Creamy Chicken and Couscous Soup with Garlic Toasts

By Klainanutshell

Ingredients

• Four 1/2-inch-thick slices italian bread
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 2 cloves garlic, 1 halved and 1 thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
• 1/2 cup couscous
• Grated peel and juice of 2 lemons
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 40mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; brush with olive oil and broil, turning once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Rub the toasts with the cut side of the halved garlic.

2. In a dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add to the pot and cook, turning once, until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.

3. Add the sliced garlic to the pot and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until lightly golden, 10 to 15 seconds. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water and the chicken and bring to a simmer; transfer the chicken back to the plate. Add the couscous and lemon peel to the pot, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and return to the soup along with any juices.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot soup into the egg mixture, then stir the egg mixture into the soup (the soup will thicken immediately). Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Wrap fresh bread in plastic and freeze; thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Slice the garlic clove used to rub the toasts and add to the soup. Skip the oven and toast the bread in a toaster oven or skillet