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Georgian Chicken Soup (Chikhirtma)

Georgian Chicken Soup (Chikhirtma)

This pearly Georgian chicken soup (chikhirtma) is incredibly satisfying to make—while relatively hands-off—with all of the components are built from scratch. OR Adapted from Darra Goldstein, this egg-and-flour-thickened Georgian chicken soup (chikhirtma) is pearly, fresh, and light.

  • Makes
    6 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hr 45 min
  • Active time plus cooling
    45 min active
  • Rating

We wanted a chicken soup that tastes fresh and light, yet also robust and satisfying. We found our answer in chikhirtma, a traditional soup from Georgia, the Eurasian country that bridges Turkey and Russia. Georgian cuisine often marries Western techniques with Eastern flavors. We used a recipe from Darra Goldstein, author of “The Georgian Feast,” as our starting point. Her chikhirtma calls for a whole chicken, but that much meat made the soup feel heavy, so we used just chicken legs. We built flavor with bunches of dill and cilantro stems and a head of garlic, as well as coriander, cinnamon and bay leaves.

Tip

Don’t substitute white meat. Bone-in dark meat is better suited to this recipe. The bones and collagen add flavor and body to the broth, and the dark meat is less apt to dry out.

Ingredients
  • For the broth and chicken
  • 1

    bunch fresh cilantro

  • 1

    bunch fresh dill

  • 1

    garlic head, halved crosswise

  • 2½-3

    pounds bone-in skin-on chicken legs

  • 10

    cups water

  • 1

    large yellow onion, peeled and quartered

  • 1

    teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1

    teaspoon black peppercorns

  • ½

    teaspoon coriander seeds

  • ½

    teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 1

    3-inch cinnamon stick

  • 2

    bay leaves

  • For the soup
  • 1

    pound carrots (about 5 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch pieces

  • 1

    large yellow onion, coarsely chopped (about 1½ cups)

  • 3

    tablespoons salted butter

  • ¼

    teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½

    cup dry vermouth

  • 1

    tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 6

    large egg yolks

  • ¼

    cup lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)

  • Ground black pepper

Step 1

Tie the stems of the cilantro and dill into bundles, then trim off the leaves, reserving ¼ cup of each for garnish.

In a large pot, combine both sets of stems, the chicken and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the garlic head and transfer the chicken to a plate and cool until easily handled.

Once cool, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin, bones and cartilage. Set aside.

Step 2

To make the soup, strain the broth into another pot or bowl, discarding the solids.

Wipe out the empty pot, then add the carrots, onion, butter and salt. Set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the vermouth, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add 2 cups of the broth and stir until smooth, then add the remaining broth and bring to a simmer.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks. Continue whisking while slowly adding 1 cup of hot broth from the pot.

Whisk in the lemon juice, then return the mixture to the pot and whisk to combine.

Add the chicken and any accumulated juices and cook until just heated through (do not simmer). Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with chopped cilantro and dill leaves.

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