Basil & Roses

Rich and brothy with familiar flavors of home, this is a good-for-the-soul kind of delicious soup. It’s a simple and comforting recipe that I go back to repeatedly- a personal favorite which I’m excited to share with you.

This recipe is chicken soup for the soul. Earthy, filling and nutritious, it tastes like home. Like something grandma made. The soup has body and richness. And the finishing drizzle of chile oil with garlic chips will make your taste buds dance!

The flavor combination of ginger and dill is unique, and equally heavenly. The union of all the other ingredients create several layers of flavor. It starts with the punch of the sweet and spicy garlic chili chips in the first spoonful. Hello! A delightful top note, followed by the heart of the flavor accomplished by the unique harmony of ginger and dill. Finally, the lasting base notes of the magic created by the marriage of chicken and rice. All of the flavors thrive on this foundation of flavor, resulting in something great.

This soup is nutrient-rich- garlic, onion, ginger, kale, broth, and dopamine-spiking garlic chile oil. The garlic chips take a simple soup to an entirely new level. The aroma and textural contrast of the garlic gives complexity to the soup while the heat balances with the otherwise mellow flavor of the stock made velvety by the natural starches of rice. It is garliky, but, I love that, and hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Fair warming, its addicting and you may find yourself coming back to it over and over again too.

“Only the pure of heart can make good soup” — Beethoven

INGREDIENTS

• 8-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tsp. crushed red chile flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 4-5 inches fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 cup white rice, preferably basmati for added aroma
• 1 1/2 – 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 3-4 big handfuls kale or spinach
• 8 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 lemon
• Handful of fresh dill
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
  
  ~Note this is a large batch soup which makes about 8 servings. Opt for a half recipe if you desire a smaller portion. I like to make a big pot, enjoy it for dinner and have leftovers for a couple of days after. You can also adjust the heat levels and reduce chili flakes for less spicy results.
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash basmati rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Prep your veggies.
   
2. For the garlic chile chips- Heat 1/3 cup olive oil to medium-low heat in the same large pot you’ll be making the soup in. Add garlic, stirring often, until light golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Pay attention to avoid burning garlic (it can happen fast!). Garlic will continue to cook in the hot oil after removing from the pan. Transfer to a bowl, leaving a bit of oil in the pot. Stir 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes into garlic oil and set aside.
   
3. Add ginger and onion to oil remaining in the pan. Add a bit more oil if pan is dry. Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat, until onion is a light golden brown, 4-5 minutes. The kitchen will smell heavenly at this point.
   
4. Pour your cooking liquid of choice into the pot. Add chicken thighs, rice and 1 teaspoon of salt to the cooking liquid and bring to boil. Then lower to a temperature to maintain a gentle simmer.
   
5. Cover the pan partially and cook for about 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
   
6. Once chicken is cooked through, transfer to a plate and shred the meat using two forks. In the meantime keep simmering soup uncovered to continue building flavor. The natural starch of the rice beautifully thicken the broth for silky and full bodied richness.
   
7. Add shredded chicken back into the pot. Follow with adding a few generous handfuls of chopped kale into the liquid. Be even more generous if using spinach and stir to mix all ingredients. It will look like a lot of greens but they wilt down quickly.
   
8. At this point add more broth or water if liquid has reduced too much. You can adjust based on the desired consistency you want. I prefer soup to be dense (not watery) for a rich end result.
   
9. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to the desired thickness, 4-5 minutes.
   
10. Finally give the soup a nice squeeze of fresh lemon juice  and season to taste with more salt if needed. Stir to combine.
    
11. Serve soup in bowls, drizzle with garlic-chile chips and fresh dill (it’s heavenly and “dill-licious,” trust me!).