Chicken and Watercress Soup Recipe

Photo: Ed Anderson

From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: The Slanted Door

Chicken Watercress Soup
Serves 4-6

If I cook a serious Sunday dinner, I always start with a soup, and I don’t mean clam chowder or puréed vegetables—not that there’s anything wrong with those, of course. But I was raised on clear soup broths like chicken stock. This soup is all about the stock and the watercress. You want to use a lot of watercress, as it will cook down.

DUMPLINGS
1?2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1?2 teaspoon kosher salt
1?2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1?2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1?4 teaspoon baking powder
1?2 teaspoon water

8 cups chicken stock
3-inch piece of ginger, sliced into coins
2 bunches watercress (about 7 ounces total), rinsed and trimmed
Sesame oil
Ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, salt, pepper sugar and fish sauce and toss to combine. In a small bowl, stir together the baking powder and water, and add to the chicken mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, blend the chicken mixture at high speed until it becomes a sticky past and springs back to the touch, about 1-2 minutes.

Using a spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and use the palm of your hands to shape into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

In a medium stockpot over high heat, combine the chicken stock and ginger and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer.

Carefully drop the dumplings into the stockpot and cook until the dumplings float to the surface and meat is cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the watercress and continue to cook for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning with sesame oil, pepper and salt. Serve warm.

More Vietnamese food:
Michelle Phan’s Mother’s Chicken Pho Recipe
Vietnamese Fish Sandwiches
Vietnamese Motorbikes Carry As Many Groceries As Your Station Wago