Chicken Piccata Soup Recipe: Easy Homemade Camp Meal
Get delicious Italian dish flavors made with simple ingredients in this easy Chicken Piccata Soup Recipe. This is one of those easy camping meals you should try the next time you want a warm soup with bright, fresh flavors.
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Recipe Prep
You’ll cut chicken pieces into 1/2 inch cubes, you can use boneless skinless breast fillets or chicken cutlets. If you don’t like dealing with raw chicken at camp, just cube the meat at home and freeze it in a Ziploc bag. Then, just defrost at camp to quickly use it when you’re ready to cook.
You’ll mince 4 cloves of garlic and a little onion (I don’t recommend substituting garlic powder or onion powder because you really need the fresh flavors in this soup.) If you like a milder garlic flavor, replace the garlic with shallots.
Break pasta into 2-inch pieces. Slice some red and yellow bell peppers and chop a little fresh parsley.
Methods & Equipment
I use my 12-inch Dutch oven to make this soup but you can use any type of large pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- If you are making this as one of our easy campfire recipes, you’ll need to get your fire going in order to cook over hot coals.
- You can also make this as one of our camp stove recipes so get your stove ready for cooking on a level surface.
Recipe Steps
Step 1. Prepare your ingredients, heat source and equipment as directed.
Step 2. Heat pan and oil. Heat olive or vegetable oil in a 12-inch Dutch oven or deep large skillet over medium heat.
Hand Test For Cooking Temperatures
You don’t need a thermometer to determine the temperature of your heat source for cooking. Here are steps for the “hand test”.
- Hold the palm of your hand about 5 inches above the heat source (campfire coals, charcoal briquettes, propane grill etc.) you’re using for cooking. (Make sure nothing is flammable, like clothing or jewelry.)
- Pull your hand away from the heat before it hurts and note how many seconds have passed. Example: 6-7 seconds = medium heat.
Heat Level | Temperature Range | Time |
High Heat | 450-550°F (230-290C) | 2-4 seconds |
Medium-High | 375-450°F (190-230C) | 5 seconds |
Medium Heat | 350-375°F (175-190C) | 6-7 seconds |
Low-Medium | 325-350°F (160-175C) | 8 seconds |
Low Heat | 250-325°F (120-160C) | 9-10 seconds |
Step 3. Brown chicken. Place the pieces of chicken into the pot and sauté them on all sides, about 4 minutes.
Step 4. Add aromatics. Add garlic and onion to the pot with the browned chicken and cook until chicken is done. You can’t really use a meat thermometer with small pieces, cook until the meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. If you’re not sure when the chicken is done, take one of the largest cubes out of the pot, set on a piece of paper towel and cut it open, the juices should run clear.
Step 5. Add broth. Pour the chicken broth into the pot and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Step 6. Bring to simmer. Place the lid on the pot, increase temperature to bring liquid to a simmer.
Step 7. Add pasta. This is a simple way to cook pasta, right in the broth! Drop the pasta into the chicken soup. You want the pot to simmer, uncovered, until the pasta is tender. The cooking time should only be about 5 minutes.
Step 8. Add the briny flavor ingredients. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the capers, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add a little kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Step 9. Garnish and serve. Ladle into bowls, top with bell peppers, parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve hot.
Variations
This has a chicken noodle soup type of consistency, you can make the broth thicker by adding a little cornstarch or flour.
If you prefer a creamy chicken piccata lemon caper sauce consistency, substitute 1 cup heavy cream for 1 cup chicken broth. If you’re using some cream in place of the chicken broth, wait to add the cream once the pot is pulled off the heat.
Pairings
If you’re looking for camping dinner recipes that are on the lighter side, this is a nice main dish when served with a little garlic bread and maybe simple side salads.
If you want to serve this as a starter, this Dutch Oven Lemon Chicken would be a great main dish. Chicken thighs and potatoes have a delicious flavor after being cooked with lemon slices, onion, garlic and rosemary. A side of green beans is the perfect finishing touch. I like to serve a nice glass of white wine to round out one pot camping meals with fresh crisp flavors.
If you want an Italian restaurant quality pasta meal that is a really easy recipe, try this Pesto Tortellini Bake Freezer Meal. The first time I made it, my family could not stop eating it! You use pre-cooked meat, like grilled or rotisserie chicken, packaged tortellini and prepared Italian seasoning sauces. Combine everything at home, freeze flat in a Ziploc freezer bag so you just defrost, dump and bake at the campsite. It’s just one of my make ahead camping meals.
Meal Planning
Use my camping menu planner to stay organized when planning meals for your next trip. It’s FREE and you’ll get it delivered instantly to your inbox!
Scaling Servings
If you want to feed more people, just use the button in the recipe card to increase the number of servings you need. The ingredient quantities will be recalculated for you. Depending on the size of your crowd, you may need to increase the size of the pot and extend cooking times.
Leftovers
Let leftovers cool, then, store in an airtight container in a refrigerator or cooler. For up to 3-4 days.
Similar Recipes
Looking for more soup-ish Dutch oven camping recipes? We’ve got some really delicious recipes when you want soup, stew or chili.
Hearty soups make wonderful winter camping recipes. The spicy Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, spinach and heavy cream make this Hot Italian Sausage Camping Soup a real crowd-pleaser.
The Tex-Mex flavors in this Cowboy Soup come from ground beef, potatoes, different types of beans, veggies and a simple homemade spice mix. This is one of those great recipes that is a cross between a soup and a chili.
This Dutch Oven White Chicken Chili starts with cubed chicken meat, adds an easy homemade spice mix, beans, cheese and broth to make delicious flavors. The secret thickening ingredient is actually cream cheese.
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Chicken Piccata Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 12-Inch, 6 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (or similar sized pot with tight-fitting lid)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 small onion minced
- 4 cups chicken broth (this is a 32 oz carton)
- 4 ounces angel hair pasta broken into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- 1 large lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional Toppings For Serving
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced into thin strips, about 1-inch long
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced into thin strips, about 1-inch long
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley chopped
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch Dutch oven or deep large skillet over medium heat.
- Place chicken into the pot and sauté until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and onion to the chicken and continue cooking until the thickest piece of chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes
- Pour chicken broth into the pot and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet or Dutch oven.
- Cover with lid and increase temperature to medium-high heat to bring liquid to a simmer.
- Add pasta pieces to pan. Stir and bring back to a simmer, uncovered, then continue cooking until the pasta is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in capers, lemon juice and lemon zest. (Use zester to add lemon zest into the pot, then, squeeze the fresh lemon juice into the pot.) Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
- Top with bell peppers, parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
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