This is a hearty and herbal noodle soup. For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken and stock with large white beans and a veg stock.
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken, or 1 large (560 g, 20 oz) can of white beans
- salt and pepper
Spatchcock the chicken: cut out the spine and remove the wings with shears, and save them for stock. Season the bird with salt and pepper and rest it in the fridge for 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Flatten the chicken and roast it on a sheet pan until golden brown, with the breast at 65–68°C and the thighs at 75°C or more. This is slightly under, but safe, and it keeps the chicken from overcooking in the soup later. Let it cool while you prepare the vegetables.
For the vegetarian version, cook the beans from scratch or drain the can, and set them aside.
Soup
- olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (fronds saved for stock)
- 4 stalks celery, with leaves, thinly sliced
- 1–2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 large bunch fresh kale, stalks removed, chopped bite-size
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 4 cups homemade soup stock (chicken or veg)
- 4 cups water
- 1 lemon
- 2–4 tbsp soy sauce (light if you have it), to taste
- 1–2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp freeze-dried (or fresh) dill
- salt and pepper, to taste
Bouquet garni
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary (or 1–2 tsp dried, in a tea infuser)
- 1–2 tsp peppercorns (in a tea infuser)
Soak and rinse the chopped kale, drain it, and set it aside in a large bowl. Halve the lemon, and zest it if the peel smells good (winter lemons may not have tasty zest).
Heat oil in a Dutch oven and sauté the onion, carrot, and celery until they start to soften. Add the fennel and shallot and keep softening.
Deglaze the pot with a splash of the wine. Add the stock, water, kale, and bouquet garni. Simmer until the kale and carrots are almost tender.
While the soup simmers, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat off by hand. Chop it bite-size, checking for bones and cartilage. Stir it into the soup (or add the beans).
Add the coriander, white pepper, and dill, and season with soy, salt, and pepper. Add the juice of half the lemon, taste, and add the other half if needed. Add more wine to taste, about 1 cup in all; the rest is for the cook.
Noodles
- ¼ cup dry pasta per bowl (broken spaghetti in 2 cm pieces, or orzo)
Cook the noodles separately for each meal, and ladle the soup over them in small bowls.
Notes
- Cooking the noodles separately keeps them from getting gummy. Most noodles work. Toasting them before cooking adds a nutty flavour.
- Keeps in sealed containers in the fridge for 3–5 days. Reheat on the stove over low heat.