Yemeni Style Chicken Soup warms your soul with ginger, garlic, loads of vegetables and chickpeas. This soup is spiced with Hiwaij and freshly squeezed lemon.
I love soup. I grew up with soup; huge ancient pots from Europe, filled with warming meals of cabbage soup, chicken soup, and vegetable soup. Soups filled with barley, noodles and rice. Soup is apart of my culture, of my being. These soups were all meal soups; soups that can be eaten as a meal with no accompaniments. They are hearty and soulful, nourishing and just perfect. Of all the soups…chicken soup is the universal sign of comfort.
My Yemeni Style Chicken Soup is the ultimate bowl of TLC. I created Yemeni Style Chicken Soup by accident my kids were under the weather. I wanted to serve them a healing, nourishing soup for dinner. This soup soon became a family favorite. Yemeni Style Chicken Soup is magical in so many ways. Fresh ginger and hiwaij seasoning give the foundation of this soup warmth and soul.. You’ve seen hiwaij soup spice blend in my Roasted Chicken Tagine . The addition of hiwaij yields a beautiful golden broth and deep flavor. The butternut squash lends a little sweetness and the chickpeas make it into a meal soup with extra protein and heartiness.
I wrote this post and created this recipe only a few short weeks ago, when the world was a calmer place. I meant to publish it before Sukkot but something stopped me inside. But now, now is the time for this soup to be cooked, shared, and embraced. I think….given the current situation in Israel, we can all use a bowl of ultimate comfort. Make a pot and bring it over to a friend who needs support or just someone to fill the void. It’s healing when someone is under the weather, or just in need of a good bowl of nourishment.
May we all live in a world with peace, love for ourselves and our neighbors, and a place where all our children will prosper.
Chicken Soup Primer:
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you create a bowl of instant comfort anytime.
- Save vegetable ends and bits: When I am cooking, I always save vegetable scraps to wash and freeze in a zip top bag for future use. The vegetable scraps I typically save are fennel fronds, the dark green tops of leeks and carrot greens. These scraps provide tremendous flavor to soups. They freeze well and can be placed directly into the pot from the freezer.
- Freeze chicken bits and bones for future use: When I cut up a roast chicken, I strip the meat off the bones and freeze the bones in a zip top bag. I also add to this bag chicken necks (both raw and cooked). These will add so much flavor to your soup! Just like the vegetable bits, chicken bones and bits can be added to the pot directly from your freezer.
- Freeze fresh herbs: In the winter, I don’t always have fresh herbs on hand. I keep a stock of washed, dried, frozen herbs including parsley and dill in my freezer to add to my chicken soups.
- Add flavor and depth: When I make a big pot of soup (regular chicken soup, not Moroccan), I like to add whole heads of washed garlic that I’ve split width wise, bay leaves, and fresh sprigs of thyme. When creating your perfect chicken soup, think about big flavorings that will give your soup personality.
- Never let your soup boil: Once you bring your soup to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and keep it there for the entire duration of cooking. Boiling your soup will yield a foggy broth vs. a clear broth.
- Skim the soup before you add your herbs and flavorings: When the soup comes to a boil, skim your soup of any impurities that rise to the top. After your soup is clear, then add the flavorings….otherwise it will be impossible to clean.
- Don’t water down your soup: My mother taught me to add enough water to just just cover the top of your chicken. You can always add a touch more water later.
Yemeni Style Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ cup fennel ½ inch pieces, fronds washed and reserved
- ¾ cup leeks light green into ½ inch pieces, thoroughly washed, dark green tops reserved
- 1¾ cup zuchinni ½ inch pieces
- 2 cup carrots ½ inch pieces
- 1½ tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 inch (1 tablespoon) fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon hiwaij for soup spice blend
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided, or to taste
- 14 oz butternut squash peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 3 lbs chicken thighs cleaned and excess fat removed
- 6 cups water
- 15.5 oz canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- ¼-½ bunch fresh cilantro and parsely washed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In an 8 quart pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the fennel bulb, light green chopped leeks and a small sprinkle of salt (about ⅛ teaspoon). Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fennel and leeks become golden.
- Add the zucchini and carrots and a small sprinkle of salt (about ⅛ teaspoon). Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the zuchinni begin to turn golden.
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the hiwaij, cumin and coriander and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the squash and nestle the chicken thighs on top.
- Add 6 cups of water. The water level should just cover the top of the chicken. If it doesn't add one more cup of water. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover with a lid.
- Simmer the soup for 30 minutes. Using a spoon, skim the soup of any fat, foam, or shmutz and discard it.
- Add the chickpeas, the fennel fronds, dark green leek stalks, cilantro and parsley.
- Cover the soup and let it simmer for 2-3 hours. Make sure to check on it from time to time.
- Remove the fennel fronds, leek greens, and cilantro and parsley from the soup and discard. Add the remainder of the salt to soup and gently stir.
- Using tongs or a fork, carefully remove the chicken from the pot. Carefully (it's hot!) remove the skin and discard. Shred the chicken and add it back into the pot.
- Add the lemon juice to the soup and stir. At this point, you can choose to add more salt to your soup, based on personal preference.
- Serve and enjoy!
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