Recipe: Protein-Packed Chicken and Asparagus Summer Soup

Protein-Packed Chicken and Asparagus Summer Soup | Photo by Becca Boyd

This is one of the freshest tasting soups I’ve had in a long time. With spicy radish and bright lemon, not to mention the seasonal asparagus, sipping on this soup is probably the closest I’ll ever get to doing a “cleanse.” And, speaking of cleanses, have you heard that souping is the new juicing? This is a trend I can get on board with. But question: What does the health industry have against chewing? Me, I love to chew.

This soup is high in protein thanks to the white beans and chicken, but not in calories — the sort of meal I might eat daily leading up to a “tight dress” sort of event. AND you still get to chew while eating it. Win-win.

Recipe: Chicken and Asparagus Summer Soup
Serves 4

6 c. chicken broth
2 chicken breast
2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
1 c. thinly sliced radishes
1 (15-oz.) can small white beans, drained and rinsed well
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
Salt to taste
Parmesan cheese, for topping

Method

1. Heat chicken broth in a pot or dutch oven until simmering. Add chicken and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer gently for 10 minutes or until mostly cooked through.
2. Remove chicken from broth and add asparagus and radishes. Bring broth back to a simmer and cook until tender, five minutes.
3. When chicken is cool enough to handle, chop. Add chicken back to pot along with beans. Stir until heated through.
4. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, basil and salt to taste. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Per serving, accounting for 4 servings: 479 calories, 5.9 fat grams, 1270 milligrams sodium, 2189 milligrams potassium, 52.4 grams carbs, 14.4 grams dietary fiber, 5.3 grams sugar, 55.3 grams protein.

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Becca Boyd is a wife and mom who creates healthy and delicious recipes in her West Chester kitchen. She blogs about them on her website, Home Beccanomics.

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