Chicken Soup Bar
4 Servings
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Ingredients:
Roasted Chicken :
1 (3-4) pound whole chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 head garlic (excess papery skin removed, halved)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Chicken Soup Base :
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion (peeled, quartered)
2 carrots (peeled, roughly chopped)
2 stalks celery (roughly chopped)
bones from roasted chicken (recipe above)
10 cups chicken stock
2 cloves garlic (peeled, smashed)
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
butcher’s twine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Ginger Soy Sauce:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic (peeled, minced)
4 scallions (root end removed, minced)
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger (peeled, minced)
1 cup soy sauce
1 and 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto :
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained)
1 clove garlic (peeled)
1/4 cup fresh basil
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup olive oil
Optional Toppings :
1 pound rice noodles
1 pound green beans (trimmed)
2 large carrots (peeled, sliced into thin strips) TK – JULIENNED
2 cups shiitake mushrooms (stemmed, thinly sliced)
2 scallions (root end removed, thinly sliced on a bias)
1 cup canned chickpeas (drained, rinsed)
1/4 cup parsley (finely chopped)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
store-bought chili oil (to taste)
1 lime (cut into wedges)
parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
store-bought tortilla strips
Directions:
For the Roasted Chicken:
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking to allow to come to room temperature. Line a baking sheet with a baking rack and set aside.
Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub all over the skin. Season the outside and cavity of chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the garlic halves and tie the legs of chicken together with butcher’s twine. Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Roast until skin is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375ºF. Allow to cook until the juices run clear and internal temperature is 165ºF, about 40 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15-20 minutes before carving.
Remove and discard the garlic. Quarter the chicken, and remove all meat from the bones. Roughly chop up the cooked meat, remove to a bowl and set aside.
For the Chicken Soup Base:
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the roasted chicken bones, chicken stock, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, skimming the fat the rises to the top as it cooks.
Strain the soup, discard the solids, and return the stock to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the reserved chicken. Keep soup warm on low.
For the Ginger Soy Sauce:
In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, warm the sesame oil. Add the garlic, scallions and ginger, and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove to a serving bowl and set aside.
For the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto:
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add the pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and parmesan and pulse until finely chopped and combined. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Remove to a serving bowl and set aside.
For Optional Toppings:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
In the same pot of boiling salted water, add the green beans and cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and slice green beans into thin rounds. Remove to a serving bowl and set aside.
To serve, place the remaining optional toppings into various serving bowls. Divide chicken soup evenly amongst 4 bowls, stir in a tablespoon of either sun-dried tomato pesto, or ginger soy sauce and top with desired toppings!
Tip: Make the soup base in a slow cooker! Cook on low for 12 hours or on high for 4 hours.
