The weather in LA for the past few days has been gloomy and a bit on the cooler side. We are officially into the fall season which means soups are back on the menu for us. Growing up chicken soup meant a type of soup that usually had chicken in it as well as some vegetables, pretty much like the recipe for Chicken Soup that I posted a while back.
Here in the US chicken soup seems to always have noodles in it. As I had mentioned in my Persian Pho post, I am always looking to find ways to use Reshteh, Persian noodles besides once a year in Asheh Reshteh or Reshteh Polow. So I have experimented and this recipe came about as an effort to Persianize the American Chicken Noodle Soup. Since today is National Noodle day, I present to you Persian Chicken Noodle Soup.
Before I proceed, let me say that this soup came about when I was short on time and didn’t have the luxury of time to spend preparing a hearty soup that simmered on the stove for hours. I wanted to make something delicious with deep flavors but in about one hour; so I took a couple of short cuts. You will be amazed how this soup has deep yet bright flavors and it will lighten up any rainy day, even though you didn’t slave over it all day long!
Ingredients (4 servings)
2 cups of leeks, small diced
2 cups of carrots, small diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp turmeric
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Persian dried limes
2 tsp cumin
8 cups chicken broth
3 oz reshteh
1 cup cilantro
oil
salt and pepper
Saute leek, carrots, and garlic in some oil for about 5 minutes.
Add turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon to the veggies and give them a nice stir. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Push the veggies towards the walls of the pot in order to create a well in the middle of the pot. Place chicken in the empty space and saute for a couple of minutes until the bottom side turns white. I have found that if I just throw in the chicken raw and add liquid to it, tiny white elements from the chicken float in the broth. However, if I slightly saute the chicken it won’t happen.
Flip the chicken and saute for a couple of minutes. Add bay leaves and lightly crushed Persian dried limes.
Add broth, cover and bring to a boil. Break reshteh into four sections and add to the soup. Simmer covered on medium low for 50 minutes.
Remove the two breasts of chicken and shred using two forks. By this time the chicken should easily come apart.
Adjust seasoning if needed and add chicken back to the pot. Small chop cilantro and add to the pot. Give it a stir and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
I hope you will enjoy this soup as much as we have been!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Good recipes. Looking forward to more simple tasty recipes from you. Good day and thanks
I made this tonight. It was fast, it was delicious – it was all-round wonderful! I used parsley instead of cilantro only because today when my husband went out for groceries he somehow couldn’t tell the two apart! Well, cilantro would have been better but parsley was great too! I didn’t have enough chicken so I added a couple farmer’s sausages. I guess you make due with what you have! But it was so good I’ll admit I ate two huge bowls. I love the way you use spices. You have taught me so much, and every few days when I cook a new dish my blood is pumped full of the anti-oxidants in your famous advieh (well it is famous in my house!). You are the spice queen. My husband’s whole family is always impressed (they all came from Iran originally). I never forget to tell them that it’s not me, it’s the wonderful chef of “My Persian Kitchen”!
@ Bria, thank you for popping in!! I need to get back into the groove of visiting my favorite blogs regularly!
@ Heidi, I am so glad that you enjoyed the soup! I sure it was delicious with the sausage addition and parsley! Thank you for your kind words. You lifted my spirits on a gloomy day with you words!
I made this soup and loved it. My husband, a picky eater, went back for seconds! Thank you for a soup that has become a family and company favorite! Bring on more dishes that are interesting, easy and delicious.
Thanks!!
Wow! This sounds amazing.
Is there a way to substitute the dried limes? I live in northern Canada and some spices and fruits are hard to get up here.
Would lime juice work?
I am excited to try this recipe!
Susie, yes, absolutely you can substitute the dried limes with fresh lime juice!
Thank you, Chef!
I can’t wait to try it! I sounds gorgeous and I bet it smells wonderful, too
Cheers from Canada