Canja de Galinha
Portuguese Chicken Soup with Small Pasta and Mint
A clear, pale chicken broth with shreds of meat, a little grated carrot, tiny pasta and a sprig of mint dropped in at the table. The mint is what makes it Portuguese. The scent that rises off the bowl is half the soup.
It is the national get-well soup and an everyday first course. Both Portuguese recipes read finish the bowl with fresh mint and use small soup pasta; rice is the other common choice.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs, skin on (about 1 kg)
- 2 litres cold water
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 120 g small soup pasta (stars or orzo) or 100 g long-grain rice
- A few sprigs of mint
- Lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
Method
- Poach the chicken Put the chicken, water, onion, whole carrot, garlic and salt in a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, skim off the foam, then lower the heat and simmer very gently, partly covered, for 50 to 60 minutes, until the meat is falling from the bone.
- Strain Lift out the chicken and carrot. Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pan and skim off most of the fat. You should have about 1.5 litres; top up with water if not.
- Shred When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and shred the meat. Dice or coarsely grate the carrot.
- Cook the pasta Bring the broth back to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or as the packet says, until tender. Return the chicken and carrot to the pan and heat through until piping hot. Taste for salt.
- Serve Ladle into bowls and add a small sprig of mint to each. Offer lemon wedges.
Food safety
Cool any leftover soup quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat until piping hot.
Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil makes the broth cloudy.
Pasta goes on swelling in the broth. If you are making the soup ahead, cook the pasta when you reheat it.