Leeky Chicken Soup
Posted: | Categories: Recipes | Tags:Dairy free soup winter
Leeky Chicken Soup
Melissa Ben-Ishay
Savory Recipes
This cozy soup is packed with allium from the leeks to the garlic and is perfect for cold winter days. When I was almost finished cooking it, I decided I wanted to make it heartier by adding leftover rice, which helped make it a filling and nourishing meal. You can use any grain you have left over, make it just for this recipe, or leave it out—whatever you prefer. I added just the smallest bit of lemon juice to brighten the flavors some; to get a cheek of lemon (which yields more juice than a wedge), simply cut a half moon off the side of the fruit. It’s the best way to get a small amount of juice in my opinion!
Ingredients
- 3 leeks, trimmed and washed thoroughly
- 1 large onion
- 2 large carrots
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 10 garlic cloves (or one head), plus 2 cloves, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup cooked rice (optional)
- 1 lemon cheek
- Fresh herbs, to garnish
Directions
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then chop them into 1/4" slices. Roughly chop the onion.
- Cut the carrots into 1/2" coins.
- Season the skin side of the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot and add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Once they're in the pot, season the reverse side (that way you don’t have to touch the chicken a lot).
- Cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side, until the skin is golden.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and add the leeks, onion, and carrots to the pot, stirring occasionally.
- Roughly chop the garlic.
- Cook the vegetables until the onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot.
- Stir in the salt, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and water and stir to combine.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Simmer for one hour.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the soup and shred the chicken. Return it to the pot.
- Add the cooked rice if desired and cook for another 20 minutes or so over low heat.
- At the end of cooking, squeeze the lemon into the pot and grate 2 garlic cloves with a microplane directly into the soup. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Garnish with dill and chives or any other herbs you have and love.
