Transform Chicken Soup Into 3 Exotic Meals
It doesn’t get much more comforting than chicken soup. Make a big pot, set it on a table along with a bunch of different toppings, and let your guests transform their servings into one of these flavorsome one-dish wonders. Jennifer Rubell shares the ultimate in communal dining.
style tips: vietnamese
Royal purple, verdant green, shiny silver and Asian knickknacks give the meal an elegant Indochina feel. A statue stand acts as a soup trivet, while low votive holders make for unusual teacups.
Simple Chicken Soup
serves 8
2 whole chickens, each cut into
8 pieces (or 16 pieces of whatever chicken parts you like)
8 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2” lengths
6 celery stalks, cut into 2” lengths
2 large yellow onions, cut into eighths
5 bay leaves
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
In a large pot, combine chicken, carrots, celery, onions, bay leaves and parsley with 16 cups of water. Place over high heat, uncovered, and after it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook 1 hour, occasionally skimming the foam off the top. Remove the bay leaves and parsley, and serve from the pot, alongside whatever toppings you choose.
This version is light and refreshing, with a bright herbal flavor and a kick of spice. (Cue the slow-spinning ceiling fans.)
style tips: mexican
Channel Mexico’s cosmopolitan side with rough-hewn clay bowls and Aztec-y utensils. Frida Kahlo-inspired greens and yellows pop against a black tablecloth, while a native beer served in its bright-labeled bottle brings its own visual punch.
A classic sopa de tortilla packed with zesty south-of-the-border flavors and all the colors of the Mexican flag.
serving suggestions
1. Instead of purchasing an expensive tablecloth, buy fabric you love and have it hemmed. It can be much cheaper, and you’ll have an exact match for your color scheme.
2. Don’t hide the implements you used to prepare the meal: Bring the soup out in the vessel it was cooked in; keep a cutting board on the table for slicing limes; leave ground spices in a mortar and pestle. There’s something wonderfully casual about an interactive meal.
3. Bowls and platters that have contrasting shapes and textures create visual intrigue and a relaxed mood. Play around with food’s colors and shapes, too: bright green limes next to darker basil leaves, and so on.
4. To help guests figure out how much of a given ingredient they should take, choose serving utensils that are just the right size: an itty-bitty spoon for spicy sauces, a big set of tongs for noodles.
5. If you have leftover soup, pour the broth into an ice-cube tray. You’ll have ready-to-use chicken stock whenever a recipe calls for it.
style tips: moroccan
Rusts and ochers echo Northern Africa’s tawny landscape. To really go native, throw some pillows on the floor and light a bunch of candelabras. Mint leaves in a brass vase are an edible bouquet.
Sweet and fiery, this dish has the heady aroma of a Marrakech souk.
Toppings shopping list:
Vietnamese
10 dried chiles
1 bunch each fresh Thai or regular basil, cilantro and mint, rinsed
1 package rice noodles, cooked
4 limes, cut into wedges
4 oz. bean sprouts
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 bottle fish sauce
1 bunch scallions, rinsed and sliced
Mexican
2 Hass avocados, chopped
1 bag tortilla chips
4 limes, cut into wedges
5 jalapeños, sliced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed
3 cups fresh corn kernels, or 2 cans, drained
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 container sour cream
Moroccan
1 package couscous, cooked
4 oz. dried currants zest of 3 oranges
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 bunch fresh mint, rinsed
1 tube or container harissa
1 bottle cumin seeds, ground
4 oz. sliced almonds
Photographs by James Baigrie
Styling by Olga Naima
