Best Chicken Soup

Unpack those designer booties, scarfs and raincoats winter has arrived sausages!

What better way to warm up this season than with a not-so-designer chicken soup?

I know this is a mighty lofty thing to say about a humble recipe I stumbled across in a traditional South African cookbook, but this is by far the best chicken soup recipe…. Ever! There, I said it!

Beyond its curative abilities, chicken soup isn’t something I generally crave or ask for in restaurants. I personally am not a big fan of having my chicken and vegies marooned in a watered-down broth-like liquid. It reminds me of bobbing for apples on All-Hallow’s-Eve. Not a preferred dining experience when I am a walking incubus of viral plague.  

I can’t guarantee that this chicken soup will miraculously cure your cold, but it will soothe your inner foodie, with the kind of lingering umami that will have you smacking your lips long after you’ve slurped the last spoonful of the heavenly soup. The roasted chicken, sweet butternut, celery and herbs add a splash of colour to your dreary winter’s day, while the variety of flavours and textures they provide titillate and warm your numbed senses. I guarantee even the most fussy and picky eaters will be coming back hungry for more.

The secret to what skyrocket’s this chicken soup recipe in an award winning category lies in the delicate roasting of the chicken. Ingredients such as good white wine, fresh herbs, good quality stock followed by gentle simmering of all the ingredients until the soup is full of flavour makes it one of the richest and heartiest chicken soups you will be serving this winter.  

Best Chicken Soup 

• 1 whole chicken
• 5 ml (1 t) salt
• 5 ml (1 t) mixed herbs
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 15 ml (1 tbs) butter
• 15 ml (1 tbs) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 125ml (1/2 cup) butternut cubed
• 500ml (2 cups) finely chopped celery
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 litre chicken stock
• 250ml (1 cup) dry white wine

Step 1 – Remove the chicken’s skin and season the bird with salt, ground black pepper and the mixed herbs.

Step 2 – Roast the chicken for 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180°C.

Step 3 – Debone the chicken. You need about two cups (500 ml) of the cooked chicken meat.

Step 4 – Fry the onion, garlic, carrot and butternut in the butter and oil.

Step 5 – Flake the chicken meat into little slithers and add to the onion, garlic, carrot and butternut.

Step 6 – Add the celery, herbs, white wine and 2 litres of chicken stock.

Step 7 – Simmer on medium heat for 1 hour.

Step 8 – Remove the thyme and rosemary sprigs.

Add salt, ground black pepper and white wine according to taste.