A soup for all seasons! This chunky chicken soup is packed full of pasta and colourful vegetables, flavoured with turmeric and the usual soup aromatics (garlic, ginger and bay). A warming soup, to help blast away any lurgy lurking around!
The Power of Soup
I have various chicken soup recipes on rotation throughout winter through to early summer to combat the plethora of colds my children bring back with them. This is one I have grown up with, as well as my other favourite Soupe Jo (Persian Cream of Barley & Chicken Soup).
My mother used to make this soup regularly in my childhood. Even now, if she sees our family coming down with any lurgy, she quickly knocks up a batch and sweetly brings it round to help us back to full health.
Other than the key healthy vegetables, medicinal chicken and aromatics such as onions and garlic, this soup’s key ingredient is turmeric. Curcumin, the pigment found in turmeric, not only gives it it’s characteristic colour, but also has a range of health benefits. These include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant effects.
As I get older, my love for soup grows and grows. I value the convenience of making a large batch of soup to have on hand for speedy lunches or dinners; and I further value the nutritional roundedness of soup. A bowl of goodness comprised of protein; vegetables; your carbohydrate of choice (be it rice, barley, potatoes or pasta); aromatics; and broth leaving you full with no post meal sluggishness.
What is in this Recipe?
A medley of easy to source ingredients come together to create a deeply savoury and satisfying soup. Each mouthful is packed with chunks of chicken, vegetables and pasta making this a well balanced and filling soup. You will need the following ingredients to make this recipe.
- Onion and garlic: are used as the base aromatics for the soup.
- Dried Aromatics: turmeric, bay leaf and oregano are used to flavour the soup and give a delicious savouriness to the soup. Turmeric gives the soup a lovely golden colour.
- Protein: lean, boneless and skinless chicken breast is used for this soup. You can use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Vegetables: a mix of red pepper, leek, celery and carrots are used for this soup.
- Carbohydrate: feel free to use any pasta you want to for this recipe. I use mini pasta shells (Conchigliette) but have used other mini varieties and normal sized ones too. You can also use rice if you prefer. I recommend using a short grain rice such as arborio.
- Vegetable Stock: is used as the cooking and liquid base for this soup. You can use chicken stock or just use water in the alternative. I usually use a low-salt version so that I can adjust the seasoning for the soup. If you are using standard shop bought stock, remember it already has added salt.
- Fresh Herbs: a mix of fresh dill, parsley and coriander are finely chopped and added to the soup to add more goodness and to enhance the flavour.
- Seasoning: the soup is seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice to enhance the flavour.
How to Serve
Simply ladle this soup, piping hot into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as dill or chives as a garnish.
To make it a more filling meal, serve with crusty buttered bread to dip in or sprinkle with croutons. Garlic bread also goes very well with this soup.
We also love to grate in a little parmesan or cheddar before serving.
Storing & Re-Heating Leftovers
Once the soup has fully cooled down, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
You can either re-heat in the microwave by pouring into a microwaveable dish on full power for a few minutes or pouring into a saucepan and gently heating until piping hot over the stove.
Other Soup Recipes
- Mercimek Çorbası (Turkish Lentil Soup) Recipe (simplyrecipes.com)
- Asparagus Soup | The Mediterranean Dish
- Eshkeneh (Persian Onion & Egg Drop Soup)
- Soupe Jo (Persian Cream of Barley & Chicken Soup)
Maman's Golden Chicken, Vegetable and Pasta Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil (plus extra to drizzle over soup)
- 1 Red Onion (finely diced)
- 4 Cloves Garlic (grated or minced)
- 1 Thumb-Size Ginger (peeled and grated)
- 500 g Chicken Breast (skinless and boneless -medium diced)
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Medium Carrots (medium diced)
- 2 Sticks Celery (medium diced)
- 1 Red Pepper (medium diced)
- 1 Medium Leek (medium sliced)
- 1.8 Litres Vegetable or Chicken Stock (remember to reduce additional salt if not using low salt variety)
- 125 g Mini Pasta Shells (Conchigliette mini pasta)
- 25 g Fresh Dill (finely chopped plus extra for garnish)
- 25 g Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)
- 25 g Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
- Fresh Lime or Lemon Juice (to taste)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook onions and garlic: Place large stockpot over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once the oil glistens add red onion and cook until softened. Then add garlic and stir through until aroma is released.
- Cook chicken: add chicken, stir to mix with the onions and cook until no longer pink on the outside.
- Add the dried aromatics: add turmeric and stir into the chicken and onion mixture. Follow with oregano and add bay leaf.
- Add vegetables: Then add vegetables, with slowest cooking veg going in first and stir occasionally, with around 2 minute intervals between each addition (carrots, celery, red pepper, leeks).
- Add stock: pour in stock and stir the mixture. Bring to a boil. Then lower heat to simmer.
- Add pasta: add pasta and simmer soup until vegetables and pasta are tender and the chicken fully cooked.
- Add fresh herbs: stir in fresh herbs and simmer until wilted and darkened in colour.
- Season and serve the soup: add salt, pepper and lemon or lime, taste and adjust to your preference. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dill fronds.
