Hearty chicken soup

This Hearty Chicken Soup is a great option for a simple weekday dinner. I make this at least twice a month. It has great flavour and superbly refreshing. I need this to ‘pick-me-up’ especially during this hazy season.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

2 litres water

1″ old ginger (with skin, smashed)

3 bulbs garlic (with skin, smashed)

3 stalks of coriander roots (washed, bruised)

4 chicken drumstick with thigh

sea salt

garlic oil

Method

1. Boil 2 litres of water with all the aromatics (ginger, garlic, coriander roots) for 10 minutes then lower to a simmer for 40 minutes covered.
2. Clean chicken and pat dry. Lower chicken into the aromatic broth and simmer for another 15 – 20 minutes (covered) depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
3. Poke a skewer through the thickest part of the chicken thigh and if liquid comes out clean and not bloody, chicken is thoroughly cooked. Season with sea salt. Cut off the heat.
4. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves or spring onions and a drizzle of garlic oil.

How to make garlic oil

6 cloves of garlic (remove skin and mince garlic)

200 ml olive oil

a pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Heat up olive oil in a saucepan. Drop in a pinch of salt, and if it sizzles means the oil is hot enough. Pour in the minced garlic and immediately cut off the heat.
2. Remove the saucepan from the burner and the minute the garlic starts to turn slightly golden, pour garlic mixture into a ceramic bowl or glass bottle to cool. Garlic oil can be kept covered for a week or two on a cool counter top.

Note : Minced garlic can continue to cook if not removed from the burner even though the fire is off. To stop it from continue to cook, pour it out into a cool ceramic container or bottle for keeping.