This creamy chicken and pearl couscous is rich, hearty, and made for cold days when you want something that sticks to your ribs.
A whole chicken simmers low and slow with aromatics to create a rich, savory homemade broth. The chicken is shredded and returned to the pot, along with root vegetables, tender potatoes, and pearl couscous, which thickens the soup as it cooks. I finish it with heavy cream, parsley, and lemon juice to create the ultimate trifecta of decadence with just a little bit of herby brightness.
This one-pot meal is the perfect weekend cooking project, giving you enough for eight big servings. It’s perfect for a big family dinner or meal-prepping your lunches for the rest of the week.
How to make creamy chicken and pearl couscous
This recipe is cooked in stages, but each step builds flavor, and nothing is overly complicated. You’ll start by making a simple homemade chicken broth with a whole chicken, then turn it into a creamy, vegetable-packed soup that eats like a stew.
What you need
- Whole chicken: You’re making your own broth and shredded chicken in one go
- Broth aromatics: Onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves
- Soup vegetables: Onion, celery, carrots, parsnips, Yukon gold potatoes
- Herbes de Provence: Adds warmth and subtle herbal flavor
- Pearl couscous: Makes the stew extra thick and hearty; feel free to replace it with 1 cup of white rice if preferred.
- Heavy cream: Adds an extra layer of decadence
- Parsley and lemon: For freshness and balance
How to make it
Step 1: Prepare the chicken broth:
Place the whole chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Add celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook partially covered for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Step 2: Remove and shred the chicken:
Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl and simmer the broth uncovered to reduce slightly. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred or chop the meat.
Step 3: Strain the stock:
Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the spent vegetables. Mash the softened garlic cloves into a paste and set aside.
Step 4: Start the soup:
Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and parsnips in olive oil until softened. Add herbes de Provence, potatoes, and mashed garlic.
Step 5: Simmer the soup:
Pour the reserved stock back into the pot, add the shredded chicken, and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Step 6: Cook the pearl couscous:
Add pearl couscous and heavy cream. Simmer until the couscous is tender and the soup thickens into a stew-like consistency.
Step 7: Finish the stew:
Stir in parsley and lemon juice, then taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Can I use a rotisserie chicken instead of a whole chicken?
Yes. To save time, you can substitute a large rotisserie chicken plus 12 cups of store-bought chicken broth. Shred the chicken and add it when the recipe calls for returning the cooked chicken to the pot.
For the best flavor, use Better Than Bouillon chicken base mixed with water rather than boxed broth. It delivers a richer, more concentrated chicken flavor that holds up well once the pearl couscous and vegetables absorb the liquid. Start with slightly less than the package recommendation, then adjust seasoning as the soup simmers.
Keep in mind that rotisserie chickens are already seasoned, so taste before adding additional salt later in the recipe.
FAQ
Can I use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken?
Yes. Use about 2½ to 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on thighs. Keep in mind that this will result in a fattier broth, so you may need to skim off a decent amount of excess fat as the soup simmers.
Is this soup very thick?
Yes, this recipe is more of a stew. If you prefer a thinner soup, add additional stock or water when reheating.
Can I substitute the pearl couscous?
Orzo works well as a substitute, but the cook time may be slightly shorter. You can also use white rice, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time.
Creamy Chicken and Pearl Couscous
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken broth:
- 4½ pound whole chicken (neck and giblets reserved for another use)
- 12 to 16 cups water ( enough to cover the chicken)
- 3 ribs celery (with leaves, rinsed)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and quartered)
- 1 head garlic (top cut off)
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt
Stew:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
- 4 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
- ¾ pound carrots (peeled and cut into rounds)
- ½ pound parsnips (peeled and cut into rounds)
- 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
- 1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cut into large cubes)
- 1½ cups pearl couscous (uncooked)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parsley (loosely packed and minced; plus more for serving)
- 1 lemon (juiced; yielding about 2 tablespoons juice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the chicken broth:
- Place the chicken in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Cover with 12 to 16 cups of water until mostly submerged. It’s okay if a bit of the breast is exposed. Add the celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes. Skim the top to remove foam or scum periodically.
- Remove the lid. Use tongs to carefully lift the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a large bowl.
- Turn the heat on the pot to medium and rapidly simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce the liquid.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pick the meat from the bones. Reserve the bones and skin for stock, if desired. Shred or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Strain the stock:
- Scoop out the head of garlic and transfer it to a small bowl. Turn off the heat and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Discard the spent aromatics. You should have about 12 cups of stock. It’s okay if you have a little more or less. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.
- Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, pop the cloves from the paper and mash them into a paste. Set aside.
Make the stew:
- In the pot, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, carrots, and parsnips. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the herbes de Provence to the vegetables and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the potatoes and mashed garlic and season with a pinch of salt.
Simmer the stew:
- Pour the reserved stock over the vegetables and bring to a boil. Add the shredded chicken. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Skim off any excess fat from the top of the broth as it simmers.
Cook the pearl couscous:
- Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn the heat to medium. Once the liquid begins to bubble, add the pearl couscous and heavy cream. Simmer over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until the pearl couscous is very tender. It will absorb much of the liquid, and the stew will be thick! Taste and season one more time.
Finish the stew:
- Add the minced parsley and lemon juice to the pot. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Ladle the stew into bowls and finish with more minced parsley. Enjoy!
A question – if I go the rotisserie chicken/broth route, how much fresh garlic should I add to the stew in lieu of the head of previously-stewed garlic?
Thanks!
4 to 6 cloves depending on preference!