Keto Chicken Soup (for the Soul)
"This tasty keto (low carb, high fat) chicken soup uses chicken thighs (skin on) because I remove and use the skins to make great little crispy, crackling garnishes. Truth to be told, they may not even make it to the table because it’s likely you will eat them all before it comes to serving. No judgement here, it’s called #ChefsPrivilege!" – Monya
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Remove the skins from each chicken thigh and slice the skins into thinner strips, approx. 2-3cm thick (they will shrink further when we roast them). NOTE: I find it tricky to slice fatty skin, even with my sharpest knife. It helps to place the skins onto a sheet of baking paper and leaving them in the freezer for 20-25 minutes. Slicing them partially frozen makes it much easier. Once done, keep the slices in the fridge until needed.
Step 2
For the soup, melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened and just starting to caramelise, approx. 10 minutes. Add the skinless thighs, bay leaf, half the thyme sprigs, the chicken stock, and an equal amount of water. It should cover the chicken. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a well-fitting lid and cook for 1 hour 30 min. Check in on it regularly: if your lid is not well-fitting, there will be too much evaporation.
Step 3
About 30 minutes before the chicken soup time is up, start on the crispy skin garnish. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-assisted)./220°C
Step 4
Place the strips of skin (skin side up) onto a well-greased cooking rack set over a baking tray. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in the oven, cooking until the pieces are golden and completely crispy, approx. 15-18 minutes. You could also use your air-fryer (same temperature, air-fryer setting for around 10-15 minutes).
Step 5
After the full 90 minutes of the soup is up, remove the lid and use tongs to remove the chicken thighs from the soup and place them in a large bowl. Find and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, then pour the cream into the saucepan. Use a hand blender right there in the pan to blitz the soup smooth. Leave on a gentle heat to warm through.
Step 6
Now, turn your attention to the bowl of cooked chicken. Slide the meat off the bones and discard the bones. This should be easy, because the low and slow cooking of the chicken will result in it being incredibly tender. Use two forks to shred / pull the soft meat into smaller pieces. Return the meat to the saucepan – along with any juices from the bowl.
Step 7
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed, as well as several generous cracks of black pepper. Ladle the chicken soup between warm bowls and stir in a tablespoon of soured cream in each. Garnish with the crispy skin and the remaining picked thyme leaves.
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
30g Unsalted Butter 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Unsalted 250g -
100g Celery, sliced 1x Sainsbury's Celery -
1 Onion, finely chopped 1x Sainsbury's Onions Loose -
1 Bay Leaf 1x Sainsbury's Bay Leaves 3g -
4 Thyme Sprigs 1x Sainsbury's Bunched Thyme 20g -
150ml Double Cream 1x Sainsbury's British Double Cream 150ml -
500ml Chicken Stock 1x Sainsbury's Stock Cubes, Chicken 10x10g -
1kg Chicken Thighs, (skin-on, bone-in) 1x Sainsbury's British Fresh Chicken Skin on Thighs 1kg -
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
4 tbsp Sour Cream 1x Sainsbury's Soured Cream 300ml -
Maldon Salt, to taste 1x Maldon Sea Salt Flakes 250g