Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (34 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For a soup that was chock-full of chicken, noodles, and vegetables and didn’t rely on a whole chicken or a lot of work for success, we bolstered the flavor of our soup base (a simple combination of water and chicken broth) by sautéing store-bought ground chicken in the pot before adding the liquid. With all of its surface area, the ground chicken was ideal for giving up plenty of flavor quickly. Cornstarch helped give our stock the body and texture it needed. We then poached chicken breasts in the broth, shredded the meat and added it back to the pot. With egg noodles, celery, potato, carrots, onion, and chard also in the mix, this soup lived up to its name.
SERVES 4 TO 6
When skimming the fat off the stock, we prefer to leave a little bit on the surface to enhance the soup’s flavor.
STOCK
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
1 | pound ground chicken |
1 | small onion, chopped |
1 | carrot, peeled and chopped |
1 | celery rib, chopped |
8 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
4 | cups water |
2 | (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in half crosswise |
2 | bay leaves |
2 | teaspoons salt |
SOUP
3 | tablespoons cornstarch |
¹⁄ | cup cold water |
1 | small onion, halved and sliced thin |
2 | carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into ³⁄ |
1 | celery rib, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ¹⁄ |
1 | russet potato (6 ounces), peeled and cut into ³⁄ |
4 | ounces egg noodles |
2 | ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and leaves torn into 1-inch pieces (optional) |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh parsley |
Salt and pepper |
1. FOR THE STOCK:
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ground chicken, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes (do not brown chicken).
2.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add broth, water, chicken breasts, bay leaves, and salt; cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid, increase heat to high, and bring to boil. (If liquid is already boiling when lid is removed, remove chicken breasts immediately and continue with recipe.) Transfer chicken breasts to large plate and set aside. Continue to cook stock for 20 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain gentle boil. Strain stock through fine-mesh strainer into large pot or container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Allow liquid to settle, about 5 minutes, and skim off fat.
3. FOR THE SOUP:
Return stock to Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. In small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth slurry forms; stir into stock and bring to gentle boil. Add onion, carrots, celery, and potato and cook until potato pieces are almost tender, 10 to 15 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain gentle boil. Add egg noodles and continue to cook until all vegetables and noodles are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
4.
Meanwhile, remove skin from reserved cooked chicken, then remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones. Add shredded chicken, Swiss chard, if using, and parsley to soup and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (After skimming broth in step 2, stock and chicken breasts can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days.)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For this classic Greek recipe, we simmered the stock with lemon zest for bold citrus flavor. Using room-temperature eggs (the key ingredient for thickening the soup to the right silky consistency) yielded a slightly smoother soup, and tempering them slowly with hot stock before adding them to the soup ensured they didn’t curdle. Whole eggs produced soup with better body but yolks lent more flavor, so we settled on a combination of the two. The starch in the rice helped further thicken our stock and gave the soup some heft.
SERVES 6 TO 8
Homemade chicken stock gives this soup the best flavor and body, but in a pinch you can use low-sodium store-bought chicken broth. Make sure to zest the lemons before juicing them. The longer the final soup cooks after the eggs have been added, the thicker it becomes. About 5 minutes of heating produces a soft, velvety texture; any longer and the soup begins to turn pasty. Scallions and fresh mint, individually or together, make simple and flavorful garnishes. Serve the soup immediately; it thickens to a gravylike consistency when reheated.
8 | |
¹⁄ | cup long-grain white rice |
1 | bay leaf |
4 | green cardamom pods, crushed, or 2 whole cloves |
12 | (4-inch) |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons salt |
2 | large eggs plus 2 large yolks, room temperature |
1 | scallion, sliced thin and/or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint |
1.
Bring chicken stock to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add rice, bay leaf, cardamom, lemon zest, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until rice is tender and stock is aromatic from lemon zest, 16 to 20 minutes.
2.
Remove and discard bay leaf, cardamom, and zest strips. Increase heat to high and return stock to boil, then reduce heat to low.
3.
Gently whisk whole eggs, egg yolks, and lemon juice in medium bowl until combined. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle about 2 cups hot stock into egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until soup is slightly thickened and wisps of steam appear, 4 to 5 minutes (do not simmer or boil). Divide soup among serving bowls, sprinkle with scallion and/or mint, and serve immediately.
This variation is based on a Tunisian-style egg-lemon soup.
Substitute one 2-inch stick cinnamon and pinch cayenne for cardamom.
Add ¹⁄
4
teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled, to stock along with rice, bay leaf, cardamom, zest, and salt.
Add two 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch cubes, to stock along with rice, seasonings, and zest.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
We wanted a recipe that gave us soup with authentic flavor but used easy-to-find ingredients and could be made on a weeknight. After breaking the classic recipe down to its three main components—the flavor base (tomatoes, garlic, onion, and chiles), the chicken stock, and the garnishes (including fried tortilla chips)—we came up with substitute ingredients and a manageable approach to each. Typically, the vegetables are charred on a
comal
(griddle), then pureed and fried. To simplify, we made a puree from smoky chipotle chiles plus tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeño, then fried the puree over high heat in oil. We poached chicken in store-bought broth infused with onion, garlic, cilantro, and oregano (which we substituted for the pungent Mexican herb
epazote
), which gave our base plenty of flavor without having to make a from-scratch stock. And turning to the garnish, we oven-toasted tortilla strips instead of frying them and substituted sour cream when we couldn’t find Mexican
crema
(a cultured cream), and Monterey Jack for traditional
Cotija
cheese.
SERVES 8
Despite its somewhat lengthy ingredient list, this recipe is very easy to prepare. If you desire a soup with mild spiciness, trim the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño (or omit the jalapeño altogether) and use 1 teaspoon chipotle chile pureed with tomatoes in step 3. If you want a spicier soup, add up to 1 tablespoon more adobo sauce in step 4 before you add the shredded chicken.
TORTILLA STRIPS
8 | (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into ¹⁄ |
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
Salt |
SOUP
2 | (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts or 4 (5-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed and trimmed |
8 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | large white onion, trimmed of root end, quartered, and peeled |
4 | garlic cloves, peeled |
8–10 | sprigs fresh cilantro plus 1 sprig fresh oregano or 2 sprigs fresh epazote |
Salt | |
2 | tomatoes, cored and quartered |
¹⁄ | jalapeño chile |
1 | tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce |
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
GARNISHES
1 | avocado, halved, pitted, and diced fine |
8 | ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled, or Monterey Jack cheese, diced fine |
Lime wedges | |
Fresh cilantro | |
Minced jalapeño chile | |
Mexican crema or sour cream |
1. FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS:
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread tortilla strips on rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss until evenly coated. Bake until strips are deep golden brown and crisped, about 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet and shaking strips (to redistribute) halfway through baking. Season strips lightly with salt and transfer to paper towel–lined plate.
2. FOR THE SOUP:
While tortilla strips bake, bring chicken, broth, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, cilantro and oregano,
and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt to boil over medium-high heat in large saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding bones.
3.
Puree tomatoes, remaining 2 onion quarters, remaining 2 garlic cloves, jalapeño, and chipotle in food processor until smooth. Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add tomato-onion puree and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes.
4.
Stir strained broth into tomato mixture, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Add shredded chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Place portions of tortilla strips in bowls and ladle soup over. Serve, passing garnishes separately.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
Soup can be prepared up to adding shredded chicken to soup at end of step 4; let cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Return soup to simmer over medium-high heat before proceeding. Tortilla strips and garnishes are best prepared day of serving.
