…according to mommy and Hannah, of course :P
My recipe for chicken soup has certainly come a long way – erm, since Hannah was born. And I’m sure it would continue to evolve.
If anybody has tried using lentil for soups, then it is no surprise that the chicken soup recipe which I’m going to share here doesn’t require additional seasoning. The lentils make it SO good – it is that good.
Okay, here we go.
Ingredients
- Skinless chicken thigh – 1 piece, fats trimmed with scissors
- Fresh corn on cob – 1/2 cob, chop into 2 chunks
- Carrot – 1 small stick, peeled, chop 1/2 of the stick into big chunks and the other 1/2 slice thinly (~2 mm)
- Celery – 1 stick, chop 2/3 of the stick into big chunks and the other 1/3 slice thinly (~2 mm)
- Ginger – 1 slice (~ 3 mm thick), peeled
- Organic red lentils – 1 tbsp
- Water – 250 ml
Method
1) Place all the ingredients into a small pot and bring to boil.
2) Cover the pot and lower the heat to simmer the soup for 45 mins – 1 hour.
3) Discard the ginger, big carrot and celery chunks.
4) Remove the chicken thigh and shred the meat with a fork. Remove the corn and slice off the kernels. Place the shredded chicken and corn kernels in a serving bowl and set aside.
Suggestion to make this chicken soup into a one-dish meal: Soba Noodles in Chicken Soup
5) Add dry soba noodles, sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms and green leafy vegetables (e.g. xiao bai cai, cai xin) into the chicken soup and bring it to boil. Lower the heat a little and let it boil gently for 5 minutes.
6) Empty all the contents of the pot into the serving bowl containing the shredded chicken and corn kernels. Use a pair of clean scissors to cut the noodles into short strands for easy consumption with a spoon.
Yup, absolutely no salt required. This soup is very flavourful on its own. Below is a video clip of Hannah enjoying the dish :)
Hi Ling, can I find out where to find lentil? Thinking of trying out this dish.
Hi Theresa,
Lentils are commonly sold in the dried form here and hence it could be found at the dried foods section of our local supermarkets. Mine was organic and therefore it was located at the organic section. :)
BTW too, Theresa, I forgot to add in my recipe that the pot should be covered during simmering to prevent excessive evaporation of water. I’ve just made the amendment in the post.
Thanks Ling! As you can see, I seldom go into the kitchen! Thought of trying out your recipe this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
Oh i loooove that video of Hannah tucking into her meal with gusto! Never doubt a child’s taste buds. When they say it is good, trust it to be so. I’m saving this recipe for when the cooler weather comes by in Autumn/Winter. Thanks for sharing Ling. :) Hopefully by then my little girl will eat and enjoy as much as Hannah did.
Hi Theresa,
You’re very welcomed :) Pls share with me how it turns out over the weekend. :)
Hi Anna,
Indeed, it was a great feeling watching Hannah enjoy food that was specially prepared for her. Hope that your little girl will like the recipe too! :)
Hi Ling
The recipe is easy-to-follow. We used the soup to make my girl’s porridge while we use it as a soup base for macoroni. It’s a refreshing change from all those MSG-loaded food we eat outside. My girl also loves it! Thanks for the sharing. Oh yes, I managed to get the organic red lentils from NTUC!
Hi Theresa,
You’re very welcomed :D I’m glad to hear that the recipe works for your family and your little girl loved it.
BTW, in case you haven’t already done it, lentils (just like other dried foods) keeps better with refrigeration. This is especially so if the lentils is not going to be used up within a short span of time.
Oh ya, assuming that that was the first time your toddler ate lentils, do observe for any allergic reaction within the next few days. My MIL’s neighbour’s grandson was allergic to lentils.
Thanks for telling me that. I am keeping the lentils in a jar, in the kitchen cabinet! I better start moving that into the fridge. So far, my girl is okay – no major reaction though she has more bowel movement. We are not sure whether that is due to teething or allergy to lentils.
You’re welcomed, Lisa :)
Now that you mentioned about bowel movement, I’m reminded of diarrhoea. Just to share with you a little cure which I discovered for myself and Hannah when we experienced diarrhoea. Eating 1-2 tbsp of plain yoghurt (of good quality, e.g. Australian brands) rich in live bacteria cultures (probiotics) cured us of diarrhoea almost instantly. The good bacteria in yoghurt helps to fight the bad bacteria (that’s causing diarrhoea) in the intestinal tract.
Just tried this soup yesterday… And realized I got the wrong colored lentils! Unfortunately Gabrielle didn’t have more of a positive response to it though it was ok. Her favorite is still lotus root soup or watercress soup. We hoe we can get her to like non soupy things soon though!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the feedback! Gabrielle is also a soup baby like Hannah :D Does she like pasta with bolognaise sauce? Hannah still prefers her food moist. She likes buns too and sometimes we just buy her buns with stuffing when I ran out of time to cook her meal!