Yakhni (Chicken Soup With Cilantro and Green Chiles)

By Zainab Shah

Updated January 18, 2026

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 2¼ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Rating
5(35)
Comments
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This Pakistani-style chicken soup uses a delicately spiced yakhni, or broth, as its base. Whole spices like black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon sticks permeate the nourishing, gelatin-rich soup made from a whole chicken (bones and meat), slowly simmered over a few hours. The addition of a blackened onion adds sweet smokiness, while the spices and a nub of ginger add depth and complexity. Though the base of this soup is formidable, the fixings do most of the talking. Lemon juice and green chiles provide a much-needed zing, freshly ground black pepper adds even more warmth and cilantro brings a touch of herbaceousness. Adjust the fixings to your liking and preferred spice level. Add white rice to the soup for a more robust meal.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)

  • 1 medium white onion, halved 

  • 18 to 20 whole black peppercorns 

  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 

  • 8 to 10 whole cloves 

  • 3 cinnamon sticks 

  • 1 head garlic or about 12 unpeeled garlic cloves

  • 1 (5-inch) piece ginger 

  • 1 whole chicken, cut into 2 to 4 large pieces, or 5½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces 

  • 6 to 8 chicken feet (optional), see Tip 

  • 3 quarts unsalted chicken stock or water

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Lemon wedges, sliced Thai green chiles and chopped cilantro, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large stock pot, heat ghee on high for 1 minute. Add onion, cut side down, and cook until the surface touching the pot blackens and smells like it’s burning. Adjust heat to medium and add the peppercorns, cumin seeds and cloves. Toast until spices are aromatic, about 30 seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Add cinnamon sticks, garlic, ginger, chicken pieces and chicken feet (if using). Add stock, adjust heat to high and bring to a boil. When boiling, adjust to a simmer; there should be some bubbles rising to the surface, but the liquid should not be boiling. Simmer for 2 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that rises to the top.

  3. Step 3

    Remove the chicken pieces from the pot using tongs and place it on a cutting board. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, then use a fork and knife to carefully remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Return the chicken bones to the pot, return to a boil, then adjust heat so the broth is simmering again. Simmer for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours more, until the broth is rich and flavorful, adding water if needed to keep the bones submerged.

  4. Step 4

    Pour broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a smaller pot and stir in salt to taste. To serve, reheat the broth if necessary and ladle into bowls. Add some or all of the chicken meat, and finish with spritzes of lemon, grinds of black pepper, green chile and cilantro to taste. (Use any leftover broth to fortify other meals, or freeze for up to 3 months.)

Tip

  • Chicken feet add collagen to the soup, which gives it a silky texture and adds richness. Source these from your local butcher.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
35 user ratings
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Comments

Karen

Many years ago a Jewish Afghani acquaintance gave me a recipe similar to this one - it included turmeric & i think cumin and had huge chunks of gold potato in it. Fabulous to fight a cold!

Christopher

@Thom I just watched a Pakistani video and she used carrots, cabbage, red onion and some leafy green I couldn’t identify. I agree about veggies and will add these to the second boil!

Thom

First! Might try this - the spices are not my usual go-to for chicken soup. What veggies would be traditional for a Pakistani soup? All that lovely broth without so much as a carrot kinda tweaks me lol.

Hannah

I made a dumbed down version of this with broth I had already made and frozen. Steeped it with the onion and toasted spices all day. Cooked chicken breast in the seasoned stock. Added some veggies and it worked wonderfully.

B

Last night I had to use: 1/2 qt of chicken stock, defrosted chicken breast, aging cilantro, barely there celery, 4/5 onion, & 2 semi-soft carrots....What I really needed were the spice complements found here: xxx-garlic, cumin seed toasted in ghee, and cinnamon (!?). I left out ginger and clove (did not have), but added Timur black peppercorn (impulse buy). I know this different than above, but I wanted to make a pitch for the spice mix: do NOT question it! Especially the cinnamon, so so good!

A

I am truly mystified by when the salt is added in this soup. So close to the end! The chicken is flavorless when you take it out if you follow this direction. Anyone have thoughts on what the ideal salt timing might be?

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