21DSD Recipe: Kale Pesto Chicken Soup from Grazed & Enthused

Hey folks! We're excited to share this recipe from Alaena Haber of Grazed & Enthused. This recipe fits perfectly in your 21DSD meal plan. Enjoy! – Diane and Team

One pot. Loads of mineral-rich leafy greens and herbs. Satiating protein and fat. Gut-healing bone broth. This is one of those recipes that packs in so much of the good stuff, you won’t miss the dairy or nuts found in traditional pesto dishes. It’s also AIP-friendly if you omit the ground cumin and black pepper, which I’ve added to the pesto and soup base for an increased depth of flavor to replace some of the earthiness of missing pine nuts.

Tender zucchini blended into enzyme-rich broth results in a creamy, almost cheesy base. From there you simply stir in the pre-cooked chicken, leafy greens and quick pesto sauce for a flavor bomb of a soup that will make you the envy of all within scent-shot of your lunch. Enjoy!

Kale Pesto Chicken Soup

grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • sugar-free • AIP

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 15-20 minutes
SERVINGS: 3-4

ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
• 2/3 cup chopped shallot
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 3 cups beef or chicken broth
• 1 ½ pounds cooked and chopped chicken breast*
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cups chopped kale leaves
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 recipe Kale Pesto (below)
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

* Need to save some time? You can buy a plain rotisserie chicken and chop up the chicken breast for easy prep rather than pre-cooking the chicken yourself. My favorite way to pre-cook chicken for soup is simply poaching it in water for 10 minutes until cooked through.

preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sautée zucchini, shallot and garlic with ¼ teaspoon sea salt for 8 minutes until the zucchini is browned and tender.

Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender with the remaining sea salt and broth. Blend until smooth. Transfer the soup base back to the saucepan.

Bring the soup to a simmer over medium low heat and stir in the chicken, cumin and kale leaves. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the kale is bright green and tender.

Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted. Stir in the pesto sauce and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Kale Pesto

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped kale leaves, packed
• 1 cup basil leaves, packed
• ¼ cup diced shallot
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

preparation:

In a food processor, process all ingredients except the olive oil until finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to incorporate into a pesto sauce. Set aside.

Alaena Haber is the author of the The Healing Kitchen and creator of the blog Grazed & Enthused. Alaena has used the autoimmune protocol and Paleo diet to restore her immune health and fertility since 2012. She works as a pediatric occupational therapist and is the mother of one well-fed little girl.