Chicken Quinoa Soup

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?

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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)