Simple Chicken Soup

After a string of binge-eating sessions and potlucks and indulgence, sometimes we just want something simple for a change. One of my go-to options for a quick (and healthier) meal is this simple chicken soup. This is a Malaysian style soup, with a very hearty, herbal broth. Perfect for cold rainy days, served with a plate of steaming hot white rice.

Initially, I started with a base recipe by Che Nom, but after making this dish several times, I’ve adjusted it to my taste and incorporated my own techniques. When making chicken dishes that require browning the chicken beforehand, I usually use the cold start method. Chicken pieces are placed skin-side down in a cold pan, and slowly heated to render the fat from the skin. I would then use the same rendered fat in the dish, and maybe even have some left over. Not only does the chicken fat reduce the need for any added oil during sauteeing, it also gives the dish such great aroma. I do this for my Palestinian chicken soup recipe, as well.

Add this to your rotation of simple dishes to make for weeknight dinners.

Step by Step

In your blender jar, add the shallots, garlic, and ginger, and fill with water up to about half of the level of ingredients.

Blitz into a fine paste. Set aside until ready to use.

Place the chicken pieces, skin-side down, in a cold pan. Turn the heat on to medium. Let the fat slowly render from the chicken skin, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan, and reserve the fat.

Next, in the same pot, heat the oil or fat.

Add the blended ingredients, the sup bunjut sachet and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is fragrant.

Return the chicken to the pot, and sprinkle with the ground white pepper. Cook and stir for a few minutes.

Add the celery stems and water, and stir to combine.

Add the carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes.

Season with the chicken stock cube, seasoning powder and salt. Adjust to taste.

In a small bowl, mix the soup spice mix with a ladle or two of the soup, to make a smooth paste.

Add to the pot and stir to thoroughly combine.

Garnish with the celery leaves and fried shallots.

Serve as a starter, or with steaming hot white rice.

Simple Chicken Soup

Simple Malaysian village-style chicken soup, with potatoes and carrots and broth infused with aromatic spices.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Malay, Malaysian

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• ½ whole chicken cut into 8 to 9 pieces, see Note 1
• 3 shallots roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 1 inch ginger roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil OR chicken fat
• 1 sup bunjut see Note 2
• ½ tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 bunch Chinese celery stems and leaves separated, chopped, see Note 3
• 4 cups water
• 1 carrot cut into chunks
• 2 potatoes cut into chunks
• ½ tablespoon all-in-one seasoning powder
• 1 chicken stock cube OR 2 teaspoons chicken powder
• 1 ½ soup spice mix see Note 4
• Fried shallots for garnish

Instructions

 

• In your blender jar, add the shallots, garlic, and ginger, and fill with water up to about half of the level of ingredients.
• Blitz into a fine paste. Set aside until ready to use.
• Heat a large pot or wok over medium high heat. When sufficiently hot, sear the chicken pieces until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan.
• Next, heat the oil or fat.
• Add the blended ingredients, the sup bunjut sachet and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is fragrant.
• Return the chicken to the pot, and sprinkle with the ground white pepper. Cook and stir for a few minutes.
• Add the celery stems and water, and stir to combine.
• Add the carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes.
• Season with the chicken stock cube, seasoning powder and salt. Adjust to taste.
• In a small bowl, mix the soup spice mix with a ladle or two of the soup, to make a smooth paste. Add to the pot and stir to thoroughly combine.
• Garnish with the celery leaves and fried shallots.
• Serve as a starter, or with steaming hot white rice.

Notes

1. Or, use 1 kilogram of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2. A spice sachet commonly used in Malaysian soup recipes, containing whole spices such as star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, and cloves.
3. If unavailable, use 1 stalk celery, chopped
4. Malaysian-style soup spice mix, containing spices such as coriander, fennel, cumin, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper, lightly toasted to bring out the aroma and ground into a powder.