A brief history of Chicken Soup

In olden times, chickens were kept mainly for their eggs. However, in Asia, Africa, and Europe, old chickens were boiled, which allowed consumers to use all parts of the chicken. The broth from boiling chicken was deemed to have restorative and medicinal properties. Jews, in particular, believed this broth was beneficial to those ill, and the broth was converted to soup by adding vegetables. The Jews introduced chicken soup to the Americas during the sixteenth century when they migrated. The Americans took this recipe and marketed it more commercially with the company “Campbell” creating a chicken and noodles combined soup and a steered new outlook on chicken soup. 

What is Chicken Soup?

Chicken soup is a dish that comprises a clear broth with pieces of chicken and vegetables. The soup is boiled slowly and subsequently simmered on low heat for around three to four hours. Served as a thin broth with vegetables such as leeks, carrots, onions, and celery, and even combined with pasta, noodles, rice, or dumplings. You can achieve more depth of flavour by adding potatoes, sweet potatoes, spices such as bay leaves, black pepper, and whole garlic, or vegetables such as tomatoes or lettuce. 

Simple instant chicken soup recipe using an induction cooktop

This recipe for chicken soup using an induction cooktop is a great time saver. From start to finish, this recipe should take thirty to forty minutes, tops. By using an induction pressure cooker, all the flavours are infused well together, and the taste is like the traditional recipe of simmering it for hours. 

Ingredients you require (4 servings)

  • 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
  • 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 large carrot or 2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
  • 1 celery stick, chopped
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tbsp parsley, chopped
  • ½ tbsp oregano, fresh
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (store-bought is just fine)
  • 450 grams chicken (be sure to include 1 breast piece)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano 
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp onion powder

Instructions 

  • Place the pressure cooker on the induction cooktop and set the cooktop to medium heat. Cook this dish in manual mode on your induction cooktop.
  • In the pressure cooker, add the unsalted butter and cook till it is melted. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté at medium heat for 3 minutes. 
  • Add in salt, pepper, parsley and fresh oregano. Now also add garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, and onion powder. 
  • Pour in the chicken broth and add the chicken pieces.  
  • To this add the 2 cups of water 
  • Gently mix. 
  • Close the closer with its lid and cook for 3 whistles. 
  • After the 3 whistles, turn off the induction cooktop and wait until all the pressure is released from the cooker naturally. 
  • Once you open the pressure cooker, remove the chicken pieces and shred them, discarding the bones. 
  • Now add the shredded chicken back to the mix. 
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Notes 

  • Steer clear from adding everything together and starting the pressure cooker. Ensure to sauté the veggies first, as described in this recipe. This helps in adding a depth of flavour. 
  • Avoid adding any extra salt until the soup has finished cooking. As the broth reduces, the flavours amalgamate well, and by adding more salt too soon, you will risk a very salty soup. 
  • Chicken: You may use boneless chicken or frozen chicken as well. 
  • No chicken broth: You can replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth or just water.  
  • Bouillon: Translates to “broth” in French, these are powders or cubes that are added to water to make the soup. There are chicken and vegetable bouillons available in the market. You are in luck, as the above recipe uses herbs that are available in bouillon. 
  • You may serve this with noodles, pasta, barley or rice.

Variations


Stove pot recipe: 

  • If you do not have an induction pressure cooker but have an induction pot, the following recipe has you covered. Note, you will require pre-cooked chicken from whole chicken or pieces that are shredded. 
  • Pour olive oil into the pot and set the induction cooktop to medium heat. 
  • After warming the oil, add chopped carrots, celery, and one medium onion. Sauté for 7 minutes. 
  • Add minced garlic to it and sauté for a couple of more minutes. Ensure you are continuously stirring the vegetables. 
  • Add in the chicken broth
  • Add herbs and spices such as pepper, bay leaves, and oregano. 
  • Bring this to a boil
  • Wait for the vegetables to become tender
  • Now add fresh parsley, lemon juice, and shredded chicken.
  • Add salt. 
  • Taste and adjust your seasoning once the chicken is well mixed in
  • Noodle it up for a complete meal: Egg noodles complement the soup exceptionally well. 
  • Pressure cooker: After removing the cooked chicken to shred it, add the noodles and cook until the noodles have softened.
  • Stove Pot: Add the noodles before adding the pre-cooked shredded chicken pieces. It will take around ten minutes to soften the noodles.

We hope you like this recipe, and add it to your list to make it sometime soon.