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Green Lentil Soup with Chicken
Instructions
I get the ingredients ready for the green lentil soup with chicken. Store-bought chicken works (any part, even a soup set), but free-range poultry gives a richer, more aromatic broth. Frozen herbs can easily be replaced with dried (1 tbsp) or fresh (a small bunch).
Straight away, soak the lentils in cold water. Let them stand for 2 hours – in that time the beans swell a little and afterwards cook very quickly.
Pour 2 L of purified water into a pot and lower in the meat.
Bring the broth almost to a boil over medium heat and skim off the froth. Lower the heat and continue cooking with the lid on.
Meanwhile, turn to the vegetables. Cut the carrot into ordinary rounds or into decorative flower shapes.
If you like, punch a hole in the middle of the rounds with the round opening of a pastry nozzle. All the trimmings go into the frying mixture too.
Chop the onion into small cubes.
Heat both kinds of fat in a skillet – the butter and the vegetable oil.
Sauté the onion in it, only until it softens.
Add the carrot and warm it through for no more than a minute.
Thirty minutes after the broth comes to a boil, salt it.
By this point the chicken should already be cooked – lift it out and, once it has cooled a little, separate the meat from the bones.
Rinse the lentils and add them to the pot of boiling broth.
While the beans come back to a boil, cut the potato into small cubes.
Add the cubes to the soup along with the bay leaf. Boil everything over medium heat for 20 minutes – roughly the time the potato and lentils need to cook through.
Season everything with the herbs.
Return the meat to the pot.
Right after it, add the frying mixture to the soup.
Cook everything for 5 more minutes with the lid on. At the end, take out the bay leaf.
The thick, hearty green lentil soup with chicken is ready. Serve it hot, with a generous pinch of fresh herbs and dried paprika flakes. A lunch like this will please adults and children alike.
Tips
- 1
Soak the lentils for 2 hours – the "secret" to soft cooking. Dry green lentils take a long time to cook. After soaking, they cook quickly and evenly.
- 2
Two kinds of fat in the frying mixture – the "secret" to flavour. Butter gives aroma, while the vegetable oil keeps it from burning. 20 g plus 20 ml is the ideal amount.
- 3
Skim off the froth – the "secret" to a clear broth. The froth is coagulated protein. I skim it before the boil, so the broth stays clean.
- 4
Take out the bay leaf – the "secret" to good flavour. After 20 minutes its aroma is released. Any longer and it turns bitter. The same principle works in other kinds of legume soups.
FAQ
Which part of the chicken should I choose? +
Ideal – free-range chicken, any part (300 g gives the richest broth). Alternatives: a store-bought soup set (300 g – the "budget" option), thigh (300 g – tender meat), drumstick (300 g – the "classic"), breast (300 g – the "lean" option), a whole bird (300 g of it – "premium"). Brands such as Petelinka, Miratorg and Yaroslavsky Broiler are reliable. Fresh chilled chicken is the "premium" choice. Do not use: frozen chicken without thawing (cloudy broth), or wings alone (too little meat). For the "classic", be sure to use a cut with the bone in.
What can replace green lentils? +
Alternatives: brown lentils (100 g – darker colour), French black Beluga lentils (100 g – "premium"), red lentils (100 g – quickly cook down to a purée), yellow lentils (100 g – more tender), Puy lentils (100 g – hold their shape). Brands such as Mistral, Zhmenka and Natsional are reliable. Fresh lentils from the current year's harvest are the "premium" choice. Do not use: old lentils (they cook down poorly even after soaking), or a side-dish mix with seasonings. For the "classic soup", use green or brown lentils specifically.
How long does the soup keep? +
In the refrigerator in a covered pot – 2 to 3 days. Any longer and the lentils turn "mushy" and the flavour loses its freshness. Before serving, reheat to a boil over low heat. Frozen in portions – up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours. Fresh soup is "at its best" 30 to 60 minutes after it is ready (once it has "settled"). On the second day the flavour is deeper and brighter. Do not leave it at room temperature for longer than 4 hours – soup with meat spoils quickly.
What to serve with lentil soup? +
Classics: with a slice of rye bread and butter. With garlic croutons. With a spoonful of sour cream (Russian style). With finely chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley). With hot black tea and lemon. For a "family lunch" – with savoury or sweet pastries on the side. With grated Parmesan (European style). With a shot of vodka on special occasions. With a boiled egg (as in Czech soup). With a fresh vegetable salad. A versatile hot dish for everyday meals and the Lenten table alike.
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