Chicken Quinoa Soup

I made chicken noodle soup for the first time on my own and it was not very tasty. I hate adding salt but I realized after this test, that's what I was missing.

I am now on a mission to make a great chicken noodle soup; this one is on the right track :).

Adapted from a few recipes:

2 T olive oil
15 chopped baby carrots
1 onion diced
3 chopped celery stocks
Salt/pepper to taste
1/2 T minced garlic (in the jar)
4 chicken breasts, shredded
3 boxes Nature's Promise low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 cup quinoa
2 swirls around the pot of dried basil


1. Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots cook with lid on while you dice onion and cut celery, season with salt and pepper, add garlic, stir. Cook with lid on while you prep/cook chicken.

olive oil and carrots

onions/carrots

2. Season chicken to your tastes (I used pepper and Adobo). Put on pan over medium heat with lid. While cooking one side of the chicken go back to the veggies and add garlic.

cooking one side of chicken

when the veggies look soft add garlic

3. Add bay leaves, chicken broth, and uncooked quinoa, bring to a boil then let simmer until quinoa is cooked. About 15-20 minutes (go back and forth checking the chicken and broth)
*originally I only added 2 boxes and had to add the 3rd at the end when the quinoa absorbed all the broth.

4. Continue working on chicken, it can still be a little pink in the middle because the soup will cook it. Once chicken is cooked shred and add to soup. Add basil
5. If quinoa isn’t cooked when you add the chicken, keep on simmering till it's done and let it simmer for an extra 15 minutes.

fin

Tips:
-chop up the inside leaves of celery and add that to the soup for a great flavor
-only use ½ a cup of quinoa therefore only add 2 boxes in step 3 and keep the 3^rd in case you need a little more liquid
-try cooking the chicken in the broth for 10 minutes, then shred and add it back (will probably need that 3^rd box, maybe a 4^th; since the quinoa and chicken is absorbing the broth)
-fresh basil
-fresh garlic
-maybe 1 T of minced garlic

Let me know if you have any secrets!!

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