Greek Chicken Pearl Couscous (Printer-Friendly)

Tender chicken and pearl couscous combine with lemon and feta for a comforting Mediterranean dish.

# What You 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 Cook:

01 - In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, cooking for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and add bay leaf. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add chicken breasts to the pot and simmer for 12-15 minutes until chicken is fully 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. Top each serving with crumbled feta and fresh dill. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for nights when you need comfort without the fuss.
  • The lemon and feta create this unexpected brightness that makes you forget you're eating something so straightforward.
  • Pearl couscous has this gentle, almost creamy texture that feels luxurious but costs pennies compared to fancy pasta.
02 -
  • Do not let the broth boil hard once the chicken is in, or you'll end up with tough, stringy pieces that feel wrong in your mouth instead of tender and silky.
  • The lemon juice must go in at the end after everything else is cooked, otherwise the heat will cook away those fresh, bright notes you're trying to preserve.
03 -
  • Buy a block of feta and crumble it by hand, the irregular pieces melt into the hot soup in a way that pre-crumbled versions never quite manage.
  • Make this soup a day ahead and refrigerate it, the flavors deepen and become more connected overnight, and reheating gently on the stove brings everything back to life.
Go Back