Mediterranean Chicken Soup recipe with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, artichoke hearts, olives, and more! Tender shredded chicken and big bold flavors make this hearty soup a flavorful, satiating delight!
For my fellow soup lovers, chicken soup just got a brand new glow up with all of the unsuspecting flavors.
A unique twist on classic chicken soup, this Mediterranean Chicken Soup recipe is bullish on flavor using briny ingredients like kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers.
It is just as easy to make as traditional chicken soup, but levels up the experience to overwhelm the taste buds in the best way possible.
Made with simple ingredients in under an hour, this satisfying meal is quick and easy enough to prepare on any busy weeknight and also makes a delicious meal prep recipe.
If you’re into Mediterranean flavors, also try my Mediterranean Ground Turkey or my Mediterranean Salmon.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this Mediterranean inspired soup.
Ingredients for Mediterranean Chicken Soup:
Avocado Oil: Used to brown the chicken and sauté the onion, we need a quality high temperature cooking oil. I recommend using avocado oil over olive oil because it doesn’t burn as easily.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Paramount in any flavorful soup recipe, we need onion and garlic as our backbone.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Bringing a big boost of protein and heartiness, boneless chicken thighs are one of the main ingredients. They bring richness to the soup and make it incredibly filling.
Artichoke Hearts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Capers, and Kalamata Olives: Our “Mediterranean” ingredients that give this chicken soup recipe a unique twist.
Chicken Broth: The liquid that makes our hearty soup a soup! I like using chicken bone broth for added collagen, but regular chicken stock works great too.
Brown Rice: Bringing some complex carbohydrates to the mix, brown rice completes the macronutrient profile.
Baby Spinach: Adds iron, Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to the meal to enhance the nutrients.
Italian Seasoning: Adds vibrant herby flavor to complete the flavor profile and make the soup taste like an Italian dream.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe Customizations:
- Omit the brown rice for a low carb grain-free soup. If you do so, you can reduce the amount of broth to 4 to 6 cups.
- Add in your favorite fresh vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, celery, etc.
- Swap out or omit any of the Mediterranean ingredients. Black olives or green olives work great as a replacement for kalamata.
- Toss in fresh herbs, like fresh parsley, fresh dill, fresh thyme, fresh basil, or fresh oregano. A couple of bay leaves work too.
- Swap out the raw chicken for rotisserie chicken to save time. Cook the soup for 20 minutes instead of 45 if you use pre-cooked chicken.
- Add one can of garbanzo beans or white beans if you’re all about legumes on your Mediterranean diet.
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken Soup:
Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes, until it becomes sizzling hot.
Carefully place the boneless skinless chicken thighs in the pot in a single layer and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden-brown. Use tongs to move the chicken to a plate and set aside (note: it does not need to be cooked through just yet).
Place the pot back on the stove top and add the chopped onions. Sauté the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the browned chicken back into the pot with the minced garlic, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, artichoke hearts, brown rice, broth, and Italian seasoning (everything expect for the spinach).
Give everything a big stir, cover the pot, and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a very gentle boil and cook for 45 minutes (note: if you have more time, feel free to cook longer).
Use tongs to move the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board and use two forks to shred them.
Transfer the shredded chicken back into the soup pot along with the chopped baby spinach. Continue cooking until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.
Taste the soup for flavor and season it to your personal taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Serve soup in big bowls alongside any side dishes you enjoy, such as crusty garlic bread, cornbread and butter, a side salad, etc. Serve with lemon wedges so that you can drizzle fresh lemon juice over the soup if desired.
Storage Options:
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Freeze soup double bagged in large zip lock bags or freezer bags for up to 2 months.
The next time you’re craving a chicken soup that goes long on flavor, whip up this easy recipe. It is the ultimate comfort food for winter and fall, and instantly became one of my favorite soups at first bite.
This delicious soup tastes even better the next day after it has had time to develop more dept of flavor. I love a small bowl for a light lunch, or a big bowl for a substantial dinner.
If you love making homemade soups, also try out some of my other favorite soup recipes.
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
- Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Sausage 15-Bean Soup
- Birria Soup with Vegetables
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Coconut Lime Fish Soup
- Chunky Tomato Soup
Big, bold flavors, here we come!
Mediterranean Chicken Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 6 artichoke hearts chopped
- ½ cup uncooked brown rice
- 8 cups (64oz) chicken broth
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 5 to 8 ounces baby spinach*
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes, until it becomes sizzling hot. Carefully place the boneless skinless chicken thighs in the pot in a single layer and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden-brown. Use tongs to move the chicken to a plate and set aside (note: it does not need to be cooked through just yet).
- Place the pot back on the stove top and add the chopped onions. Sauté the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer the browned chicken back into the pot with the minced garlic, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, artichoke hearts, brown rice, broth, and Italian seasoning (everything expect for the spinach). Give everything a big stir, cover the pot, and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a very gentle boil and cook for 45 minutes (note: if you have more time, feel free to cook longer). Use tongs to move the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board and use two forks to shred them. Transfer the shredded chicken back into the soup pot along with the chopped baby spinach. Continue cooking until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Taste the soup for flavor and season it to your personal taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Serve soup in big bowls alongside any side dishes you enjoy, such as crusty garlic bread, cornbread and butter, a side salad, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely! For the crock pot version, follow the first two instructions using a skillet and transfer all of the ingredients except for the spinach to your slow cooker.
Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours, or high heat for 4-6 hours. Shred the meat and add in the baby spinach before serving.
Yes! Feel free to use bone-in chicken thighs and follow the instructions the same. Just remember to remove the bones and skin before serving.
For the best results, stick with chicken thighs. While chicken breasts do work, they become dry and chalky relatively easily in soup recipes. Thighs are richer, more moist and tender.
Yes! Use 2 to 3 cups of cauliflower rice for a low carb soup. Or, use 1/2 cup of uncooked white rice or 2 to 3 cups of cooked white rice. If you use white rice, you won’t need to cook the soup as long.
When the recipe calls for sun dried tomatoes, do you use those in a jar – packed in oil or those in bags that are ‘dry’?
Hi Gloria! I use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and I drain the oil first. I find they are more flavorful than the ones that come in the bag, so it’s my personal preference. Nevertheless, the bagged dry version will work too although I don’t think they will produce as much flavor. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions, and happy cooking!
I love your recipes and this one is no exception! I added white beans and garbanzo beans. It’s so delicious AND nutritious.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it, Larissa! My husband just made a double batch for his own meal prep 😀 We love it in our household too!!