Plonk yourself anywhere in the world, and you won’t be far from a steaming bowl of soup. And just about anywhere you go, you’ll find chicken soup — thrifty, cozy, adaptable, delicious chicken soup. But while itap an always reliable meal, there’s no reason it can’t also be exciting. Push your next pot beyond chicken and broth with these seven simple upgrades.
Add Dried Herbs and Spices
Build flavor from the start by sizzling dried herbs and spices in oil. Just a minute or two unlocks their full potential and helps them travel through the soup. As for what to use, sift through your jars and see what appeals. You can lean any way you’d like: Go earthy with turmeric, paprika and annatto seeds, as in Ham El-Waylly’s locro de gallina, or herbaceous with dried rosemary, oregano and crushed red pepper, as in Sarah DiGregorio’s lemony Greek chicken, spinach and potato stew.
Use Broth Instead of Water
Have you ever had a bowl of pasta cooked in chicken broth? That simple soup shows you how a little broth can do so much. Using store-bought or homemade broth instead of water ensures your soup will be savory and chickeny, no matter how little time it simmers or what else is in the soup.
Switch Up the Vegetables
Vegetables are typically used in soup in two ways: in small bits, cooked to build the foundation (your garlic and onions), and in larger chunks, to bulk it up. Both ways let you use up whatever vegetables or fresh aromatics you have on hand: ginger, lemongrass, chiles, mushrooms, radishes, squash. The list goes on, so get going.
Throw a Bay Leaf Into the Pot
Chicken soup is all about soothing, and a bay leaf (or two) can help with that. The slender leaf’s soft-spoken herbiness isn’t as bold as rosemary or oregano — rather, it slips into the background. Think of it as more like some cooked-down onion than an herb: You’ll notice it isn’t there, even if you can’t pinpoint what exactly is missing.
Use Cooked Chicken
Chicken soup can be a long game (starting with a whole chicken, simmering it for hours and hours) or it can be hungry-right-this-second fast. If a speedy soup is whatap on the menu, use store-bought broth (see above) and cooked chicken. Cubed or shredded from a rotisserie or leftovers, it needs just three to five minutes in the soup to reheat. Any longer, and it can become tough.
Swirl In a Pat of Butter
On days that call for a bit of softness, or when a soup seems thin or otherwise lacking, stir in a pat of butter to the finished soup. It will melt into the broth, adding richness, body and a velvet sheen (much like it does in a pan sauce). The fat contributes a subtle creaminess without being heavy.
Finish It With Chopped Herbs
Just as a splash of vinegar enhances chili, fresh herbs bring out the best of chicken soup’s soft, simmered flavors. Add finely chopped soft-stem herbs like cilantro, dill, parsley or chives at the end so their flavors stay bright. And you bought a whole bunch, so be generous: Use around a third of a cup, or even up to a full cup.
Avgolemono Chicken Soup With Gnocchi
This no-fuss, one-pot recipe is inspired by avgolemono soup, a traditional Greek rice soup prized for its silky texture and bright flavor, thanks to egg yolks and an invigorating dose of lemon. This soup achieves similar results while replacing the rice with store-bought gnocchi for a heartier take and a texture boost. The approach is simple: Simmer rotisserie chicken with stock, lemon zest and gnocchi, then thicken the soup with egg yolks and lemon juice. To prevent the eggs from curdling in the soup, you’ll want to first temper them by whisking some of the warm stock into the egg yolks before stirring the mixture back into the soup. Finish everything with torn fresh dill, lemon zest and black pepper for the perfect spoonful.
By Carolina Gelen
Yield: 6 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- 3 cups torn rotisserie chicken (or other cooked chicken)
- 3 medium lemons
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 pound shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi
- 5 egg yolks (see Tip to save the egg whites)
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- Fresh dill (optional), for garnish
Preparation:
1. To a large pot over high, add the chicken stock, torn chicken and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon). Add a hefty pinch of salt (remember, you are seasoning a lot of liquid!) and a few cracks of black pepper and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Add gnocchi to the soup and continue simmering for 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, squeeze enough lemon juice into a heatproof liquid measuring cup to get 1/2 cup juice. Add the yolks and the garlic to the juice and whisk to combine.
4. While constantly whisking, slowly stream 2 cups of the simmering chicken stock into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. Add the tempered yolk mixture to the pot all at once and stir to combine. Turn the heat off right after incorporating the eggs. Taste and season with more salt as needed.
5. Serve with additional lemon zest on top, freshly cracked black pepper and dill, if using.
Tips:
Don’t discard those leftover egg whites! They will keep, refrigerated, for up to 4 days — and are perfect for an egg white frittata with leeks or pavlova (or another use).
Yakhni (Chicken Soup With Cilantro and Green Chiles)
This Pakistani-style chicken soup uses a delicately spiced yakhni, or broth, as its base. Whole spices like black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon sticks permeate the nourishing, gelatin-rich soup made from a whole chicken (bones and meat), slowly simmered over a few hours. The addition of a blackened onion adds sweet smokiness, while the spices and a nub of ginger add depth and complexity. Though the base of this soup is formidable, the fixings do most of the talking. Lemon juice and green chiles provide a much-needed zing, freshly ground black pepper adds even more warmth and cilantro brings a touch of herbaceousness. Adjust the fixings to your liking and preferred spice level. Add white rice to the soup for a more robust meal.
By Zainab Shah
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: About 2 1/4 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)
- 1 medium white onion, halved
- 18 to 20 whole black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 8 to 10 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 head garlic or about 12 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 (5-inch) piece ginger
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 2 to 4 large pieces, or 5 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
- 6 to 8 chicken feet (optional), see Tip
- 3 quarts unsalted chicken stock or water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, sliced Thai green chiles and chopped cilantro, for serving
Preparation:
1. In a large stock pot, heat ghee on high for 1 minute. Add onion, cut side down, and cook until the surface touching the pot blackens and smells like itap burning. Adjust heat to medium and add the peppercorns, cumin seeds and cloves. Toast until spices are aromatic, about 30 seconds.
2. Add cinnamon sticks, garlic, ginger, chicken pieces and chicken feet (if using). Add stock, adjust heat to high and bring to a boil. When boiling, adjust to a simmer; there should be some bubbles rising to the surface, but the liquid should not be boiling. Simmer for 2 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that rises to the top.
3. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot using tongs and place it on a cutting board. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, then use a fork and knife to carefully remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Return the chicken bones to the pot, return to a boil, then adjust heat so the broth is simmering again. Simmer for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours more, until the broth is rich and flavorful, adding water if needed to keep the bones submerged.
4. Pour broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a smaller pot and stir in salt to taste. To serve, reheat the broth if necessary and ladle into bowls. Add some or all of the chicken meat, and finish with spritzes of lemon, grinds of black pepper, green chile and cilantro to taste. (Use any leftover broth to fortify other meals, or freeze for up to 3 months.)
Tips:
Chicken feet add collagen to the soup, which gives it a silky texture and adds richness. Source these from your local butcher.
Brodo di Pollo con Pastina (Chicken Soup With Pastina)
Pastina means “tiny pasta,” and itap often the first pasta shape Italian children are introduced to, typically cooked in broth. Pastina comes in a variety of shapes, like little stars and rounds. For this recipe, you can use any tiny shape you like, or use noodles broken into small pieces. Typically, the pastina is precooked in a separate pot and added to each soup bowl alongside shredded chicken, but this version cooks everything together for an easy one-pot meal. And this comforting chicken soup does not require premade or even store-bought broth: Instead, boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook in water with aromatics like onion, carrots, celery and garlic — and a good drizzle of olive oil — for a rich, flavorful broth that comes together fairly quickly.
By Naz Deravian
Yield: 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
- 3 large celery ribs, sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup pastina, such as Acini di Pepe, or orzo (about 4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
- Grated Parmesan, for serving
Preparation:
1. Place the chicken and 10 cups of water in a large pot. Partly cover and bring to a boil over high heat, keeping a close eye so that it doesn’t overflow and skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
2. Add the onion, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper; stir and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover completely, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and tomato paste, stirring to incorporate the tomato paste. Increase the heat to high and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired.
3. Remove the cooked chicken and place in a large bowl. Add the pastina to the soup, stir and increase the heat to high and allow to come back up to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente, stirring occasionally.
4. While the pasta cooks, shred the chicken with a fork. Add the shredded chicken and parsley to the soup, stir, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.
Quick Chicken and Dumplings
This is the perfect soup for when you’re craving chicken and dumplings, but not quite up to the task of making the traditional dish. Store-bought rotisserie chicken and gnocchi live their best lives here, simmered in a comforting broth of chicken stock and heavy cream seasoned with rosemary and thyme. Leeks, carrots and celery are standard, but butternut squash, parsnips, mushrooms, fennel or shallots are worthy additions. Simply sauté your aromatics and vegetables, simmer with some chicken stock and cream, stir in the chicken and gnocchi, and dinner is done in 20 minutes from start to finish.
By Alexa Weibel
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 9 cups)
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium carrots or 8 ounces butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium leek, trimmed, white and pale green portion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium celery stalks, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 2/3 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 (16-ounce) package fresh or shelf-stable store-bought gnocchi
- 1/2 small (3-pound) store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat torn into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups shredded meat)
- Fresh tarragon, parsley or dill, for garnish
Preparation:
1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium. Add the carrots, leek, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with the flour, then cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (This cooks the flour to soften its raw flavor.) Gradually stir in the stock and cream, and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Once the mixture boils, stir in the gnocchi, reduce the heat to medium and cook until gnocchi and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken in the last couple of minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with fresh tarragon and more black pepper, if desired.
This article originally appeared in .
