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Chicken Heart Soup
Instructions
Get the ingredients ready as listed for the chicken heart soup.
Trim the vessels and excess fat from the hearts. Rinse them thoroughly and put them in a pot. Pour over the water and set on maximum heat. Bring to the boil and skim off all the foam with a slotted spoon. Then reduce the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer the hearts on low for 1 hour.
Peel, wash, and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
Once the time is up, add the potatoes to the broth with the hearts and cook for 10 minutes.
Peel and wash the onion and carrot. Chop the onion into small pieces and cut the carrot into thin sticks.
Sauté the onion and carrot in vegetable oil until completely soft (3–4 minutes).
Add the sautéed vegetables to the soup and cook for 5 minutes.
Salt the soup to taste.
Add the fine vermicelli to the soup, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 minutes.
Finely chop the herbs and add them to the soup. Turn off the heat and let the soup steep for 5 minutes.
The chicken heart soup is now completely ready.Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
A full hour for the hearts is a must. Hearts are denser than chicken meat and need more time to become tender. Overcooking them is not a problem.
- 2
Remove the vessels and fat – the soup will be clearer and more delicate. Without this prep you get a cloudy broth with an off-taste.
- 3
Add the sautéed vegetables at the end so their aroma is kept. If you drop the vegetables in raw, the soup will taste flat.
- 4
Vermicelli for 2 minutes – it won't overcook. Any longer and it goes mushy in the soup. The same principle works in other soups made with offal.
FAQ
How do I choose chicken hearts? +
Fresh ones are firm and dark burgundy, with no grey film. The smell should be neutral. They are medium-sized, around 4–5 cm (very small ones may come from young birds). If frozen, thaw them in the fridge for 6–8 hours rather than in hot water. Always trim off the vessels and fat, as they give an off-taste. Do not buy hearts that are very dark or have a greenish tinge, as they are off.
What can I use instead of vermicelli? +
Alternatives include small noodles (stars or letters for a children's soup), round-grain rice (add it 15 minutes before the end for a more filling soup), millet (more delicate, cooks in 15 minutes), or buckwheat (a heartier option). With no grain at all the soup will be lighter, for a dietary version. Avoid large pasta shapes (elbows, shells), as they don't suit a chicken soup. A good ratio is about 30 g of grain per 1 litre of broth; any more and the soup thickens.
How long does the soup keep? +
In the fridge in a covered pot, 2–3 days. Reheat it on the hob to about 80 °C and don't boil it, or it loses its aroma; in the microwave, heat individual portions for 1–2 minutes. I don't recommend freezing it, as the potato crumbles after thawing. On the second day the soup settles and the flavour becomes brighter. Don't leave it at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, as offal soups spoil quickly. Add sour cream when serving rather than to the pot, and add the herbs fresh at serving too.
What goes well with the soup? +
The classics: a spoonful or two of sour cream in the bowl and fresh herbs (dill, parsley, spring onion). Rye or white bread makes it more filling, and garlic croutons give a rustic touch. It is a warming lunch with herbal tea, and it travels well in a flask for lunch at work. For a children's lunch, serve it with white bread and thin slices of cucumber. It is an all-round everyday meal, especially good in the colder months.
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