Don't skip the 'hated' ingredient for the best chicken soup
While I could very easily devour a bowl of any soup at any time in the colder months – leek and potato and minestrone are current favourites – a nourishing chicken soup always makes me feel instantly soothed in the winter months.
Because it's cold and flu season, I always lean more towards broth-like chicken soups, but when a friend recommended me this old-school creamy chicken soup recipe I was hesitant to try it.
Why? Celery.
Celery: a divisive soup ingredient
I've never been a celery fan. Hate's a strong word, but where celery's concerned, I think it's appropriate.
Even as a kid I despised it, and now as an adult I'm quick to replace it or omit it from recipes altogether. Something about the grassy flavour, the bitter taste and the smell makes me want to run for the hills.
What Australia thinks of celery in soup
I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way. We asked our Facebook community whether they're fans of celery and we were met with decidedly mixed reviews.
While some loved the taste, there were many who were very vocal about their opinions. Here's what they said:
'That's a no from me.' – Keryn
'Ohhh no no no… yuck.' – Lesley
'No, not a fan. It tastes horrible.' – Melanie
In defence of celery in chicken soup
Despite my celery concerns, the chicken soup recipe looked so hearty and delicious that I still thought it was worth a try – and I definitely trust this particular friend's food recommendations.
Plus, the 4.8 star rating across over 70 reviews was pretty convincing:
'This one is a WINNER! Chicken dinner …. so nice. It's going to become a regular monthly meal.' – Vittoriasecrets
'Beautiful soup! Hubby is a soup fanatic and looooves this.'- doodooyang
'Really delicious recipe. First time making chicken soup and it turned out really well.' – GinaB
Why you should put celery in your soup
It was Amira, our Digital Food Director, who reassured me that not only will celery mellow when cooked in this recipe, but it's the celery that actually helps make the recipe taste as good as it does.
She says: 'Celery is often used to make stocks and broths as it adds a mellow herbaceousness and helps balance flavours.'
'It's also always used in mirepoix (a mixture of onion, carrot and celery) as a flavour base for stews, sauces and soups.'
Celery in chicken soup: the verdict
I put my celery fears aside, listened to Amira, and made the recipe exactly. And you know what? She was right!
Once the celery has done its job of adding flavour, all the lumps of used celery get discarded, and all you're left with is smooth, velvety, creamy chicken soup. Instant comfort!
The recipe basically comes together in two steps: the flavouring of the stock and combining the cream.
Step 1
Begin by creating the stock with chicken maryland pieces, liquid stock, onion, celery and leek. Simmer for about an hour to allow the flavours to develop and the chicken to cook. Once it's ready, remove the chicken to shred the meat and strain out any solids.
Step 2
The next and final step is creating the cream base with butter, flour and pure cream. The two components are combined and the shredded chicken is returned to the pot to create a luscious creamy, rich and hearty soup.
So step aside, minestrone, leek and potato and chicken broth. This is without question my new go-to winter soup recipe.
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