Greek Chicken & Pearl Couscous Soup (Print Version)

Comforting Greek soup with tender chicken, pearl couscous, lemon, and feta.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken & Broth

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz)
02 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 1 bay leaf

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

→ Soup Base

09 - 3/4 cup pearl couscous
10 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - Salt, to taste

→ Garnish

14 - 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
16 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in chicken broth, add bay leaf, and bring to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add chicken breasts to the pot and simmer for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.
05 - Remove chicken and bay leaf from pot. Shred or chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
06 - Return shredded chicken to pot. Stir in pearl couscous, oregano, lemon zest, and black pepper. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until couscous is tender.
07 - Add lemon juice and season with salt to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with crumbled feta and fresh dill. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The pearl couscous soaks up all that lemony broth and turns silky without getting mushy like pasta sometimes does.
  • You get protein, vegetables, and carbs all in one pot, so cleanup is barely a thing.
  • The feta crumble on top adds a creamy, tangy punch that makes every spoonful feel a little indulgent.
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it, but you're really just simmering and stirring while you catch up on a podcast.
02 -
  • Don't add the lemon juice too early or it can make the broth taste bitter and dull, stir it in at the very end for the freshest flavor.
  • If the couscous sits too long, it keeps absorbing liquid, so if you're making this ahead, store the couscous separately and add it when you reheat.
  • Taste the soup before you add the feta, because feta is salty and you might need less salt than you think.
03 -
  • If you want the couscous to stay a little firmer, cook it separately in salted water and stir it into individual bowls instead of the pot.
  • For a restaurant-quality finish, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over each bowl right before serving, it makes the soup taste richer and more luxurious.
  • If you're making this for someone who's gluten-free, swap the pearl couscous for white rice or orzo-shaped gluten-free pasta, just adjust the cooking time.
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