By Ali Slagle
Ali Slagle is a recipe developer and regular contributor to NYT Cooking who specialises in low-effort, high-reward recipes. She is also the author of the cookbook “I Dream of Dinner (so You Don’t Have To).”
Plonk yourself anywhere in the world, and you won’t be far from a steaming bowl of soup. And just about anywhere you go, you’ll find chicken soup — thrifty, cosy, adaptable, delicious chicken soup. But while it’s always a reliable meal, there’s no reason it can’t also be exciting. Push your next pot beyond chicken and broth with these seven simple upgrades.
1. Add dried herbs and spices
Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Build flavour from the very start by sizzling dried herbs and spices in oil. Just a minute or two unlocks their full potential and helps them travel through the soup. As for what to use, sift through your jars and see what appeals. You can lean any way you’d like: Go earthy with turmeric, paprika and annatto seeds, as in Ham El-Waylly’s locro de gallina, or herbaceous with dried rosemary, oregano and crushed red pepper, as in Sarah DiGregorio’s lemony Greek chicken, spinach and potato stew.
2. Use broth instead of water
Credit...Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Have you ever had a bowl of pasta cooked in chicken broth? That simple soup demonstrates how a little broth can accomplish so much. Using store-bought or homemade broth instead of water ensures your soup will be savoury and chickeny, regardless of how little it simmers or what else is in the soup.
3. Switch up the vegetables
Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Vegetables are typically used in soup in two ways: in small bits, cooked to build the foundation (your garlic and onions), and in larger chunks, to bulk it up. Both ways let you use up whatever vegetables or fresh aromatics you have on hand: ginger, lemongrass, chiles, mushrooms, radishes, and squash. The list goes on, so get going.
4. Throw a bay leaf into the pot
Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
Chicken soup is all about soothing, and a bay leaf (or two) can help with that. The slender leaf’s soft-spoken herbiness isn’t as bold as rosemary or oregano — rather, it slips into the background. Think of it as more like some cooked-down onion than an herb: You’ll notice it isn’t there, even if you can’t pinpoint what exactly is missing.
5. Use cooked chicken
Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Chicken soup can be a long game (starting with a whole chicken, simmering it for hours and hours) or it can be hungry-right-this-second fast. If a speedy soup is what’s on the menu, use store-bought broth (see above) and cooked chicken. Cubed or shredded from a rotisserie or leftovers, it needs just three to five minutes in the soup to reheat. Any longer, and it can become tough.
6. Swirl in a pat of butter
Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
On days that call for a bit of softness, or when a soup seems thin or otherwise lacking, stir in a pat of butter to the finished soup. It will melt into the broth, adding richness, body and a velvet sheen (much like it does in a pan sauce). The fat contributes a subtle creaminess without being heavy.
7. Finish it with fistfuls of chopped herbs
Credit...Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Just as a splash of vinegar enhances chilli, fresh herbs bring out the best of chicken soup’s soft, simmered flavours. Add finely chopped soft-stem herbs like cilantro, dill, parsley or chives at the end so their flavours stay bright. And you bought a whole bunch, so be generous: Use around a third of a cup, or even up to a full cup.
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