered) for 18-23 minutes or until couscous is pleasantly tender and chicken is fully cooked through.
- FINISH: Remove soup from heat. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks or dice with a knife. Back to the soup: stir through the peas, optional parsley, and the shredded chicken. Stir well. Mix in lemon juice (added to taste) for some brightness and acidity if desired. Taste for seasoning, ladle into bowls, and enjoy with some crusty warm bread!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Chicken: Boneless, skinless breasts or thighs work great here. Thighs are slightly more tender. If there is an excess of fat on the meat, trim it off. If the chicken breasts are large, cut in half. (Aim to get each breast about 8 oz. in size so they will cook through properly.)
Note 2: Couscous: Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, is a type of pasta that is made with similar ingredients as regular couscous, but it has larger pearls with a softer and chewier texture. It is important to use Israeli couscous rather than regular couscous, because the larger pearls of Israeli couscous will cook properly and provide the right texture for the soup. Regular couscous is much smaller and won’t work quite right in this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1152mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5446IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was super yummy and a fun spin on traditional chicken noodle soup. A keeper for sure!
Thanks so much Lisa! 🙂
I decided to try this couscous soup as I had pearl couscous leftover from another recipe I made. This soup was delicious and sure tasted great especially since the day was cold and raining here. The Curry was the perfect amount and you can not go wrong with Turmeric. A neighbor was getting over a cold so I brought some over to her and she agreed how delicious the soup was.
Yay! So glad this was such a hit! Thanks so much Carol! 🙂
I made this soup and it is AMAZING!
So much flavor. Adding couscous is a great change to traditional noodle soups. My cold is now a thing of the past.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Stephanie! 🙂
This was delicious! Really liked the curry. My husband was sick so I tried it.
This goes into my recipe book!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Victoria! 🙂