From Extra Helping by Janet Reich Elsbach © 2018 by Janet Reich Elsbach. Illustrations © 2018 by Anna Brones. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Aguadito, A Richly Green Soup
I have only good things to say about plain chicken soup. It is the basic currency of care-taking and people tend to respond to it like dogs to a bell, with an inner voice announcing “I am being looked after!” Aguaditois a souped-up version from Peru, pungent with herbs and tangy with lime and carrying a little bit of heat, which all seems to add up to just the right thing for a dense head cold, or other complaints that cry out for a little ba-da-bing to make them right. You can swap out the chicken broth for Vegetable Broth and use tofu in place of the chicken, if your target audience is not made up of omnivores.
Serves 4 to 6
For Chicken Soup
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1½ pounds bone-in chicken breast
For Vegetarian Soup
- 8 cup vegetable stock
- One 15-ounce block firm tofu, frozen overnight and thawed
For Both Soups
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
-
3 cloves garlic, peeled but whole, divided
-
3–5 dried whole red bird chilies
-
½ cup mild lager or ale (optional)
-
1-to 2-inch knob fresh ginger root, chopped or grated
-
1 bunch fresh cilantro or dill
-
Salt and freshly ground pepper
-
Pinch of cayenne pepper
-
Zest of ½ lime, finely grated
-
Juice of ½ lime (about 1 tablespoon); reserve the remaining ½ lime in wedges, to serve
-
1 tablespoon olive oil
-
2 big handfuls (about 2 ounces) baby spinach leaves
-
¼ cup water
-
¾ cup long-grain rice
-
Salt
-
1 cup corn kernels (optional)
- Heat the stock in a large saucepan with the onion, two cloves of the garlic, the chilies, beer, if using, and ginger. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems. Set the leaves aside and add the stems to the broth. Bring to a simmer as you prepare the other items.
- To prepare the chicken, preheat the oven to 375°F (you will be baking the chicken immediately after broiling it). Season the chicken with salt, pepper, cayenne, lime zest, lime juice, and olive oil. Switch the oven to broil and broil the meat about 8 minutes, until golden brown, then bake it for about 25 minutes, until cooked through (to an internal temperature of 165°). Pull the chicken from the bone, shredding it. Add the bones and skin, as well as any juices that accumulated in the pan when you cooked it, to the broth pot, and leave that to simmer while you continue your preparations.
- To prepare the tofu, shred or coarsely grate it, then set it on a few stacks of paper towel to drains. Season these with salt, pepper, cayenne, lime zest, and lime juice. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet, and sauté for about 7 minutes, until light golden. Set aside.
- In a blender, combine the cilantro leaves, spinach, the remaining clove of garlic, and the water; blend until smooth.
- Strain the broth (discarding the solids).
- Add the cilantro slurry to the broth, along with the shredded chicken or tofu. Add the rice and corn, if using, and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Serve with wedges of lime.
- This soup can be used immediately, refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
