Eight ingredients, plus pantry staples. That's all it takes to make an entire meal from scratch. Add in a good bottle of wine for $20 or less, and you've got a feast for family or friends.
For as long as I can remember, fall has been my favorite time of year. The crispness in the air, the crunchy leaves underfoot, the melange of pumpkin spice and other autumnal scents in shops, the cornucopias and harvest-themed decorations, the spooky movies and TV shows, costumes and trick-or-treating.
Two things that go well together are spooky season and soup season. The evenings arrive earlier, my Halloweeny playlist is on loop, my array of fall candles is lit and soups of all flavors are on the menu.
For this soup, I wanted something with some toothsome texture, a rich broth and some protein and greens. I opted for Swiss chard, though you can use whatever you have on hand, like kale, spinach, escarole or a mix.
You can add a carb of your choosing—potatoes, rice, noodles, gnocchi—but I wanted to keep the focus on the protein and the greens here, as well as the warmth and roundness that white miso provides.
I’m typically a big texture guy, but in this case, I wanted to keep everything soft and pliable—no big crunchy moments here, making for a cozier couch moment. Sometimes, a big to-do with the garnish is fun, but here, I opted to keep things simple. Give yourself a break and just enjoy the comfort and sustenance of a luxurious broth, tender pulled chicken and fortifying greens.
I opted for the convenience of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you may prefer the deeper flavor and darker hue that comes along with bones and skin. The chicken flavor will definitely be a bit more pronounced and the gelatin will help thicken the broth ever so slightly, but the addition of a bit of dairy (or dairy alternative) at the end of cooking also helps to add heft.
I used half-and-half to finish the soup because I find that too much heavy cream can sometimes be overbearing; use cream sparingly if that’s what you choose. You can also use coconut milk or cream here, too! It’s delicious and almost takes the soup into the territory of thom kha gai.
If you have a nub of almost-used-up Parmigiano-Reggiano on hand, throw the rind in the broth! (And if you don’t, it’s worth going out for a fresh wedge.) You’ll thank me later: The rind adds the perfect amount of savoriness and salinity, with a beguiling “hmm, what’s that?” flavor. When the soup is finished cooking, grate some cheese wildly over the top with a microplane. I love to cover practically the entire surface so that the soup is essentially hidden, which makes “uncovering” it fun and satisfying.
A bright, dry white wine with a good balance of fruit and acidity will work well with the umami flavors in the soup; try a dry Riesling from Alsace or Germany, a dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley or even a sparkling white such as a Crémant or a higher-quality Prosecco Superiore. I also tried the soup with a dry white vermouth and found they paired perfectly. I’ve always been a huge fan of vermouth—often just over ice—and now there are also sparkling and even non-alcoholic vermouths on the market to broaden your pairing options.
Ideally you feel fortified after this savory dish and a good drink, then settle in to watch your fave Halloween-adjacent content. ’Tis the cozy season!
Miso-Poached Chicken Soup with Greens
Pair with a vibrant French white that offers fresh fruit character and juicy acidity to balance the savory, earthy elements in the soup, even better if it has herbal notes that tie in with the greens or any herbs you add. Though it’s getting harder to find top-quality French wines for under $20, the Loire Valley still offers great values, including Chenin Blancs from Vouvray and Montlouis.
Look for wine such as the pure, fresh Lacheteau Vouvray Jacques Dumont 2023 (89 points, $18) and, for just a touch more, the richer, concentrated Vincent Carême Vouvray Le Clos 2022 (92 points, $21). For its reference to autumn leaves, we couldn’t help but mention the juicy, tangy Mosny Montlouis Sur Loire Sec Feuilles d’Automnes 2023 (88, $29), even if it is a bit over budget for 8 & $20.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Approximate food costs: $15
Ingredients
- 2 onions, halved and peeled
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon roasted chicken base (optional)
- Splash of vermouth or dry white wine
- Optional vegetables, such as celery, carrot, parsnip or peeled garlic cloves, all ideally chopped to about the same size
- About 4 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, rind removed and reserved, grated finely on a microplane
- Kosher salt
- 3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2 bone-in, skin-on breasts)
- About 1 1/2 cups of chopped greens of your choosing (more if you prefer a higher greens-to-chicken ratio)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons half-and-half, cream or coconut milk/cream
Preparation
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, place onions, white miso, chicken base, Parmesan rind, wine or vermouth, and—if using—any additional vegetables aside from the greens. Cover with water, salt heavily, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer.
2. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Add chicken and poach for at least 10 minutes. If using bone-in breasts, double the time.
4. Remove chicken, let cool, and shred, chop or cube.
5. Drain broth through a fine mesh strainer.
6. Add greens to strained broth and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add poached chicken pieces back to the broth and let warm through.
8. Stir in the dairy or coconut milk/cream only in the last few minutes of cooking. Otherwise, the broth may “break” and the fat separate out, making for a soup that is still delicious doesn’t look as appetizing.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
10. Ladle into bowls, grate copious amounts of Parmesan over the top, and serve immediately (in pre-warmed bowls, if you really want to be cozy). Accompany the soup with a large hunk of crusty bread slathered in salted butter, breadsticks, grissini, oyster crackers or Saltines. Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a starter
Tips and Tricks
• You can prepare the broth a day or two before you plan to serve the soup. Then at mealtime, reheat it, poach and shred the chicken and add the greens to the broth to cook through.
• I left the broth sort of minimalist, flavored with just the chicken base, onion, garlic and a Parmesan rind, but if you think other herbs, spices or vegetables will enrich the soup and bulk it up for a particularly blustery night, this broth is endlessly riffable.
• Herbs of almost any sort are wonderful here. Finely chop and throw them in just before the soup is finished.
• Be sure to cut your greens quite thinly! There’s nothing less graceful than a clump of broth-soaked greens clinging to your chin as you try to slurp up a spoonful.
• I like big, hearty chunks of chicken, but opt for whatever you prefer, whether that’s small cubes or thin pieces of pulled chicken.
