Hi loves! Today I’m bringing you my all time favorite recipe for comfy homemade chicken soup – the Portuguese recipe! There is a variation on this staple soup in all cultures and countries so I’ve decided to bring you the recipe that I always had back home. In Portugal, this chicken soup is called “Canja de Galinha” and there are lots of little changes you can make so feel free to add or take out any ingredients you don’t fancy. This homemade soup is easy, simple and perfect for when you’re in the mood for something comfy to eat by the fireplace, take to the office in a tupperware or for those annoying sick days when you want to snuggle in bed with something soothing! Over the years, I’ve made some modifications of my own to how my mother makes it, so here’s the recipe we make in our home:
Chicken Soup Recipe “Canja de Galinha” (1 hour+, serves approx 6)
8 cups water (perhaps a little more if you want it more soupy) in a large pan
1 onion diced
2 or 3 carrots peeled and chopped up into little cubes
1/4 cup of fresh ginger which I usually slice into medium pieces
1/4 to 1/2 a chicken I find that somewhere between these is the best amount.
2 cups of rice or super small pasta (like Orzo)
salt to taste
mint
juice of whole lemon
Additional ingredients you can add: 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 boiled eggs
Directions: Put the water on medium heat to boil with the onion, carrot, mint and ginger already in. Once that has come up to a good boil (maybe leave it about 20 minutes on full boil), the veggies are soft and you see the water is taking on the smell and color of the ingredients, then add the chicken and cover the pan. Set on a slightly lower heat to avoid overflowing of water etc. Add salt now if you wish, or else later when you serve it. Let the chicken boil about 30 minutes (sometimes if I have time I leave it longer even!) – you’ll know that it’s ready if you poke it with a knife and the meat begins to fall away very easily from the bones. When the chicken is ready, remove it from the pan and set aside to cool down a little. I often cut it up a little so that the heat on the inside areas can escape and it cools faster. Add the rice or pasta to the water and cover once again. While that is cooking, cut up the chicken into desired size. I like mine in small chunks so it takes me a little while! The rice/pasta shouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes. When it’s cooked, throw the chicken pieces back in!
To serve: When you serve, add some fresh mint on top and squeeze in some fresh lemon juice to desired taste. Lemon is not usually in the Portuguese version, but I decided to add it after tasting the Greek version of this soup (which has lemon) and it gives it a yummy kick! If you’re into spice then you could add some slices of jalapeño too, pepper etc.
And that’s it! Let me know if you made this comfy homemade Portuguese chicken soup recipe in the comments below and as usual, follow more over on my ‘Gram!
Yummy!!!!