‘Chicken Soup’ cookbook: Recipes from Burma to Georgia

From gestures of love to hangover cures, chicken soup has a place in many cultures around the world. This is how other countries serve up the nutritious feel-good bowl, writes Jenn Louis

A perfect weekday meal as the weather begins to change (Ed Anderson)

Ohn-No Khao Swe  – Myanmar

Serves 4-6

2 yellow onions, ½ cut into 2cm cubes and remaining 3 halves cut into thin half-moons

5cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tbsp chickpea flour

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

750ml water or Chicken Stock  

450g chicken thighs, bone-in with skin attached, hacked into 1cm chunks

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp paprika

400ml canned coconut milk

1tsp cayenne pepper fish sauce, to taste

450g fresh or dried Chinese-style wheat noodles

To garnish

lime wedges

coriander leaves

sliced shallots or red onions

Hard-boiled eggs, cut into slices or halves

roasted chilli powder

Fried rice noodles (see below)

fish sauce, to taste

Fried rice noodles

Serves 4-6

750ml vegetable oil

50-100 g vermicelli rice noodles

Burma is home to a great number of cultures and ingredients; Burmese borrow what they love from those who have moved to their country. In this soup, wheat noodles reflect China’s influence (rice noodles are more traditional to southeast Asian countries). Ohn-no khao swe, like Hainanese chicken rice, was a catalyst for culinary innovation in neighbouring countries. Thailand’s Chiang Mai is famous for its khao soi, Malaysians favour laksa, and India’s khow suey is a riff on ohn-no khao swe. To note, many brands of canned coconut milk are much thicker than what is used in southeast Asia. For a more authentic broth and a lighter consistency, blend half canned coconut milk and half water.

Place the cubed onion, ginger, chickpea flour, garlic and water or stock into a blender and puree until very smooth. Set aside. Lay the chicken pieces out on a plate and sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside.

Heat a large pot over a medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, toss in the chicken and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned. Some of the fat will render from the chicken skin. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly for 5-7 minutes, allowing the onions to caramelise. When the onions are just about golden, add the turmeric and paprika and stir to combine. Add the pureed onion mixture and the remaining water or stock and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is tender. Add the coconut milk, cayenne and fish sauce, then season to taste with more salt, if needed.

Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Add the wheat noodles and cook (for 3-4 minutes for fresh and 6-8 minutes for dry) until tender. Drain the noodles and divide among 4 large soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles and garnish with your preferred toppings.

Fried Rice Noodles

Heat a 5cm depth of vegetable oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, gently lay the dried rice noodles in the hot oil and when the noodles puff up, use a slotted spoon to remove them onto a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Set aside for the garnish.

(Ed Anderson)

Chikhirtma  

Serves 4

1 × 1.35kg chicken, quartered

1.9l water or Chicken Stock  

85g butter

3 yellow onions, cut into 5mm cubes

2 tbsp all-purpose (plain) flour

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

80g coriander, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped

6 large egg yolks

2 tbsp lemon juice

To garnish

6 mint sprigs, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped

6 dill sprigs, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped

6 parsley sprigs, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped

6 basil sprigs, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped

Adjika (see below)

This soup is made for families as a comfort meal, to heal the sick, and to cure a hangover. The creaminess is warming on a cold day, and the herbs add a bright note to this otherwise rich soup. Some versions of chikhirtma include potatoes, asparagus, corn or peas, and the Adjika adds bold heat.

Place the chicken and water or stock in a large pot with the salt. Weigh down the chicken under a few small plates to keep it submerged and simmer gently over a medium heat until the chicken pieces are cooked through, about 7-10 minutes for the breasts and 15-18 minutes for the legs and thighs. The meat should separate from the end of the leg bone when cooked, a thermometer will read 74C when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or breast and the juices of the chicken will run clear.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the chicken skin and discard. Using your hands, shred all the meat and discard the bones. Set the meat aside and reserve the broth.

Wipe out the pot, then add the butter and melt over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly, stirring constantly for 6 minutes, or until the onions are soft and slightly golden.  

Add the flour, cinnamon and cilantro and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the reserved broth, then bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until the broth thickens.

Place the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Add a spoonful of the hot broth to the yolk mixture and stir until combined.

Repeat with more hot broth until the yolks have heated up. This will help the yolks to incorporate into the soup smoothly. When the yolks have enough warm broth to warm up, turn off the heat and add the yolk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly.

Stir in the reserved chicken, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the herbs and adjika, added to taste.

Adjika

Makes 540 g

1 tbsp coriander stems

2 hot red chillies

8 garlic cloves

1½ sweet red peppers

100g walnuts

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp anise seeds

1 tsp dried red hot chillies

1 tbsp khmeli suneli (Georgian spice blend)

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Adjika (ahh-jah-kah) is the super spicy condiment that graces every Georgian table. Varieties include dry and wet, depending on whether dried or fresh chillies are used, and green and red, depending on the colour chilli used.  

Every home has their favourite blend of spices and balance of how much of each ingredient is used. Always taste a little before adding to your dish, as most are hot, hot, hot! Preheat the oven to 180C.

Puree the cilantro, chillies, garlic and red peppers in a food processor until finely combined. Place the pureed ingredients in a small pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes until the raw smell of garlic has dissipated. Place the walnuts, in a single layer, on a baking tray and toast in the oven, stirring them occasionally to prevent them burning, until fragrant, then leave to cool. When cool, crush them into a fine powder using a knife or food processor.

Repeat the toasting process with the coriander seeds, anise seeds and dried chillies, watching carefully so they do not burn. Once they are toasted and fragrant, let them cool completely. Combine the remaining dried herbs/spices with the toasted spices and transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind into a fine blend.

Add the spice mix and walnuts to the cooked puree, season with salt and vinegar and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

(Ed Anderson)

Ajiaco Bogotano

Serves 4-6

1 × 1.35kg chicken, quartered

1.9 l water or chicken stock

2 tbsp salt

1 leek, cut into thin half-moons

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1cm cubes

2 ears fresh corn, quartered

2 celery ribs (stalks), cut into 1cm cubes

2 large carrots, cut into 2.5cm lengths

900g assorted potatoes, peeled and quartered

6 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

2 thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

115g green beans, cut into 1cm lengths

40g coriander, roughly chopped, including stems

1 lime

To serve

Aji Picante (see below)

1 avocado, diced

1 tbsp capers

240ml cream

There are different versions of ajiaco, variations based on the three countries it is served in: Colombia, Cuba and Peru. It is usually made with chicken and three kinds of potatoes, corn and a herb called guascas. This herb gives the soup a wonderful flavour, but is difficult to find outside of these countries. It is very important to use guascas and papa criolla when available – they are the key ingredients in this dish. Even if you do not have access to guascas, try to find a few varieties of potatoes for this soup.

Place the chicken and water or stock in a large pot with the salt. Weigh down the chicken under a few small plates to keep it submerged and simmer gently over a medium heat until the chicken pieces are cooked through, about 7-10 minutes for the breasts and 15-18 minutes for the legs and thighs. The meat should separate from the end of the leg bone when cooked, a thermometer will read 74C when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or breast and the juices of the chicken will run clear.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the skin and discard. Using your hands, shred all the meat and discard the bones. Set the meat aside.  

Keep the broth in the pot and add the leek, bell pepper, corn, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic. Add the thyme, bay leaves and oregano and season lightly with salt. Cook slowly, stirring constantly for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

When the potatoes are tender, mash with a spoon to break them up and thicken the broth. Add the green beans and cilantro, then stir to combine and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the chicken to the soup and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze the lime juice into the soup, adding as much tangy flavour as possible without it becoming sour. Serve with aji picante and accompaniments.

Aji Picante (Salsa)

Serves 4-6

4 spring (green) onions, finely chopped

2 roma or plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1 jalapeno chilli, very finely chopped

40g coriander, roughly chopped, including stems

3 tbsp distilled white vinegar

Place all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

‘The Chicken Soup Manifesto’ by Jenn Louis (Hardie Grant, £22) Photography ©Ed Anderson