soup is good food.

“je bent een soep mens.”   oma  used to say this to me when she told me we were having one of  my favorite meals of fresh, crusty baguette, creamy & stinky cheeses & a delicious from-scratch soup.  it means “you are a soup person” & she was right.  soup possibilities are endless – from an elegant consomme to a salty beer & cheese & for many food-loving people a great soup is the ultimate test of kitchen prowess, yet soup is also accessible & familiar.  lately i have been making a lot of soup with the intention of stocking the freezer but somehow it disappears before there are leftovers.  to my chicken soup i add a 6-minute boiled egg to each bowl before serving because i heart eggs & because the silky yolk thickens the broth.  to make a heartier soup you could add cubes of potato or a handful of rice.  this is such a flexible recipe – you can get creative & make it your own by omitting the greens & adding other vegetables, skip the egg, add sausage…

simple chicken soup with greens (serves 6)
6 chicken thighs or 1 whole (2 split) chicken breast, skin-on, bone-in
4 T olive oil, divided
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
several sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (more if you want a kick)
1/4 – 1/2 C white wine or dry sherry
2 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 bunch of dark, leafy greens (collards, kale) stems removed, leaves chopped

condiments:
6 6-minute eggs*, peeled
chopped parsley
lemon

preheat oven to 400 degrees.  place chicken on a cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper.  drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil & roast until skin is brown and crispy, about 45 minutes.  when cool enough to handle, remove skin.  remove meat from the bones, shred & set aside.  i like to reserve a little schmaltz to add to the soup because, well, it’s chicken-y & delicious.

in a large pot over high heat add the remaining olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, thyme, chili flakes, salt & pepper to taste.  stir occasionally until onion is lightly browned; stir in shredded chicken.  still over high heat add wine / sherry to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits.  once liquid has been absorbed, add stock & reserved schmaltz, if using.  bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer.  add greens to pot and continue to simmer until tender.  adjust seasoning & remove from heat.

to serve place one egg in each bowl & ladle hot soup over the egg.  garnish with parsley & a squeeze of lemon.

*place eggs in a medium sauce pan, fill pan with water until water is 1″ above eggs & place over high heat.  as soon as water comes to a boil, turn off heat & cover pan.  after six minutes, run cold water over eggs until cool enough to handle & peel.