Chicken Quinoa Soup, I have found, is the perfect compromise between chicken soup and staying low carb! Lately, I have missed many of my old recipes- despite the high calorie count and especially because of the amount of carbs! Being low carb has reduced my epilepsy triggered migraines and has helped me lose weight. In December, I went back on a diet that was akin to the keto diet. The keto diet is simply low carb and high protein and healthy fats. My goal is to reasonably stay below 90 g of carbs a day, and keep my protein and fat macronutrients roughy twice that amount.
Why Quinoa for Chicken Soup?
- Quinoa seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B Vitamins and more! For epilepsy and migraines, Vitamin B12 is very helpful. There are 5 grams of protein per 1/4 cup of dry quinoa.
- Penne Pasta Can’t Be Justified for My Diet– I typically use penne pasta for my chicken soup, and while that contains 7 g per 1/2 cup, 42 g of carbs doesn’t justify for me.
- Not all Calories are Created Equal– Penne pasta has 200 calories per 1/2 cup, quinoa has 160 calories, and quinoa keeps you fuller longer.
Comparing Grains Per Serving
- Pasta 2 oz (1/2 cup dry) 42 g of carbs
- Dry Rice 1/2 cup 38 g carbs
- Quinoa 1/4 cup dry 34 g carbs

Why Chicken Quinoa Soup?
Since not all calories are created equal, 2 TBS of dry quinoa is actually enough to fill you (1/2 serving of quinoa). Assuming you are eating 2 TBS of quinoa in the chicken quinoa soup, that is 1/2 the serving of quinoa. When you make pasta, you usually eat the full 2 oz of dry pasta. So think: 200 calories of pasta (in addition to the rest of the soup) versus 80 calories.

Recipe for Chicken Quinoa Soup
Surprise! 1 cup of this chicken soup is only 127 calories with 13 g of carbs and 6 g of protein.
Ingredients
- 3 celery sticks
- 2 carrot sticks
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 chicken breast
- 1/2 table spoon salt
- 1/2 table spoon
- 1 table spoon basil
- 1 table spoon parsley
- 1 table spoon oregano
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 cup beef broth (fresh or store bought)
- 2 cup chicken broth (fresh with my recipe or store bought)

Directions
- Rinse 1/2 cup quinoa in a sifter
- Place quinoa in a bowl and coat with 2 TBS olive oil, set aside
- Combine beef and chicken broth in a medium sized bowl
- Shred chicken, add to pot
- Clean and chop carrots and celery, add to pot
- Chop onion, add to pot
- Mince garlic, add to pot
- Add quinoa to pot
- Combine and add seasoning blend
- Bring to boil and cook until vegetables are tender and the quinoa looks like it has “popped”- Cook time is generally 45-60 minutes
- Remove from heat and enjoy!

Nutrition Information for Chicken Quinoa Soup
- This Recipe with Pasta: 17 g carbs
- This Recipe with Quinoa: 13 g carbs
- This Recipe with Rice:
- This Recipe with NO GRAINS: 4.5 g carbs (95 calories)


Chicken Quinoa Soup
Ingredients
- 3 celery sticks
- 2 carrot sticks
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 chicken breast
- 1/2 table spoon salt
- 1/2 table spoon
- 1 table spoon basil
- 1 table spoon parsley
- 1 table spoon oregano
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 cup beef broth
- 2 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse 1/2 cup quinoa in a sifter
- Place quinoa in a bowl and coat with 2 TBS olive oil, set aside
- Combine beef and chicken broth in a medium sized bowl
- Shred chicken, add to pot
- Clean and chop carrots and celery, add to pot
- Chop onion, add to pot
- Mince garlic, add to pot
- Add quinoa to pot
- Combine and add seasoning blend
- Bring to boil and cook until vegetables are tender and the quinoa looks like it has “popped”- Cook time is generally 45-60 minutes
- Remove from heat and enjoy!
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