Quinoa and Chicken Soup with French Lentils and Herbs

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.35 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken parts, or a whole chicken, patted dry with paper towels

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups (240 g) finely diced carrots

1½ cups (225 g) finely diced celery

1½ cups (225 g) finely diced onion

6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and finely ground

3 bay leaves

2 dried chiles, such as chiles de árbol

3 quarts (3 liters) chicken broth

¾ cup (135 g) dried French green lentils

¾ cup (135 g) uncooked quinoa

A couple of big handfuls of mixed fresh herbs and greens: choose from fresh parsley, cilantro, arugula, torn escarole, thinly sliced cabbage (optional)

Directions

Pull the skin off the chicken and set aside for making schmaltz (see Note). Or leave the skin on during cooking (for flavor) and pull it off and discard when you're picking off the chicken meat.

Heat a glug of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper, add to the pot, and brown nicely on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, coriander, bay leaves, and chiles. Reduce the heat and cook until the vegetables are softer and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pot, add the chicken broth, and season with a big pinch of salt (unless your chicken broth is salty) and black pepper. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the liquid simmers merrily but is not at a rolling boil (which would emulsify the fat from the chicken). Simmer, skimming off any foam from time to time,

until the chicken is cooked, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a tray. When it's cool enough to handle, pick off all the meat, pulling or cutting the larger parts (like the breasts, if using) into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, add the lentils to the simmering soup and cook for 10 minutes, then add the quinoa. Simmer until the lentils and quinoa are both cooked, another 15 minutes or so. Return the chicken to the pot to simmer for a few more minutes to heat the chicken through.

Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Discard the bay leaves. When it's time to serve the soup, toss in the herbs and greens, let them wilt, and then serve the soup in big bowls.

Notes

Adding quinoa to soups (tricolor quinoa looks great here) pumps up the nutrition but keeps the soup's texture light. Making chicken soup always feels old school to me, like I'm someone's Jewish grandma, so I go all-in and render the chicken skin to make schmaltz, a wonderful fat for frying potatoes in later (see Note). —Makes 3 quarts (3 L), serves 6 to 8

Note: To make schmaltz, simply put the uncooked chicken skin in a small pot over very low heat. Let it cook slowly until all the fat has rendered from the skin and you're left with golden fat and a few bits of crunchy skin. (These crunchy bits are called gribenes. They are a perfect snack for the cook.