Homemade Chickarina Soup is comforting and nourishing chicken meatball soup made with soft pearl couscous, veggies and flavorful broth. Enjoy the amazing comfort of this homemade version of the Progresso's canned soup.
I don’t know what it is about homemade chicken soup but it just hits the spot every. Single. Time. Especially when you’re sick/ cold/ sad/ lonely/ depressed or all of the above.
I’ve already shared two chicken soup recipes on the blog before: my family’s recipe for Polish Chicken Noodle Soup and this rich Chicken Bone Broth Soup. Both are absolutely delicious!
Today I’m sharing a chicken soup that is my kids’ favorite: Chickarina Soup, or chicken meatball soup. This recipe is inspired by Progresso’s canned Chickarina Soup which features mini meatballs, white chicken meat and pearl couscous.
My homemade Chickarina Soup recipe is way healthier, tastier and made with high quality ingredients. I dropped the cooked chicken meat because our family is partial to meatballs only but if you prefer, you can add some leftover rotisserie chicken meat, too.
Make sure to also try these Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs for another great ground chicken recipe.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Hearty soup that's healthy and nourishing
- Easy comfort food in a bowl
- Fun to eat
- Perfect on a cold day
- Kid-friendly
- A complete meal – you get lean protein from the chicken and broth, carbs from the couscous, fiber and vitamins from the veggies and healthy fat from olive oil.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground Chicken: use good quality lean ground chicken. If you can't find any at your local grocery store, you can grind your own meat (use boneless skinless chicken thighs). Ground turkey will also work in this soup, especially ground turkey breast
- Chicken Broth: for best flavor results use the best quality chicken broth you can find, homemade or store bought. I like Organic Chicken Broth from Pacific Foods
- Carrot and Celery: dice them small
- Pearl Couscous: also known as Israeli couscous or pasta pearls. It's essentially small round pasta, similar to orzo.
- Breadcrumbs: plain, seasoned or panko breadcrumbs will all work
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: for the meatballs. Swap it for pecorino romano or skip it all together.
- Fresh Parsley: added both to the meatballs and as garnish, fresh parsley adds freshness and color that you won’t want to skip
- Onion: yellow onion will work, but so will white or sweet onion
- Garlic: fresh is best
- Olive Oil: extra virgin olive oil adds a dose of healthy fat and color to the soup. If you prefer, you can swap it for other plant oil (avocado, sunflower or canola oil) or butter.
- Nutritional Yeast: this is optional but I highly recommend adding yeast to the soup, as it adds great umami flavor and nice deep yellow color to the soup
- Salt and Black Pepper: to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make chicken meatballs. In a medium mixing bowl add ground chicken meat, one egg, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, salt and pepper (Images 1 & 2). Mix with a spoon or with clean hands until just combined. Don’t overmix.
Step 2: Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the meat mixture into small balls, the size of walnuts (Images 3 & 4). Roll with your fingers and place on a parchment paper or aluminum foil lined baking tray. Place in the fridge until ready to cook.
Step 3: Heat a little olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a large pot. Add diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté on medium heat, stirring often until softened, 5-7 minutes (Image 5). Add minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring.
Step 3: Add chicken broth and onion powder. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to medium low (Image 6).
Step 4: Add pearl couscous and carefully drop the meatballs in the soup with a spoon, one by one (Image 7). Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the couscous is soft.
Step 5: Stir in nutritional yeas and fresh parsley (Image 8). Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: If the soup is too thick for you, add a cup of chicken broth (or water if the soup seems salty – it will depend on the kind of broth you use).
Step 6: Serve immediately and enjoy!
Stoarge and freezing suggestions
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the frdge before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.
What to serve with Homemade Chickarina Soup
- Salad: a smple green salad with homemade vinaigrette is a great side for this soup. If you want a more substantial salad, try this Greek Chickpea Salad or La Scala Chopped Salad.
- Bread: soft dinner rolls, baguette, a thick slice of crusty sourdough or homemade biscuits will all go great with this soup.
- Veggie sides: if you want to incorporate more vegetables in your daily diet, serve the soup with some delicious warm veggie sides such as Sautéed Delicata Squash, Air Fryer Eggplant or this Roasted Beet Salad with Tahini Dressing.
More expert tips
- Keep the meatballs small. Rolling tiny meatballs is a bit more work but since soup is meant to be eaten with a spoon, make the meatballs bite-sized, no larger than a walnut
- Use REALLY good quality chicken broth
- Don’t skip the nutritional yeast - it adds a great deal of umami flavor to the soup
- Add fresh herbs. Parsley leaves are my top choice for chicken soup, but if you don’t have any, dill or chives will work fine, too. Dried parsley will also work, especially in meatballs
- Adjust the thickness to your preferences. This soup is thick and chunky, thanks to the pasta, veggies and meatballs. If you prefer brothier soup, thin it out with more broth or water at the end. Always taste and season, as needed, especially if you’re adding more liquid.
- If you want to add some dark leafy greens to the soup (like in Italian Wedding Soup), you absolutely can! Spinach or kale will work great.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I like chicken best but not all grocery stores carry it. Ground turkey or ground turkey breast are the be best substitute. You can also make this recipe with ground beef.
Yes. The best way to do so is to make more meatballs or add some chopped up leftover chicken meat.
Technically yes but regular couscous has very different texture and flavor than pearl couscous. Instead, go with pastina pasta or another small pasta (see below).
Any small pasta of your choice will be great. I’d go for orzo or acini de pepe. Check out this list of Best Orzo Substitutes for some more ideas, including gluten free and whole grain options.
Yes! To make it paleo friendly, swap couscous for cauliflower rice and breadcrumbs for almond flour. Check out my Paleo and Whole30 Recipes for more low-carb ideas.
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Recipe
Homemade Chickarina Soup
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 tablespoon parmesan or pecorino romano cheese grated
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs plain or seasoned
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves chopped
Chickarina Soup
- ¾ cup pearl couscous
- 1 onion diced
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon parsley leaves chopped, as garnish
Instructions
- Make the meatballs by combining ground chicken meat, an egg, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Mix it up with a spoon or your hands until just combined—no need to overmix.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to shape the mixture into small balls, about the size of large cherries. Roll them with your fingers and pop them on a parchment-paper-lined baking tray. Place the meatballs in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Heat up some olive oil in a big Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot. Toss in chopped onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté over medium heat until they're nice and softened. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring.
- Pour in chicken broth, add bay leaf and sprinkle in garlic poder powder. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low.
- Add pearl couscous and gently drop the meatballs into the soup, one by one, using a spoon. Partially cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, and the couscous is soft.
- Mix in nutritional yeast and fresh parsley. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Remov the bay leaf.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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