Chicken Soup for Cold Nights and Long Weeks
By Chef Rachel Globensky
January in Northwestern Ontario can test even the most committed winter people. Days (or weeks) of -25°C or colder, so cold the snow squeaks and car tires are square? Sounds like a “no thanks” from me. If you need me, I’ll be under a fleece blanket with a dog at my feet, waiting it out.
Enter Ciorbă Rădăuțeană (say: “CHOR-buh ruh-dah-oo-TSEH-ah-nah”). A creamy chicken (or turkey) soup made with shredded meat, blended veggies, and a splash of white wine vinegar, it’s perfect for being snowed in during Alberta clippers, polar vortexes, and other ridiculous January weather.
This soup comes from the Rădăuți region of Romania, and is best described as warming, with a gentle, bright tang to it. Using flavour-rich poultry pieces like thighs, wings, backs, and necks to build the broth makes the whole house smell incredible. The meat is simmered first, then veggies like carrots, parsnips, celery, onions, and peppers are added. The sour note comes from vinegar or lemon juice, depending on what you like and have on hand.
What makes it the best is the liaison: egg yolks, sour cream, and a little bit of flour tempered with hot stock so everything stays smooth. The result is a silky, comforting soup that still feels light. It’s served hot, usually with parsley, and often with extra sour cream, vinegar, or hot peppers on the side, for anyone who wants to dial it up a notch.
A quick note before you start
If you’re using a whole chicken, it needs to be broken down first. The broth relies on exposed bones and joints to build flavour, and a whole bird left intact just won’t do the same job. There are plenty of quick videos online if you’d rather watch than read, but if you’re comfortable with a knife or kitchen shears, here’s a quick breakdown of the breakdown:
Cut through the skin to remove the legs, then pop the joint to separate them from the body.
Separate the drumsticks from the thighs.
Cut off the wings.
Split the breast in half by cutting through the breastbone.
A few pointers:
Don’t worry about neatness, but be careful with the slippery bits.
Use the back and neck, as they add real depth to the broth.
Trim away excess fat, but don’t remove it all. A little fat adds flavour; too much can make the broth greasy.
If something doesn’t come apart easily, you’re likely not at the joint. Shift your knife slightly and try again.
Ciorbă Rădăuțeană
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (1.5–1.8 kg), broken down or 1.5–1.8 kg bone-in chicken pieces ( 6–8 thighs, or a mix of thighs/drumsticks/bone-in breasts)
2 carrots, peeled and chunked
1 parsnip, peeled and chunked
2–3 celery ribs, chunked
1 whole onion, peeled
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and halved
2–3 bay leaves
8–10 whole peppercorns
1 c full-fat sour cream
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp flour (reduced from traditional amount)
4–5 garlic cloves, grated or pressed
Salt, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
White wine vinegar, to taste (start with 2–3 Tbsp; adjust at the end)
Preparation
Step 1
Make the broth: put the chicken pieces into a large pot. Cover it with about 4–5 cups of cold water, add a good pinch of salt, and bring it up to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam that comes to the top. Once it’s boiling gently, add the carrots, parsnip, celery, onion, red pepper, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Let everything simmer on low for about an hour or so, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are nice and soft.
Step 2
Remove and discard the bay leaves and peppercorns. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool enough to handle. Take out the vegetables, setting the carrots aside. Purée only the parsnip and celery (save the peppers and onion for another use), then stir the purée back into the stock to give the soup body without making it heavy. Remove the chicken skin and bones, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, and return it to the pot along with the sliced carrots. (Save the bones for another stock)
Step 3
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg yolks, flour, and garlic. To keep everything from curdling, slowly temper the mixture by whisking in a ladle of hot broth, then another. Do this a few times until it’s warm and smooth. Pour the mixture into the soup while stirring, and keep the heat low (you don’t want it to boil). Let it warm through for about five minutes so it turns silky.
Step 4
Stir in the white wine vinegar, taste, and adjust as needed—it’s easier to add than to take away here! Add salt or more vinegar to your liking, and finish with a little chopped parsley.
Serve with crusty bread or mămăligă(a kind of Romanian soft polenta). Poftă bună!
