Chicken soup with leeks & risoni

A soup to warm the soul on cold days.

Few things are as comforting as a big bowl of comforting chicken soup when you’re feeling under the weather. Even I, who’s sometimes too rational for my own good, appreciate a decent chicken soup on those days when I’m more inclined to curl up under a blanket on the bed than to go about my normal daily routine.

Turkish culture has no space for rational explorations of these issues. If there’s a tiny cough or tickly throat somewhere, Turkish mothers will be cooking up a big pot of chicken soup as if it were a magic medicine. And I have to give it to them. Regardless of its effect (or not) on viruses or bacteria, nothing makes you feel better quite the way a warming bowl of chicken soup, prepared by someone who loves you, does.

The Turkish chicken soup made for this purpose is simple, with stock, chicken, pasta and perhaps some shredded carrot. It’s excellent, but I like to add a few more layers of flavour, both to the broth and to the soup.

This week’s recipe is inspired by a Honey & Co column, which is more generous with garlic, herbs and spices. It also gives even more prominence to the allium and pasta elements of the soup.

I dare say this is good enough for a Sunday family supper, regardless of any lingering colds, though myself I eat it most often on weeknights when the rain is pelting on the windows and the cat has sought refuge on top of one of the radiators.

Dinner | Turkis inspired | 4 servings

Ingredients

3 Tbsp olive oil (I use a mild extra virgin)
300 g leeks (⅔ lbs), thickly sliced
flat-leaf parsley leaves not used for the broth (see below), finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely diced
1⅖ ltrs chicken or vegetable broth (5 cups)
the chicken meat from making the broth
125 g risoni (about 1¼ cups)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
5 g (a small handful) dill, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Chicken broth

2 chicken legs (about 800-900 g/ 1¾–2 lbs total)
1 whole garlic, halved crosswise
2 slices of lemon, about ¾ cm (⅓ in) thick
20 g (2 handfuls) flat-leaf parsley, stems only (save the leaves for the soup)
1 carrot, cut into 3-4 pieces diagonally
1 onion, halved
2 tsp peppercorns
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
½ tsp salt

How I make it (quick version)

1. Make the chicken broth by cooking the chicken with veggies and spices. Strain.

2. Shred chicken and cook down broth to measured amount.

3. Sauté leeks, carrots, garlic, parsley in olive oil. Add measured broth. Season.

4. Add risoni and shredded chicken. Simmer until pasta is tender.

5. Leave for 10–15 minutes then serve with lemon wedges and fresh dill.

How I make it

Chicken broth

1. Add the chicken to a large pot and cover with water (about 2–2½ ltrs/8–10 cups). Bring to a boil and skim off any impurities rising to the surface (a small strainer is excellent for this). Add the remaining broth ingredients. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and leave until the chicken is tender and the broth is flavourful, about an hour.

2. Remove the chicken and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Discard the skin and bones.

3. Strain the broth and set aside. Discard the vegetables and spices left in the strainer. For a broth free of any impurities, strain it a second time through cheesecloth or a kitchen towel. If you have more than needed for this soup, you can cook it down for extra flavour.

Soup

1. Heat a large pot (I use the same one as for the broth) over medium heat. Sauté leeks, carrots, parsley, garlic and a pinch of salt in olive oil, stirring regularly to avoid burning, until the leeks have softened, but not coloured, 6–8 minutes.

2. Add the measured broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the risoni and chicken. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat. Leave on a low simmer until the pasta is tender, typically 8-12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave for 10–15 minutes before serving.

3. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper one final time, then serve with lemon wedges and fresh dill according to preference.

Notes

The recipe was developed using European measurements. US measurements and How I make it (quick version) have been added with the assistance of ChatGPT, but edited for quality and accuracy by me.