Chicken and Swiss Chard Soup

Ingredients | Serves 4

For the broth

4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

3 bay leaves

4 cherry tomatoes or 1 large tomato 

1 cinnamon stick

1 onion, roughly chopped 

Pinch black peppercorns 

Handful coriander stems 

1 tsp Salt 

For the soup

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, finely sliced

½ tsp salt 

6 cloves garlic, minced 

50g fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped 

1.2 litre chicken broth 

250g swiss chard, stems and leaves finely sliced  

1-2 lemons, juiced

To serve

1 brown onion, diced & submerged in white wine vinegar

Rice or toasted pita (or both)

Extra virgin olive oil


Method

For the broth

  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the base of a dutch oven or large pot and pour the oil in the base of the pan. Add the chicken thighs skin side down. Place on a medium-high heat. Once the skin is golden, turn onto the other side and brown. 

  2. Pour in 1.5L water and add the remaining ingredients for the broth

  3. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat and cover with the lid. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and into a bowl. Leave the broth on a low heat so it’s barely simmering. 

  4. Let the chicken cool slightly before shredding the meat off the bones. Leave the chicken to the side then return the bones and skin back to the broth and simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a bowl or jug.


To make the soup

  1. Place a large pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. When warm add the onion and salt and cook until translucent and slightly golden. 

  2. Stir in the garlic and coriander and cook for about 3 minutes to infuse. 

  3. Pour in the chicken broth (you should have about 1.2 litres, if not add a little more water). Bring to a simmer and cover with the lid, gently simmer for about 10 minutes. 

  4. Reduce the heat a little before adding the shredded chicken and the swiss chard. Submerge all the chard in the broth, return the lid and let this simmer gently until the chard has softened.  

  5. Add lemon juice, salt (if needed) and black pepper to taste and remove from the heat. 

  6. In a small serving bowl, add the diced brown onion and submerge in the vinegar.

  7. Ladle the soup into bowls onto some rice or torn crispy pita, spoon over some onion and vinegar and finally drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.