SA Blog’s Own Chicken Soup
Winter has arrived in Cape Town at last! - and with it, an ominous outbreak of chest infections and head colds.
In the interests of public wellness, SA Blog brings you Your Correspondent’s own fantastic chicken soup recipe, sampled and heartily approved by his Lovely Assistant (among others). It’s five-star cold prevention and ‘flu recuperation food!
SA BLOG’S OWN CHICKEN SOUP
Prep: 15 min
Cooking: 1 hour
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
In SA, you can find all of these ingredients at most Pick ‘n Pay stores.
4 Tbsp olive oil
500g free-range chicken on the bone, skinned and cut into large but “spoonable” pieces (3-4 thighs, preferably) (cut through bone to expose marrow)
3 bay leaves
6-7 sprigs thyme (half of the sprigs finely chopped - but not until called for)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp coarsely-ground black pepper
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried bird’s-eye chilli shell (de-seeded) (optional)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 large carrots, diced
1 stalk celery (leaves on), diced
1/2 cup freshly-boiled water
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
handful green beans, cut into desired length
1/4 broccoli head, parsed into small florets
splash lemon juice
2 heaped tsp salt (or to taste)
pinch brown sugar
full kettle freshly-boiled water
50g instant egg noodles
1/2 cube chicken stock (organic, preferably) (optional)
3-4 drops Tabasco sauce (or to taste) (optional)
25g fresh coriander (cilantro), finely-chopped (or to taste)
Method:
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a medium sauce pan, or frying pan with cover, on med-high. Add bay leaves, 3-4 sprigs thyme (whole) and 1/2 the garlic. When sizzling, add chicken and black pepper, and stir until all the flesh has browned slightly. Reduce heat to med. Add tumeric, stir until its color is evenly distributed. Reduce heat to med-low. Cover pan, allow chicken to yield its own juices and simmer in them.
- While chicken is cooking, heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large soup pot on med-high. Add cumin seeds, chilli shell (optional). When sizzling, add onion, stir well. Reduce heat to med. Fry onion 5-7 min, stirring frequently, until golden-brown and cooked through. Add 1/4 the garlic, the carrots and celery, and stir well. Cover, cook 2-3 min, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup the freshly-boiled water, stir. Cover, simmer until carrots are soft, about 10 min.
- Add the tomatoes, green beans and broccoli to the cooking carrots and celery, stir well. Add the lemon juice, salt and sugar, stir. Cover, cook 5-7 min.
- Add the remaining 1/4 cup freshly-boiled water to the simmering chicken, stir well, then pour chicken and pan contents into soup pot. Add boiled water from kettle to desired level/soup thickness. Add noodles, stir in. Bring pot to a light boil. Finely chop remaining thyme, add with remaining garlic, chicken stock (optional) Tabasco sauce (optional) and coriander. Continue to boil until noodles are cooked through. Serve piping-hot, on its own or with toasted cheese sandwiches!
- For more information on Your Correspondent’s recipes, visit The Masala Cookbook.
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Comments
Are you sharing the recipe, Ben? Don’t see it anywhere. I’m a good food taster!
Never mind my previous post. I found it! Duh! Looks delicious and the I favor the ingredients. Mmmmmmm!
Are you sharing the recipe, Ben? Don’t see it anywhere. I’m a good food taster!