A bowl of hot soup in a gloomy cold weather can help cheer one up. Especially if one has a bad cold. Chicken vegetable soup is known to help recover faster.
This is the traditional recipe that I grew up eating, with three main vegetables: carrots, potatoes, and zucchini.
With this soup I like to use the breast part of the chicken since it has more solid white meat. I recommend taking the skin out before cooking the chicken.
This recipe can easliy turn into a vegan soup by skipping the chicken part and substitue with vegetable broth.
It’s known that with raw chicken comes stinky smell and chicken is full of bacteria, my sister the other day was sharing with me her method of cleaning chicken in a way that takes out the smell and avoid spreading any bacteria. Just sprinkle some salt and 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar over the chicken, leave the chicken for few minutes then wipe it out with a paper towel. Never wash the chicken with water. Water can spread the bacteria and even increase it inside the chicken.
Start by boiling water in a pot with either of the following: cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks or even few slices of onions to give the water some flavor. Once it starts boiling add the chicken and let it boil for few minutes, then lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for 30 minutes and until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken out of the pot and take all bones out, cut it into small pieces and place it back in the pot.
Add chopped carrots, potatoes and let it simmer with chicken and broth for 15 minutes, then add chopped zucchini and uncooked rice. Zucchinis and rice take less time for cooking that’s why it’s better to add them later. Cover the pot and lower the heat, let it simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper and cardamom powder and sprinkle chopped parsley on top.
This recipe is enough for 3-4 people.
Chicken Vegetable Soup شوربة دجاج بالخضار
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 cups of water
- 2 seeds cardamom or 1 cinnamon stick or few slices of onions
- 8 ounces chopped carrots
- 8 ounces chopped potatoes
- 8 ounces chopped zucchinis
- ¼ cup of white uncooked rice
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1-2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil, add to that either: 2 cardamom seeds or 1 cinnamon stick or a few slices of onions.
- Once the water starts boiling add chicken breasts then lower the heat to medium and let it cook uncovered for about half an hour. Remove all fat (if any) that comes out of the chicken hovering on top of the pot during cooking.
- Once the chicken is tender and fully cooked, take breasts out of the pot and remove skin (if not removed early on) and all bones. Chop breasts into squares and place it back in the pot.
- Add chopped carrots, potatoes to cook with chicken, let it boil for 10-15 minutes then add zucchinis and rice. Cover the pot and lower the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper and cardamom powder, and sprinkle parsley on top.
- Turn off the heat and serve hot with bread and a squeeze of lemon.
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