Chicken Soup: The classic comfort food that just needs to be simmering

There's something about the winter months that makes me crave a hearty bowl of soup, especially when I'm feeling exhausted.

It's a chicken soup that just needs to simmer.

It's so good, it's almost worth the effort. 

This is chicken soup that just needs to be cooked. 

Chicken Soup

 Ingredients for 4 servings

• 1 chicken, about 1kg
• spring onions
• One onion
• Whole garlic clove
• small piece of ginger
• water

Additional ingredients: jujube, ginseng, salt, pepper, etc.

You can make the dashi ginger any way you like. 

For a simple version, simply whisk together 2 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tsp minced garlic, soy sauce and salt. 

The cooking process 

1. Prepare the chicken

Wash the chicken thoroughly, removing any bones and fat. 

Rinse several times under running water and drain to reduce any offal.

 

2. Boil the stock

Pour 3 litres of water into a large saucepan. Add the spring onions, onion, whole garlic and ginger. 

Add the chicken and simmer on a high heat for about 30 minutes. 

Add any additional ingredients, such as dates or ginseng, if you have them.

3. Adjust the heat and remove the foam

Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to medium and skim off any foam that rises. 

After 20 minutes of simmering, turn off the heat and remove the chicken. 

Once removed, de-bone the chicken. 

It's best to do this with gloves as it will be hot. 

Don't throw the bones away, you can use them to make chicken stock. 

4. Organize the stock

If you added dates or ginseng to the stock in addition to the onion, scallions, and garlic, remove them. 

The chicken also produces a lot of fat, so if you don't like it, use a cotton cloth or ladle to skim it off. 

Once you've strained the stock, add the shredded chicken and bring to a gentle simmer. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and top with the sliced scallions just before serving. 

5. Tips for enjoying

Serve with dahdagi: If you like spicy flavors, prepare dahdagi to serve on the side. Made with red pepper flakes and minced garlic, the dadagi adds flavor to the broth. 

With rice: Chicken gomtang can be a hearty meal when served with rice. 

Adding kimchi and kakdugi to the soup makes it even better than the restaurant version. 

With vermicelli: Add soaked vermicelli to the soup for a different texture. 

Wrapping up

Chicken gomtang is a great way to recover from fatigue and boost your immune system because it contains protein-rich chicken and warming ginger and garlic. 

It can also help prevent colds by warming you up, especially during the winter months. 

This chicken broth recipe is so simple that all you need to do is simmer it. 

It's great for the cold winter months, but it's also a great substitute for hot summer. 

Enjoy your chicken soup and stay healthy.

This is a translation of an article I wrote for DeepL.