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Soulful Chicken Soup
PAIR WITH
Featherlight Herb Dumplings
(PAGE 150)
This comfort-food classic usually involves simmering a whole chicken for hours, skimming the broth, pulling the meat off the bones . . . in short, hours of work. To expedite the recipe and still have homemade flavor, I roast chicken thighs in a hot oven while the vegetable stew simmers, and then chop the meat and add it to the soup. The result is rich chicken soup like Grandma used to make—maybe even better. For an even quicker meal, use rotisserie chicken instead of roasting chicken thighs
.
The soup can be served by itself, but I find the best bread pairing for this soup is one that’s cooked right in the broth: light, herb-flecked dumplings
(see page 150)
. The one-bowl dumpling recipe is a cinch to make and yields fluffy dumplings with a sprightly little kick of lemon zest and herbs; it’s light but sticks to your ribs at the same time. If you’re really in a hurry, substitute thick Pe
kluski
egg noodles instead. Add the dry noodles to the soup and simmer, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes
.
SERVES
6
ACTIVE TIME
20
MINUTES
TOTAL TIME
45
MINUTES
6 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin (about 2
1
/
4
lb [1 kg])
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, well rinsed, and thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into coins
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, or 1
1
/
2
tsp dried sage leaves
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1
/
2
cup [120 ml] dry sherry or dry white wine
7 cups [1.7 L] chicken broth
(see page 17)
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 bay leaf
1 recipe Featherlight Herb Dumplings batter
(page 150)
, or 6 oz [170 g] dried Pe
2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F [220°C].
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.
Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper and arrange in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh registers 165°F [74°C], 20 to 30 minutes.
3.
While the chicken roasts, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the leek, carrots, celery, and parsnip and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the sage and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
4.
Add the sherry to the pot and cook, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth, nutritional yeast, and bay leaf.
Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer while the chicken is roasting.
5.
When the chicken is cooked, transfer the pieces to a cutting board.
Remove the skin and discard.
Using a fork and knife, cut the meat away from the bones and chop it into bite-size pieces.
Add the meat to the soup and bring to a simmer, uncovered.
As the soup begins to bubble, excess fat will accumulate in clear or frothy pools on top the soup; use a soup spoon to skim off this fat as best you can.
Season with salt and pepper.
6.
Add the dumpling batter (if using) to the soup by heaping soupspoons, cover, and simmer gently until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of a dumpling, about 10 to 12 minutes.
(Do not boil or simmer the soup too vigorously or the dumplings will break up and disintegrate.) If using the kluski noodles, add them to the pot now and simmer until tender, 10 minutes.
7.
Sprinkle the soup with the parsley, ladle into bowls, and serve immediately.
GET AHEAD:
The soup (without dumplings or noodles) freezes well and the recipe doubles easily. To make a double batch of soup and save half for later, proceed with the recipe, doubling all the ingredients except the dumplings or noodles (if using). Set half of the soup aside before adding the dumplings or noodles. Cool the reserved soup completely and store in airtight containers or zip-top plastic freezer bags for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Reheat the soup gently and add the dumpling batter or noodles once the soup is simmering.