BEAUTY VEBOTTO

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Chicken Soup with Chickpeas

Chicken broth:

• 3-pound whole chicken, giblets reserved for another use
• 3 carrots, cut into thirds
• 3 ribs celery, cut into thirds
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• Salt
• Water

Soup:

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
• 3 ribs celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 tablespoon paprika (you can supplement this with a little smoked paprika for smoky undertones)
• Crushed red pepper to taste
• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup elbow macaroni
• 5 ounces baby spinach or Lacinato kale
• Salt and pepper to taste

Make the broth:

1. Place chicken in a large stockpot and cover with water by about 1–2 inches. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and season liberally with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1–2 hours. Skim off any foam or scum from the top as it cooks.
2. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a bowl.
3. Return the stock to a low boil (rapid simmer) for 20 minutes to reduce it further. It will deepen in color.

Prepare the chicken:

1. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Pick the meat from the bones and shred or cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Reserve carcass for another use. Set the meat aside.

Strain the broth:

1. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.

Cook the soup:

1. Heat the neutral oil in the pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5–7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Return the chicken to the pot and add the chickpeas.
3. Pour in the prepared broth. You should have enough to cover the ingredients in the pot fully. Supplement it with water if needed. Taste and season once more.
4. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the carrots are almost fork-tender.

Finish the soup:

1. Bring the soup back to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni to the soup (note: you can cook it separately if you don’t like pasta swelling). Cook for 8–10 minutes until pasta is al dente.
2. Reduce heat to low and stir in spinach. Let simmer for 3–4 minutes. Turn off the heat.

To serve:

1. Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy!