Lemony Chicken Couscous Soup with Dill and Crème Fraîche

This lemony chicken couscous soup is bright, creamy and comforting all at once. Tender shredded chicken, carrot, celery, scallions and pearl couscous simmer together in a savory broth.

A final stir of crème fraîche, lemon zest, lemon juice and fresh dill gives the soup its silky texture and fresh herbal finish.

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Ingredients

3 ounce CarrotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 tablespoon Crème FraîcheView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LemonView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 clove GarlicView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Chicken CutletsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce DillView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup Pearl CouscousView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2.5 ounce CeleryView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Place the chicken cutlets in a large pot and add enough salted water to cover them by 2 inches. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook until the chicken is mostly cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes; it will finish cooking later.
2. Turn off the heat. Drain the chicken, transfer it to a cutting board and wipe out the pot.
3. While the chicken cooks, wash and dry the produce. Peel, trim and halve the carrot lengthwise, then thinly slice it into half-moons. Halve the celery lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise. Peel and mince or grate the garlic. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, keeping the whites and greens separate. Zest the lemon, then quarter it. Pick the dill fronds and finely chop them.
4. Heat the cooking oil in the same large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and scallion whites. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in 3 1/2 cups water, the pearl couscous and the chicken stock concentrates, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook, covered, until the couscous is tender, 7 to 9 minutes.
7. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot with the couscous, even if the couscous is still finishing. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens, crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice from half the lemon. Season generously with salt, starting with 1 teaspoon and adding more to taste and add pepper as desired.
9. Ladle the soup into bowls. Squeeze additional lemon juice over the top to taste, garnish with chopped dill and serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I add the chicken back before the couscous is fully tender?

Yes. Return the shredded chicken to the pot even if the couscous is still cooking, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

When should I stir in the crème fraîche?

Stir it in after removing the pot from the heat, along with the scallion greens, lemon zest and lemon juice.

How much lemon juice should I use?

Stir juice from half the lemon into the soup, then use the remaining lemon wedges at the table to add more brightness to each bowl.