Ingredients (~4 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 5-6 thighs)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (~1 1/2 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small (~1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery, diced small (~1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 inch knob ginger, grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste (double concentrated preferred)
- 1 can (14 oz) cherry tomatoes (or diced tomatoes)
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous
- Small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Sweat the Mirepoix
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery along with a heavy pinch of salt.
Cook for ~15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not rush this step; you want the vegetables to become completely soft and sweet, creating a fond on the bottom of the pot, but not burnt.
Bloom the Spices
Add the grated garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, and tomato paste.
Stir constantly for ~2 minutes. The tomato paste should darken from bright red to a deep brick color, and the spices should smell toasted and fragrant. This step is crucial to remove the raw metallic taste of the paste.
Simmer the Chicken
Pour in the can of cherry tomatoes (juice and all) and use your spoon to crush them against the side of the pot. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
Nestle the whole chicken thighs into the liquid. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low; simmer for ~25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Cook the Couscous and Shred
Remove the chicken thighs to a plate.
Stir the pearl couscous into the simmering soup. Cook uncovered for ~8-10 minutes, or until the couscous is al dente. It will absorb some of the liquid, thickening the soup slightly.
While the couscous cooks, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
Finish and Season
Turn off the heat. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
Taste the soup; it will likely need a generous amount of salt and black pepper to balance the sweetness of the carrots and tomatoes. Serve hot.
Spiced Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients (~4 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless about 5-6 thighs, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion ~1 1/2 cups, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots ~1 cup, peeled and diced small
- 2 stalks celery ~1 cup, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1 inch knob ginger grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste double concentrated preferred
- 1 can cherry tomatoes (or diced tomatoes) 14 oz
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup pearl couscous Israeli
- Small handful fresh cilantro chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pot, add onion, carrot, celery with salt. Sweat vegetables 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic, ginger, spices, tomato paste. Stir 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in tomatoes and chicken stock. Add whole chicken thighs. Simmer covered 25-30 minutes.
- Remove chicken, shred with forks.
- Stir couscous into soup, cook 8-10 minutes until tender.
- Return shredded chicken to pot. Add cilantro.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
