Comforting and brothy and spiced just right, this slow simmered Golden Chicken Soup is like a big hug in a bowl!
Hi Everybody!
Today, I’m sharing one of my back-pocket recipes with you, and it is completely timeless: Golden Chicken Soup. If you’re wondering what sets this chicken soup apart from your traditional Bubbe’s soup, it has a nice kick of Hawaij and cilantro. Hawaij for soup (there is also a hawaij for coffee) is blend of ground spices including cumin, black pepper, turmeric and cardamom used mostly by Yemenite Jews in Israel. My Dad is Yemenite, so the aroma of this spice blend takes me straight to my great grandmother’s kitchen, z”l.
The vibrant turmeric instantly gives the soup it’s signature golden hue, and the fresh cilantro adds a real depth of flavor. I want you to know that I’m giving you the real deal here, guys, no shortcuts (although you could sub in chicken stock, but it’s so much better homemade).
Some notes:
*From start to finish, the soup takes about 3.5 hours, because you really want to let the chicken stock simmer for a good 2.5 hours. You brown the chicken in a stock pot, then add about 6 cups of water, and forget about it for a while.
*You can find the Hawaij spice blend at kosher supermarkets, but you can definitely make your own by combining:
- ¼ cup ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- ¼ cup freshly ground black pepper
In a skillet combine the cumin, cardamom, turmeric and coriander. Place over very low heat and toast, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the black pepper and stir well. Store the blend in a tightly sealed container for up to one month, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
The beauty of this soup is that you can customize it however you like by adding different veggies, egg noddles, rice, or my favorite, homemade matzoh balls! This soup will warm up your bones in the frigid winter months and will cure WHATEVER ails you. You could certainly argue that old school Chicken Soup like this is the OG of the bone broth trend…just sayin’.
NOTE: I don’t skim off the fat of this soup, because I like the added flavor and I find the soup to be more filling, especially when I’m serving it to the kids. If you’d like to skim it off, refrigerate the plain chicken broth overnight, then use a large spoon to skim off the fat.
I love to hear what you all think, and how the recipes turn out, so leave a comment below and tag your photos on Instagram with #lionsbread so I can see what you’re making, xo -L
Golden Chicken Soup
Comforting and brothy and spiced just right, this slow simmered Golden Chicken Soup is like a big hug in a bowl
Ingredients
- 5-6 bone-in chicken legs
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 T olive oil
- 6 c water
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 medium cloves garlic
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped roughly
- 1 large zucchini, chopped
- 2-3 stalks celery, chopped roughly
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 fresh ground black pepper
- 2 T Hawaij spice blend
- 10 stalks fresh cilantro, plus more for finishing
Directions
- Step 1 In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels, and place in the stock pot. Brown the legs on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Add the 6 c of water to the pot, and scrape up any golden brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cover and simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours.
- Step 2 Remove the chicken, and set aside on a plate. Using a fine sieve, strain the chicken broth twice in a large bowl, removing any bits of chicken. Set aside.
- Step 3 In the large pot, add 1 T olive oil, the chopped onions, garlic, celery, carrots, finely chopped bell pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened, and start to caramelize. Add the salt, pepper, and hawaij. Stir to coat all of the veggies with the spices. Add the chicken stock back into the pot. Add the zucchini. Tie up the sprigs of cilantro with kitchen twine and throw them in the pot, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. *If desired, remove the chicken from the bone, chop, and add it into the soup.
- Step 4 Finish with a fresh cilantro, and serve with crusty bread or warm pita.