It’s that time of year. You’d think that with warmer weather and more sun (a rare siting sometimes here in the PNW) that we’d see a little less of the crud…meaning germs and sickness. But then, on any given normal year, we’re not dealing with a worldwide pandemic.
I don’t really know why it amazes me, but every spring I find myself just as amazed as the one before when everyone starts getting sick. We don’t have COVID – thank goodness – but this season’s cold has certainly found a comfortable spot in our home and is making the rounds as it journey’s through it’s individual greetings.
One thing that is staple in our house when the crud starts going around is soup and I’ve been on a kick this week. I’ve made chili, chicken corn chowder, tomato ginger coconut soup and yesterday I made a good hot pot of chicken and leek soup with a miso base.
You might be wondering why I’m not going with a good old fashioned chicken noodle soup today. Chicken noodle soup is definitely a must in our home, even when we don’t have the crud making it’s rounds. But today, I’m craving something a bit different. Plus, leeks are a great addition to mealtime when the immune system needs a little boost and we have have a bunch of leeks that need to be used.
I’m using a miso broth instead of a straight chicken stock because miso is also incredibly healthy and packs in even more power to give your immune system that extra boost when it’s feeling down and out on it’s luck.
If you’re in the mood for chicken noodle soup, have no fear! I posted a video recipe a while back that you watch and follow.
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to learn how to make chicken and leek soup, read on! I’ve included a recipe at the end so you can make it yourself.
To begin, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 Large leek
- 2 Large green onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 medium carrots
- 6 small red potatoes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp thyme
- 1 Tbsp each rosemary & parsley
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp miso paste
- 4 chicken thighs
- 5 cups water
Mince the garlic and cut the other veggies into bite size pieces. I made my soup with potatoes, since that’s what my hubs wanted.
But this soup is great with noodles also. And the absolute best noodles are homemade. If you’d like to make your soup with homemade noodles, check out my post for a great and easy recipe!
After chopping the vegetables, cut the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside.
Get out a large pot and pour in the olive oil. Turn the burner on medium low and heat the oil. You can tell your oil is ready by running the tips of your fingers in water and flicking them over the oil. If the oil pops when the water hits it, the oil is ready. If the oil does not pop, it needs to heat up a little more.
Once the oil is heated, add the following:
- Minced garlic
- Chopped leeks and green onions
- Thyme, rosemary and parsley
Stir the vegetables and spices until they are evenly coated with oil. Turn the burner down to low and allow the veggies and spices to sauté for 5 minutes, or until the garlic is slightly browned and the leeks and green onions are very soft.
Add the chopped chicken to the mixture. Stir well, add 1 cup water, turn the burner up to medium high and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once the water begins boiling, turn the burner down to medium and allow the soup to cook for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. You’ll know the chicken is cooked when it is white all over and has a firm texture.
Add the Miso paste to the soup.
Miso, in case you’ve never used it before, is a mixture of fermented soy beans, rice, barley and wheat. The fermentation provides a collection of super healthy probiotics that are great when you’re sick. It’s also loaded lots of other great health benefits and super easy to cook with. I prefer to use organic Miso paste like the one pictured below…
There are a few different types of miso. There’s white miso, red miso, brown miso and others.
The general rule is this…the darker the miso paste, the longer it has been fermented and the stronger the taste will be.
If you’re new to miso, I would recommend starting with a white miso paste. This is also one of the best varieties when making the chicken and leek soup. It will give the broth a rich, but not too powerful taste and will complement the chicken and veggies well.
One of the other benefits of using miso is that it already contains salt, so I find when I use it that I don’t have to add any additional salt when making soup!
After adding the miso paste, stir and ensure it is blended well into the soup base. Once it is mixed in well, add some pepper, bay leaves and the remaining water. Allow the soup to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
And that’s it! This soup is great paired with fresh made biscuits or bread. You can even serve it with fresh baked garlic bread.
Continue below for the recipe! And don’t forget to SUBSRIBE so you don’t miss future recipes and posts!
Recipe
If you try this recipe and like it, let me know! I’d love to hear from you.
Food Crush Cooking Connection 