cure me chicken soup

all i’m saying is it did the trick for me

what you need

1-2 pounds of chicken breasts

6-8 cups of chicken stock*

10 garlic cloves, grated

3 inches of fresh ginger, grated

~3 leeks, washed and thinly sliced with tops discarded (save for stock)

~2 large carrots, peeled and diced

~6 celery stocks, diced

1 lemongrass stalk, quartered and bruised (hit hard with side of your knife)

olive oil

salt and pepper

lemon wedges (for serving)

what you do

heat your favorite soup pot up over medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil in the bottom. season chicken with salt and pepper, add to your pot, and cook until golden brown on both sides. remove and set aside on a plate (don’t worry if it’s not cooked all the way, it will finish in the soup).

turn heat down to medium and if pot looks dry, add another splash of olive oil. add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 mins until very fragant and the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan begin to loosen. Add leeks, carrots, and celery, stirring to combine with garlic and ginger at bottom of pot. cook for 7-8 mins until veggies begin to soften. add chicken stock* and lemongrass, along with the chicken we set aside earlier. bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook gently for ~15 more mins. at this point your chicken will be cooked through and veggies will be nice and soft. remove chicken, shred, then return to the pot. taste and season VERY well with salt and pepper. I’m talking lots of salt. At least 1-2 tbsp. taste again. season again.

when ready to serve, remove lemongrass and spoon into your bowl. If you like noodles or rice in your soup, cook separately and add into your individual bowl before ladling soup over top (I don’t like overcooked noodles which inevitably happens if you cook in your soup!) top with a fat squeeze of lemon, drizzle of your favorite good olive oil, and fresh crack of pepper. YUMMY

*if making your own chicken stock this is what I like to do. Start by browning your chicken bones. This works particularly well if you happen to roast a chicken the day before and save the bones in your fridge. You can also ask your local butcher for leftover bones and they will usually dish them over for a good price. place bones on a sheet tray and roast in a 425 oven for 30-45 mins until very brown. it will smell absolutely delicious.

place browned bones in a stock pot, cover with water, and bring to a simmer. cook for 35-40 mins, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface. add aromatics- for this specific soup I like to use a mixture of lemongrass, ginger scraps, dark green leek tops, celery stalks, and carrots. don’t worry about chopping everything up nicely, a very rough, large chop works perfect. After all, we are just infusing flavor- everything BUT the stock is getting discarded after this. simmer for another 35- 40 mins. taste! your stock will have a wonderful roasted chicken and veg flavor. resist the urge to season your stock, that step comes when you are making the actual soup.