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    Home » Recipes » Soup Recipes

    Persian Lemon Chicken Soup

    Published: Jan 28, 2022 · Modified: Oct 30, 2022 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Have you ever had Persian dried lime? It creates the most fantastic citrus aroma that perfumes anything it is added to. This Persian lemon chicken soup is flavored simply with a few dried limes and earthy turmeric and is made abundant with rice and chickpeas.

    Persian lemon chicken soup is flavored with Persian dried lime and turmeric and full of basmati rice and chickpeas.

    Persian Lemon Chicken Soup

    This Persian chicken soup is my mom’s sisters recipe and since making it for the first time almost 10 years ago, has become a staple in our house. For years my mom would rave about this recipe and finally after a call to my Aunt (again, this was years ago) I was introduced to the bold and simple yet pronounced flavors of this soup.

    Persian Dried Lime AKA Lemon Omani

    Dried lime is a table in Persian cooking and I always make sure to have a bag of these flavor bombs at all times. Persian dried lime, also called lemon omani are small, hard limes that are hollow inside.

    Persian dried lime has an earthy and citrusy aroma and perfumes soups and stews with the same earthy and sour flavor. I love adding a few dried limes to my lemon matzo ball soup and it is a classic ingredient in the Persian beef stew called Ghormeh Sabzi.

    The dried limes stay hard as they simmer in whatever you are cooking, so be sure to remove them so you don't accidently bite into one. You can find Persian dried lime in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern stores and online.

    Persian lemon chicken soup is flavored with Persian dried lime and turmeric and full of basmati rice and chickpeas.

    Persian Soup Ingredients

    The ingredients in this turmeric lemon soup are simple and hearty. Feel free to swap as needed, such as all rice or all chickpeas or omit the chicken for a vegetarian chickpea soup.

    • Shredded Chicken: This is a great recipe to use leftover roasted chicken. Shred cooked chicken and discard any fat and skin before adding to soup.
    • Turmeric: Gives the soup a gorgeous golden hue and earthy flavor. Add a few cracks of black pepper to activate the lovely health properties that turmeric offers.
    • Dried Persian Lime: if you can't find dried lime, use a vegetable peeler and peel a few strips of lemon peel to steep in the soup.
    • Basmati Rice: India Gate Basmati rice is my absolutely favorite rice! I use it exclusively in when making Persian rice called Tahdig.
    • Chickpeas: For simplicity, I use rinsed canned chickpeas.
    • Other Options: a das of cinnamon or noodles instead of rice. Adding carrots and celery would be delicious too.

    More Persian Recipes:

    • Persian Jeweled Rice
    • Persian Doughnuts with Saffron
    • Adas Polow (Persian Rice with Lentils)

    Persian Lemon Chicken Soup

    Samantha Ferraro

    LittleFerraroKitchen.com

    Persian lemon chicken soup is flavored with Persian dried lime and turmeric and full of basmati rice and chickpeas.
    3.78 from 31 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Persian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 458 kcal

    Equipment

    Dutch Oven

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ yellow or white onion finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 5 cups low sodium chicken stock
    • 4 dried Persian limes
    • 2 tablespoons turmeric
    • 1 cup Basmati rice
    • 13 ounce can chickpeas rinsed
    • 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
    • Ground black pepper
    • Parsley leaves chopped, for garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a dutch oven to medium heat and drizzle olive oil and saute the chopped onion for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and saute for another minute.
    • Pour in chicken stock and add dried limes, turmeric, basmati rice and chickpeas and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
    • Add shredded chicken and continue to cook on low until chicken is warmed through.
    • Remove dried limes and discard before serving. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and ground black pepper.

    Notes

    This recipe has been updated to use leftover roasted chicken but you can also simmer raw chicken in the broth until cooked through, then shred and add back in with rice and chickpeas.
    As soup sits, rice may soak up broth, so feel free to add more broth as needed.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 458kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 23gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 377mgPotassium: 703mgFiber: 8gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 62IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword Persian chicken soup, Persian lemon chicken soup, Turmeric lemon chicken soup
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

    This post was originally published in April 2012 and has been updated in January, 2022 with easier instructions, retested recipe and updated photos.

    More Soup Recipes

    • Turkish lentil soup with rice, mint and lemon.
      Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Mint and Lemon (Mercimek Çorbasi)
    • French Onion Soup with Challah Croutons
    • Lemon Saffron Matzo Ball Soup
    • Creamy roasted tomato soup with cheesy matzo balls full of ricotta and Parmesan. It's the best of both cultures!
      Roasted Tomato Soup with Ricotta Parmesan Matzo Balls

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. barbara Giacometti says

      October 23, 2013 at 10:43 am

      5 stars
      So excited for you. This recipe sounds great and right up my alley too! Can't wait to try!
      Hey, I need an update too! Please send me an email with her contact. Thanks dear! Saluti! barbara

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        October 23, 2013 at 11:24 am

        The girl who did my blog is Kita from Pass the Sushi!!

        Reply
    2. Amanda says

      December 06, 2013 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      I tried this and it turned out bitter? Any idea where I could have gone wrong?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        December 07, 2013 at 3:32 pm

        Hi Amanda! Did you use the dried lemons? To be honest, that is an acquired taste, I suggest next time using less lemon and adding more water or stock to mellow it out.

        Reply
    3. Chrissy says

      October 31, 2014 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      Hi! I notice the photo is of dried limes. Is that a mistake, or did you use those in this recipe instead of dried lemons?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        November 02, 2014 at 7:13 am

        I think it is the same thing. That's all they had in the store and thats what my Aunt told me to get lol

        Reply
    4. Ivonne says

      February 13, 2017 at 5:27 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe, my mate is persian and I'm always looking for delicious Persian dishes for him. Hopefully this turns out good I been trying to learn to make this dish n finally found it here!

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        February 14, 2017 at 8:47 am

        wonderful! I hope he enjoys it..Persian food is beautiful!

        Reply
    5. Patrick Keller says

      May 23, 2017 at 11:46 pm

      5 stars
      I really enjoyed th recipe. it was very special and will definitely be on my next meal plan. I really like your blog in general. Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Sara Goverman says

      January 31, 2022 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      Is there a substitute for Persian dried limes?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        January 31, 2022 at 5:36 pm

        You can use a vegetable peeler and peel strips of lemon peel to steep in the broth. Not exactly the same, but will offer a nice lemon aroma.

        Reply
    7. Suzi says

      February 01, 2022 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      I have made several of your recipes and really like them. I am not a fan of dried limes, you suggested using lemon peel. What do you think about dried makrut lime leaves as a sub?

      Reply
      • Samantha says

        February 03, 2022 at 10:40 am

        Hi Suzi! I'm not sure if that is ground or in leaves, if leaves I would suggest starting with 2? And if ground, 1/4 teaspoon. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    8. Thomas says

      February 03, 2023 at 3:36 pm

      4 stars
      Dude, that’s a lot of turmeric. I used one teaspoon and it was fine. Plus, most people don’t know how to cook with Persian limes. You have to tell them to cut a slit in each one and press it gently to release the flavors while it’s cooking. There’s no substitute for that ingredient so just tell them please. Anyone can buy them on Amazon. I poached my chicken breast in the chickpea and chicken stock, because nobody should be reheating chicken. Otherwise, solid recipe suggestions. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Samantha Ferraro says

        February 03, 2023 at 3:55 pm

        Hi Thomas, Yup it's a good amount of turmeric. It seems to work for the amount of stock, I will add a note to start with a smaller amount then add up to taste, that makes less better if the person doing the cooking wants. Yes, scoring the limes is great. I found mine at a store in Socal but here in the PNW Amazon is the best spot for just about every ingredient. Thank you Thomas so much for the great feedback. Samantha

        Reply

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