Greek chicken soup: A zesty twist on a classic comfort dish

The traditional chicken soup we often cook on Sunday is a broth made from meat with added vegetables. It's best to use several types of meat. The vegetable set is fixed, as are the so-called soup greens. Greek chicken soup, on the other hand, is based on chicken broth, but the additives are completely different. One of them is pre-roasted meat.

At the beginning, you might notice quite a few differences. However, both soups are incredibly aromatic and filling. The ingredients list of Greek soup might intrigue you with two ingredients. We practically don't use them in British dishes of this type. The first is fennel, the root of the fennel plant. It's very popular in Mediterranean dishes. It gives the soup its deep aroma because it is rich in essential oils. The second ingredient is something fruity.

Fruit soups are present in British cuisine, or instead, on its periphery. Some recall them as a nightmare from childhood. However, fruits are rarely used to season soups. The exception is lemon juice, which is used to add acidity. In the Greek recipe, these fruits appear twice. One lemon must be thinly sliced and the other squeezed for juice. They influence the soup's aroma and add depth to it.

Do not omit these fruits. They are essential in Greek cuisine and appear as an ingredient in almost every soup — the simplest ones based on beans, lentils, and fish soups. Greeks also ferment lemons. They taste incredible with feta in this form, but that's another topic. This lemon is also in the recipe for Greek chicken soup that I got from a friend. She warned me not to cook it if I missed any ingredients, as it wouldn't taste the same. However, in the case of this lemon, you can make a small concession. Instead of pickled, you can use fresh lemon.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
• 1 onion, diced,
• half a fennel bulb, thinly sliced,
• 7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced,
• 1 pickled lemon, finely chopped,
• just under 2 litres of chicken broth,
• half a previously roasted or grilled chicken,
• 2 cans of chickpeas,
• tarragon,
• salt and pepper to taste,
• lemon juice,
• just over 5 ounces (about 150 grams) of Greek yogurt.

Preparation method:

1. Slowly heat the olive oil in a relatively large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and fennel and sauté for 5-8 minutes. Then add the garlic slices and sauté for another minute. Add the pickled lemon and mix everything.
3. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. Next, add the finely chopped grilled chicken meat and canned chickpeas.
5. Season the soup with lemon juice and sprinkle with finely chopped tarragon.
6. On the plate, add a spoonful of Greek yoghurt to each serving.