Sunshine in a bowl
- Jessica Catalano
- Jan 29, 2024
- 5 min read
January is hard. The cold, the dark, the limited outside time, and for me most of all, the plummet in my vitamin D. I feel its lack in my mood, my bones, my hair, my outlook on life--all the things. Part of my healing journey has been to give myself grace for feeling unmotivated and blah during a time of the year when we should be hibernating, and to do at least one thing to make myself feel one iota better. [Think Frozen 2 Anna, in the cave, singing about doing "the next right thing."]
Today my one thing is to make a delicious, anti-inflammatory, nutrient packed soup I can enjoy all week long. Inspired by Greek lemon chicken soup, the combination of ginger, Meyer lemon and oregano will have you serving seconds. It's a great choice to include on a meal prep Sunday, freezes beautifully, and tastes like a warm day in Santorini.
Sunshine Lemon Chicken Soup
Cook Time: approx 1.5 hr
Yields 4 quarts
ingredients
3.5 lbs organic chicken, griller pack
3 quarts organic chicken stock
3-4 leek stems, trimmed, rinsed, halved and thinly sliced
1 bunch (6-7) organic carrots, halved and sliced
1 organic celery heart, finely diced
1 knuckle ginger root, peeled and finely diced
2-3 Meyer Lemons, halved, seeded, thinly sliced
3 TBSP (approx) Sicilian oregano, dried [any dried oregano will do just fine]
avocado oil spray
1 container (10 oz) baby spinach
salt and pepper
instructions
Begin by preheating your soup pot. I'm using my 7.25 qt Le Creuset dutch oven. This is my favorite kitchen staple--I use it for soups, stews, chili, bread, short ribs, pasta--it's my all the things pot.
Remove your chicken from the package, dry with paper towel, and lightly salt and pepper both sides. I used the griller pack to reduce cook/prep time this week. You could also use a whole chicken (the method changes a little bit), just breast or just dark meat--whichever you prefer.
Once your cooking surface is hot, spray it with avocado oil (or preferred cooking spray).
Using tongs, place the chicken into the hot pot skin side down. It's important to allow the chicken to sear, and brown. This browning step will add depth of flavor to your soup. When the skin of the chicken releases easily from the pan, turn over the chicken. You want to sear as much of the chicken as possible.
While my chicken is searing, I'm prepping the various veggies I'll be adding after this step. (You can also prep all your ingredients in advance--I just like to multitask).
Leeks require some extra love--they hold on to the sandy soil they were grown in and it can often be found in the layers. My method of cleaning them for the soup:
trim and remove the parts of the leek you will not be using (set aside)
halve the leeks long ways.
Thinly slice leeks. They will look like little crescent moons
submerge sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water. Using your hand, swish the leeks around (like an agitator in a washing machine).
strain leeks and repeat 2-3 times as needed.
Once the water runs clear, your leeks are ready to be added to your soup.
When the chicken is uniformly browned, remove it from the heat and set aside. Remember, the chicken is not cooked through and should not be eaten at this time. It will complete its cooking in the broth.
Coat your cooking surface with avocado oil.
Add the rinsed and trimmed leeks. The residual water on the leeks will help to deglaze your pan--all the caramelization from the chicken is being released and incorporated into your veggies as flavor!
Stir the leeks periodically, until just tender.
Celery hearts go into the pot next. Trim the edges from the heart and rinse really well. I prefer my celery finely chopped [my daughter would pref I put it in whole and remove it]. The size of your celery pieces is a matter of preference.
I prefer my carrots in a bunch with the greens. (Sometimes I'll make a pesto with the carrot greens; when I don't use them they get composted.) But I just love the size and taste of those tender carrots. Rinse them thoroughly, trim off the greens, and halve them long ways. Roughly chop the carrot halves until they are bite-sized. Add to the pan.
Ginger is next. I love ginger, so the amount I add is a preference. I'm also using ginger in place of garlic in this recipe--peeled, sliced, and very finely diced. I then sauté the ginger the same way I would fresh garlic (but without the indigestion). There are a few ways to add this key ingredient if you aren't in love with chewing ginger:
use a microplane and grate in the fresh ginger
substitute ground ginger and add later on, when seasoning
place the whole knuckle of peeled ginger in the pot and remove before serving
Now that your veggies have sautéed and combined, add 3 quarts of chicken stock. Stir well to incorporate the ingredients, cover the pot and turn the heat up. Allow to cook until the broth comes to a rumbling boil.
While your broth is coming to a boil, prep the lemons. Rinse, cut in half, remove the seeds, and slice as thin as possible.
I only use Meyer lemons in this recipes for a few reasons: they are a more tender variety, which is perfect for eating the peel as part of the soup; they are sweeter and have a milder flavor profile; there is more flesh to the fruit and really minimal amount of pulp.
When your broth comes to a boil, add in the chicken. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 25 minutes.
adding the chicken to boiling broth is a technique I learned from my mom. She disliked skimming the soup later on for the marrow (a grayish film on the top of the soup). By adding the chicken to boiling broth, you guarantee the bones sear and avoid this additional step.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. You're going to need the chicken as close to room temperature as possible in order to safely handle it.
Add in your sliced lemon, stir, and reduce to a low temp. Your soup is on stand-by while your chicken cools.
Once cool, de-skin the chicken, remove the meat from the bones and cube the meat to bite sized pieces. Return the cubed chicken to the pot, stir to incoporate all the ingredients.
Turn the heat back up to medium-high. Once your soup has return to a low boil, season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in oregano--I'm using this delicious dried Sicilian oregano with a lemony essense. I'm definitely a measure with your heart cook, but start with a couple of tablespoons and then adjust to your preference.
Let that simmer another minute or two.
Add in the baby spinach a handle full at a time. It will wilt rather quickly.
Remove from heat, ladle into a bowl, serve with a crusty bread or crackers, imagine you're looking at the Aegean Sea and enjoy!
variations/substitutions
cannellini beans are a really nice addition to this soup. They increase your protein significantly while adding to a mild creamy texture
1-2 small peeled and diced sweet potatoes add a sweetness and additional color along with a ton of nutrients
served with rice, orzo, or small soup pasta
omitting the spinach and trying other greens--kale or chard for a heartier green
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