Golden Autumn Chicken Soup with Bok Choy, Fusilloni & Lemon
Kitchen Alchemy | Scheerwonder Living
A cozy, nourishing chicken soup with warm spices, tender vegetables, hearty Italian pasta, and a bright finish of fresh lemon.
Sometimes the best recipes aren't planned. They simply unfold.
On a chilly October evening at the Tree House, I set out to make a simple pot of chicken noodle soup. But as I gathered my ingredients, inspiration took over.
There was a beautiful bunch of bok choy waiting to be used, some special Italian pasta I'd picked up on sale, and a fresh lemon that seemed like the perfect finishing touch.
Instead of my usual chicken noodle soup, I decided to sauté the vegetables, add my favorite combination of cumin and turmeric, and build a rich, golden broth.
The result was something a little different: a hearty, colorful autumn soup filled with tender chicken, fresh greens, rustic pasta, and just enough lemon to brighten all those warm, savory flavors.
A little freshly shredded Parmesan Romano and warm, buttered artisan bread made it a wonderfully comforting dinner.
And just like that, an ordinary chicken noodle soup became a little Kitchen Alchemy.
Ingredients
Servings: Approximately 4–6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30–35 minutes
For the soup
1–2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
2–3 cups chopped bok choy, stems and leaves separated
4–6 cups chicken broth, prepared with chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
For serving
1–1½ cups dry Barilla Al Bronzo Fusilloni pasta, or another hearty pasta
Freshly shredded Parmesan Romano cheese
Fresh lemon wedges
Warm, buttered artisan bread
Instructions
1. Build the flavor
In a large soup pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and chopped white stems of the bok choy.
Sauté for approximately 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent and the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the minced garlic, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper. Stir for another 30–60 seconds, allowing the spices to become fragrant.
2. Add the chicken
Add the cubed chicken breasts to the vegetables.
Cook for approximately 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken begins turning white on the outside.
The chicken will finish cooking in the broth.
3. Create the golden broth
Pour in the prepared chicken broth and stir to combine.
Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the carrots are tender.
Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings as desired.
4. Prepare the pasta
While the soup simmers, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the fusilloni and cook according to the package directions, approximately 11–13 minutes, until tender but still slightly firm.
Drain and set aside.
Cooking the pasta separately keeps it from absorbing too much broth, especially when saving soup for leftovers.
5. Add the bok choy greens
During the final 2–3 minutes of simmering, add the chopped green leaves of the bok choy.
Stir gently until the leaves wilt and become tender.
6. Finish with fresh lemon
Remove the soup from the heat.
Add 1–2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, starting with a small amount and tasting as you go.
The lemon should brighten the broth without overpowering the warmth of the cumin and turmeric.
7. Serve and enjoy
Place a generous portion of cooked fusilloni in each soup bowl.
Ladle the golden chicken and vegetable soup over the pasta.
Top with freshly shredded Parmesan Romano cheese and serve with an additional lemon wedge.
Accompany with warm, buttered artisan sourdough bread for dipping.
A Little Kitchen Alchemy
Make it your own. This soup is wonderfully adaptable. Substitute spinach or Swiss chard for the bok choy, use traditional egg noodles instead of fusilloni, or add a pinch more cumin for a deeper, earthier flavor.
Keep your leftovers delicious. Store the soup and pasta separately in the refrigerator in covered containers. Enjoy within 3–4 days, reheating the soup thoroughly before serving.
Don't skip the lemon. That little squeeze of citrus at the end brings the warm spices, vegetables, and savory chicken broth together beautifully.
A note about the bread: A crusty artisan loaf, sliced, tucked with pats of butter, wrapped in foil, and warmed in the oven makes the perfect accompaniment.
From the Tree House Kitchen
The art of everyday enchantment often begins with something simple: a pot of soup, a few ingredients waiting to be used, and the willingness to follow a little inspiration.
Scheerwonder Living — The Art of Everyday Enchantment