Lemony Chicken Soup With Fennel and Dill
Published March 5, 2019
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Kalen Kaminski.
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, thighs, drumsticks or a mix
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb (preferably with the top on)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound small potatoes, sliced about ¼-inch thick
1 lemon, coarsely chopped (discard the seeds), plus 1 additional lemon for zesting and juicing
4 dried chiles de árbol or ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 cup dill, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Sour cream, full-fat Greek yogurt or feta (optional)
Sumac (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
25 grams carbs; 174 milligrams cholesterol; 531 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 1437 milligrams sodium; 38 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Step 2
Working in batches, add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until skin is well browned and fat has started to render, 5 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and continue to cook until well browned, another 3 to 5 minutes. Leaving all the fat and drippings behind, transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet, a large plate or a cutting board and let rest.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, if you’ve got the top of the fennel bulb, thinly slice it, fronds and all; set aside.
- Step 4
Coarsely chop the white part of the fennel bulb and add to the pot along with the garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but not yet browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add potatoes, chopped lemon and chiles, and stir to coat.
- Step 5
Return chicken to the pot and add broth, seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and place the lid on the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook at a strong simmer until chicken is cooked through and nearly falling off the bone, 20 to 25 minutes. Using tongs, remove chicken and let rest until it’s cool enough to handle. Pick the meat from the chicken, removing any cartilage, skin and bones. (Alternatively, leave the chicken pieces intact and serve that way.)
- Step 6
Return meat to the pot along with the thinly sliced fennel top, if using. Season the soup with salt and pepper, turn the heat to medium-low and continue to gently simmer while you make the toasted fennel seed topping.
- Step 7
Heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small pot or skillet over medium. Add fennel seed and half of the fresh dill, and swirl until fennel seed is toasted and dill is sizzling and crispy, about 2 minutes.
- Step 8
Divide soup among bowls, and spoon fennel seed topping over it, followed by scallions and remaining fresh dill. Add a dollop of yogurt or sour cream (or crumbles of feta) and sprinkle with sumac, if you like. Zest the remaining lemon over the bowls, then cut lemon in half to squeeze juice over them too.
Private Notes
Comments
Sumac is also available from Penzey’s online and phone mail order and brick and mortar stores if they’re near you. You can also get zatar as well. Warning: be prepared to fall in love with Bill Penzey, my nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
One more trick for chicken soup: after the bird or large pieces are browned, pull off the skin, focusing on fatty / less rendered patches. Dice them. At the "fry aromatics" stage (step 4 in this recipe), add them to create more maillard compounds for the flavor base.
Substituted leeks and shallots for the onion (bc we prefer) and 2 well rinsed preserved lemons for the fresh one that gets chopped and added, which avoids any bitterness and the rind and lemon pulp pretty much dissolve.
Only used zest !! added turmeric, bone broth, and Dino kale for health. So tasty.
I made this exactly as written and it was visually beautiful and interesting and the flavor and texture was perfect. It felt fancy but was so easy. Everyone asked for the recipe! The garnishes are well worth adding. This will be a new family favorite. I will note that i used a small thin skinned lemon, very ripe and there was no bitterness at all.
I think the best part of the soup was the fried dill and fennel seeds. It really made the flavor complex and interesting since the soup itself is pretty mild and light. Also adding the garnishes and feta was delicious. This is a very unique soup and I loved it. I agree with the other comments that writing into a cooked lemon was not super pleasant so if I made it again, I would cut the lemon into big pieces and pull them out when I served. Also, I would taste the soup before you add the lemon juice because it may be lemony enough without it.