Armenian Chicken, Rice and Lemon Soup from Christine Datian
7 years ago
TheArmenianKitchenhas posted countless soup recipes over the years. Just type the word ‘soup’ in our search bar and you’ll see what I mean.
Christine Datian’s latest recipe in The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, ‘Armenian Chicken, Rice and Lemon Soup’ is rich, thick, tangy, and soothing – just the ticket on a cold, wintry day. With her addition of cooked chicken, this recipe is a one-pot meal the entire family will enjoy.
(Click here to see our recipe for Armenian Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg and Lemon and our related video.)
Christine Datian’sArmenian Chicken, Rice and Lemon Soup
Armenian Chicken, Rice and Lemon Soup by Christine Datian Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh or canned chicken broth (turkey broth may be substituted)
4 cups water
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or diced (or any cooked chicken)
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
3/4 cup basmati rice or a large handful of crushed vermicelli (or egg noodles)
Juice of 2 lemons -and- zest from 1 lemon, optional
2 eggs, beaten
Dried crushed mint and chopped parsley
1 teaspoon sea or Kosher salt
Black or white pepper and paprika
Garnishes: Parsley, dried crushed mint, paprika and sliced lemons
Directions:
In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and water to a full boil. Season with salt and pepper, add the rice or vermicelli, onion, celery and carrot, and cook over medium heat until rice is tender, about 20-22 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shredded chicken, stir a few times, and cook for 10 minutes longer until fully combined.
Beat the eggs with the lemon juice in a medium bowl for a few minutes until frothy, slowly stir in 1/2 cup of the soup broth, and then gradually pour the egg mixture into soup; season to taste. Add the lemon zest, if desired, and stir constantly taking care that broth does not curdle. Remove from heat when soup is hot.
Garnish with parsley, dried crushed mint, paprika and sliced lemons. Serve with Armenian madzoon or Greek yogurt, a crusty Italian or French bread or warm pita bread on the side.
*Christine’s recipes have been published in the Fresno Bee newspaper, Sunset magazine, Cooking Light magazine, and at http://thearmeniankitchen.com/