Over the past year and a
half Oliver and I have been working our way through a cookbook that his parents
gave us, which was written by their friend, Cat Cohen, titled Chicken Soups
from Around the World. It is a compilation
of 52 recipes for soup that contain some form of chicken and are typical for
specific nations around the world (and some US regions). We created the occasion Chicken Soup
Wednesdays in an effort to complete one recipe per week (when feasible with our
crazy schedules). As we went we colored in a world map that we printed to track
our progress. We also wrote our reviews of each of the recipes in the book and kept track of our favorites. I wanted to share my top 3 recipes here on the Savory Lab so that you can take a little mini soup trip of your own!
And the gold goes to......
Norway!
Hunsekjuttsuppe with Apples and Vegetables
This recipe is an easy-to-prepare
light meal that balances sweet and savory flavors. Who knew that apples and leaks would make
such good soupfellows.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 minsTotal Time: 45 mins
Ingredients:
3 Tbls butter
1 leek, white portion
only, cleaned and thinly sliced
1carrot, diced
1 parsnip, diced
3 Tbls flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium Granny Smith or
other tart apples, peeled, and sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked
chicken meat, diced
Salt and white pepper,
to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in a
saucepan and slowly saute leek, carrot and parsnip for a few minutes until they
begin to soften but do not brown.
Stir in flour and cook
for 5 minutes, stirring until well blended.
Add the broth, stirring
vigorously.
Simmer gently for about
10 minutes or until soup is smooth and slightly thick.
Add apple slices and
chicken meat, and simmer for about 10 minutes longer.
Season with salt and pepper.
Kenya
Chicken Soup with Eggplant, Okra & Peanut Butter
My browser took me on a
culinary safari to find this delightful soup from the other side of the
world. Smooth or chunky, it’s the peanuttiest.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Ingredients:
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup eggplant, diced
1 oz olive oil
1 Tbls curry porder
1 tsp powdered chili
2 Tbls tomato paste (or
1 can tomato sauce)
1 cup chicken leftovers
or thawed frozen breasts, sliced
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup peanut butter
1 can diced tomatoes
1 butternut, zucchini or
other squash, diced
1 cup frozen okra
1 large potato, diced
1 oz. lime juice
Salt and pepper
Directions:
In a flying pan sauté the
onions, garlic and eggplant in olive oil.
Add curry and chili
powders and tomato paste.
Add the chicken meat and
sauté until the chicken is cooked.
Put aside to let the
flavors mingle.
Put the chicken broth in
a large soup pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add the tomatoes, peanut butter, potato, and
squash and stir well.
Bring to another boil
and then lower to simmer.
Add the chicken mixture,
lime juice, salt and pepper and cook for another 20 minutes.
Armenia
Chicken Rice Soup with Yogurt and Mint
Light and flavorful,
this Middle Eastern recipe makes me feel healthy just thinking about it. The creamy texture of the yogurt and hint of
mint make this soup quite delightful.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Total Time: 75 mins
Ingredients:
1-2 cups chicken
leftovers or thawed breast strips, sliced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
3 celery stalks with
greens, diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 Tbls olive oil
5 cups chicken broth
½ cup uncooked rice
1 Tbls fresh or dried
basil
1 Tbls fresh or dried
oregano
Salt and pepper
1 cup zucchini, cubed
1 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
1 oz lemon juice
2 Tbls fresh or dried
mint
Directions:
Sauté the chicken meat,
onions, garlic, parsley, celery, and carrots in olive oil for a few minutes in
a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Add the broth, rice and
spices.
Bring to a boil, cover
and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add the zucchini during
the last 10 of these minutes.
Combine yogurt, egg and lemon
juice in a bowl and beat well.
Add a small amount of
broth to the warm it slightly.
Slowly add the yogurt
mixture to the soup along with the mint, warm slowly and turn off the heat.
Serve with warm pita
bread or lavash and some beet-colored pickled turnips (I did not have these and
it was still fantastic!).
Thanks so much for the adventure Cat! And we plan on continuing on our weekly joy of Chicken Soup Wednesdays using recipes we find online until our map is completely filled in. Woohoo!