Balkan ‘Penicillin’ chicken soup recipe

Irina Janakievska
·3-min read
Penicillin soup
This recipe has been made and adapted by generations of women in my family

This soup is a combination of several other types of soup from across the Balkans. Made and adapted by generations of women in my family, each of them adding their own twist, it was the first thing I cooked by myself, for myself. It is my Balkan penicillin, my light of home in a bowl, my taste of sunshine. It soothes and cures all ills, but especially a homesick soul.

Overview

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

3 hrs 40 mins

Serves

4 -6

Ingredients

  • 1 large chicken, plus 1 chicken leg (or any other chicken cuts on the bone, including chicken backbone from spatchcocking chicken)

  • 2 onions, quartered

  • 1 long red or green pepper, deseeded and quartered

  • 2 tomatoes, quartered

  • 2 courgettes, peeled and quartered

  • 2-3 celery stalks, chopped into large batons

  • 2-3 carrots, trimmed and peeled

  • 20g fresh parsley, stalks separated and leaves finely chopped

  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • 2-3 bay leaves

  • 1 tsp black peppercorns

  • 300g waxy potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes

  • 80g tarana or any pastina, such as vermicelli or orzo, optional

  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

Step 1

Put the large chicken carcass and 1 leg into a large, deep-lidded saucepan and add 3 litres of water (making sure the chicken is submerged – add more if you need).

Step 2

Bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat. Do not allow the water to boil – as soon as it is close to doing so, pour in some cold water and immediately skim off any scum.

Step 3

Continue to do this for 25-30 minutes, or until the stock simmers clear without too much froth.

Step 4

Add the 2 onions, 1 long red or green pepper, 2 tomatoes, 2 courgettes, 2-3 celery stalks, 2-3 carrots, the separated stalks from 20g parsley, 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, 2-3 bay leaves and 1tsp peppercorns.

Step 5

Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2-2½ hours, periodically topping up with water and skimming, if needed. When the chicken is falling off the bones, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Step 6

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large, clean saucepan, reserving the contents of the sieve. At this stage, either bring the stock back up to the boil and reduce by ⅓, or remove about 1 litre of the broth and store in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for other recipes.

Step 7

Reserve and set aside the chicken and cooked carrots from the sieve.

Step 8

Discard the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme sprigs. Using a spatula or spoon, pass the remaining cooked vegetables (onions, celery, tomatoes, peppers and courgettes) through the sieve directly into the saucepan containing the remaining broth.

Step 9

Shred the chicken, taking care to remove all bones, and slice the carrots, then add them back to the broth.

Step 10

Add the 300g peeled and cubed potatoes and 80g tarana or pastina you are using, 1 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper, then place the saucepan over a medium-high heat. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the potato is cooked through, then add the chopped parsley leaves (reserve some to serve) and check and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

Step 11

Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkle of the reserved chopped parsley and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.

The Balkan Kitchen by Irina Janakievska (Quadrille, £27) is out now.

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