It’s the season of sore throats and runny noses. I’ve already had a cold twice, and so has my other half and my immediate remedy (or more likely comfort food) is a sturdy chicken soup.
In Bulgaria, every grandmother will tell you that the best cure for cold is the mighty Chicken soup. My grandmother used to always make it with chicken thighs or drumsticks because the bones made the stock even more delicious. So, this how I’ve started making my chicken soup – always with meat on the bone and never using chicken breast. It takes a little longer to cook but it’s well worth it in the end. I can’t really claim this to be a Bulgarian recipe as Chicken Soup isn’t particularly unique anywhere… But this is how we cook it in Bulgaria.
‘Cures anything’ Chicken Soup
Serves 4 | Prep 10 minutes | Cook 40-60 minutes
Easy | Gluten-free | Dairy-free
You’ll need:
- 4 Chicken thighs or drumsticks (Or a mix of the two);
- 1 onion, peeled;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 1 sprig of thyme;
- 6 whole peppercorns;
- 3 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped;
- 1 carrot, peeled roughly chopped.
Halve the chicken thighs (if using) following the bone. Put everything apart from the potatoes and carrot in a large saucepan and fill with water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots. Season.
Cook for another 30-50 minutes until the chicken has cooked through (check it regularly after the 30 minute mark). When the chicken has cooked through, take it out of the pan, carefully chop roughly or shred and discard the bones. Return to the pan. Serve hot, with crusty bread on the side.
Food Notes 