Chikhirtma (Georgian Chicken Soup)
Cozy up with a piping hot bowl of chikhirtma - our Georgian chicken soup combines a handful of ingredients to create a velvety, smooth and savory soup you'll love.
Equipment
- Food Twine
Ingredients
For the Chicken Stock:
- 2½ - 3 pounds whole chicken, bone-in, and skin on
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems, and ends reserved separately
- 1 bunch fresh dill, stems, and ends reserved separately
- 1 garlic head, end removed
- 8 cups water
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ⅛ teaspoon whole allspice,
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 bay leaves
For the Georgian Chicken Soup:
- 1 stick butter, salted
- 5 medium carrots, diced
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons
- black pepper, coarse ground, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to garnish
Instructions
For the Chicken Stock:
- Tie the stems of the cilantro and dill bundles, and cut off the leaves; reserve ¼ cup of each to garnish the soup.
- Cut off and discard the top third of a garlic head, leaving the head intact.
- Add the whole chicken, cilantro stems, dill stems, and garlic head to a dutch oven, along with the remaining broth ingredients. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is tender, for about 1 hour.
- Remove the lid and scoop up the garlic head; set it aside. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and shred it, discarding the skin, bones, and cartilage. Keep the legs intact if you prefer, but remove the skin.
- Use a colander to strain the broth into a mixing bowl. Discard any solids.
- Squeeze the reserved garlic head into the broth using tongs, and whisk to combine. Set the broth aside.
For the Georgian Chicken Soup:
- In the dutch oven, add butter, carrots, and onions; set over medium heat and cook until the onions become translucent and soften for about 10-12 minutes.
- Add flour and stir for 5-7 minutes to build a blonde roux, then deglaze with soy sauce.
- Add 2 cups of the reserved broth; give it a quick stir, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together. Continue whisking while slowly adding 2 cups of reserved hot broth. Then, remove the dutch oven from heat and whisk in lemon juice and the egg mixture. Stir to combine. Note: Do not simmer once the eggs have been added.
- Return the chicken along with any accumulated juices to the pan.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh cilantro, dill, and red pepper flakes to serve.
Notes
Adapted From:
- So many of the dinner recipes we make regularly at home come from Milkstreet, including the inspiration for this recipe!
- Before squeezing the lemons, rub them on the countertop with your palm; this allows more lemon juice to release.
- Do not simmer the soup after adding the eggs; doing so will cause the eggs to curdle.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Bowl | Calories: 348 kcal | Carbohydrates: 12 g | Protein: 20 g | Fat: 25 g | Sodium: 1108 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 4 g
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!