A one-pot soup meal made with leftovers and greens, this is great for a working day dinner or when you’ve got surprise guests
Part two of the Lettuce Series as I’ve dubbed it was about throwing things into a large pot to put together a soup – the kind that makes life a whole lot better (read: bearable) when your home has been invaded by painters and you are sneezing your head off courtesy allergies. The Chicken Lettuce Soup isn’t a planned recipe but it’s the kind that, after you’ve sampled, you realise needs to be shared with the world. Or the little pockets of the world this blog reaches.
The best thing about this soup is that the mothership liked it and trust me when I say, her liking food that has chicken (she’s developing a dislike for chicken and meat) and lettuce (read part one of the Lettuce Series) made me feel like a parent whose child has accomplished something major in life!
A one-pot soup meal made with leftovers and greens, this is great for a working day dinner or when you’ve got surprise guests
Part two of the Lettuce Series as I’ve dubbed it was about throwing things into a large pot to put together a soup – the kind that makes life a whole lot better (read: bearable) when your home has been invaded by painters and you are sneezing your head off courtesy allergies. The Chicken Lettuce Soup isn’t a planned recipe but it’s the kind that, after you’ve sampled, you realise needs to be shared with the world. Or the little pockets of the world this blog reaches.
The best thing about this soup is that the mothership liked it and trust me when I say, her liking food that has chicken (she’s developing a dislike for chicken and meat) and lettuce (read part one of the Lettuce Series) made me feel like a parent whose child has accomplished something major in life!
Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it
For regular updates on recipes, recommendations on things to read and watch and ramblings that make sense, subscribe to the newsletter – you’ll find the form in the sidebar if viewing on a screen and at the bottom if viewing on the phone. Since spamming or flooding your inbox is a huge no for me, these newsletters go out only when I’ve put up a new post or sometimes, once in a month only.
Chicken Lettuce Soup
A one-pot soup meal made with leftovers and greens, this is great for a working day dinner
250 grams Smoked chicken (shredded/boneless)
200 grams Lettuce
1 Carrot
1 cup Cooked noodles/spaghetti (optional)
1 Onion
1/2 inch Ginger (grated)
6 cloves Garlic
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Chicken stock cubes
Salt (as required)
Black pepper powder (as required)
1 litre Water
Peel and mince the onion and garlic cloves.
Peel and cut the carrot into cubes
In a large pot, heat olive oil.
Add onion, garlic, ginger and sauté till the onion is slightly translucent.
Throw in the carrots.
Pour in the water, add the chicken stock cubes, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure there are no stock cube lumps.
Cube or tear the cooked chicken and add to the simmering pot of soup.
Wash the lettuce well, tear and add to the soup.
Add the cooked noodles/spaghetti if using.
Check the seasoning and add salt and/or pepper if required.
Adjust the consistency of the soup with water if required.
A one-pot soup meal made with leftovers and greens, this is great for a working day dinner or when you’ve got surprise guests
Part two of the Lettuce Series as I’ve dubbed it was about throwing things into a large pot to put together a soup – the kind that makes life a whole lot better (read: bearable) when your home has been invaded by painters and you are sneezing your head off courtesy allergies. The Chicken Lettuce Soup isn’t a planned recipe but it’s the kind that, after you’ve sampled, you realise needs to be shared with the world. Or the little pockets of the world this blog reaches.
The best thing about this soup is that the mothership liked it and trust me when I say, her liking food that has chicken (she’s developing a dislike for chicken and meat) and lettuce (read part one of the Lettuce Series) made me feel like a parent whose child has accomplished something major in life!
Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it
For regular updates on recipes, recommendations on things to read and watch and ramblings that make sense, subscribe to the newsletter – you’ll find the form in the sidebar if viewing on a screen and at the bottom if viewing on the phone. Since spamming or flooding your inbox is a huge no for me, these newsletters go out only when I’ve put up a new post or sometimes, once in a month only.
Chicken Lettuce Soup
A one-pot soup meal made with leftovers and greens, this is great for a working day dinner
250 grams Smoked chicken (shredded/boneless)
200 grams Lettuce
1 Carrot
1 cup Cooked noodles/spaghetti (optional)
1 Onion
1/2 inch Ginger (grated)
6 cloves Garlic
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Chicken stock cubes
Salt (as required)
Black pepper powder (as required)
1 litre Water
Peel and mince the onion and garlic cloves.
Peel and cut the carrot into cubes
In a large pot, heat olive oil.
Add onion, garlic, ginger and sauté till the onion is slightly translucent.
Throw in the carrots.
Pour in the water, add the chicken stock cubes, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure there are no stock cube lumps.
Cube or tear the cooked chicken and add to the simmering pot of soup.
Wash the lettuce well, tear and add to the soup.
Add the cooked noodles/spaghetti if using.
Check the seasoning and add salt and/or pepper if required.
Adjust the consistency of the soup with water if required.
All this while, I was always under the impression that Biryani was colloquially called as Brinji in Tamil Nadu . Not sure, how I got that into my head ;well am thinking still !
Coming to my encounter with Brinji; recently on our way back from Chennai ,we had a lunch stop over at famous restaurant near Kanjivaram and that's where I first tasted this Brinji . I had ordered a mini thali which had 3 flavored rice along with some Poori and curry . One of the flavored rice looked like pulao,but it was garnished with bread crumbs .
Intrigued by that presentation, I asked the waiter what's that and he replied "Akka adhu Brinji". That was my first taste of Brinji a.k.a Birinji .
Without wasting a moment ,I took a spoonful and I must tell you; I totally fell in love with the flavors . That's when my myth was broken and I realized that Brinji is not Biryani and also it is a vegetarian recipe and has no meat .
It was a riot of flavor explosion. The essence from fennel;sombu as it is called in Tamil and slightly over powering flavor of ginger, garlic ,bay leaf mint along with the vegetables was a treat to the taste buds.
What is Brinji ?
Brinji is made using Jeera Samba rice which is a native rice used for Biryanis in TN . A melange of flavors from whole spices , fresh mint , ginger garlic paste along with fresh vegetables is what makes Brinji a delight .
The other main flavor enhancer is the use of coconut milk to cook the rice. The subtle sweetness from the coconut milk lends a wonderful balance of flavors to the palate with every mouthful .Served with a slightly watery onion raita and a veg kurma, the Brinji is a whole meal by itself and keeps us full .
I wanted to try this Brinji ever since I tasted it,but somehow it kept getting delayed, but today we wanted to eat something different for lunch and I immediately told hubby I am making Brinji that too with my own recipe trying to replicate what I ate remembering the taste .
I am told that Brinji is a very common in the vegetarian menu during Christmas and New Year parties in Tamil Nadu . So for the upcoming year end parties, you could also make it for your office potluck or friends' get together .
Preparation Time - 30 mins Cooking Time- 30 mins Complexity - medium Serves - 3 to 4
Ingredients
1.5 cups Basmati rice 1 cup coconut milk (canned or home made) 2 cups water 1 carrot cut into long strips 2 small potatoes cut into long strips 8 to 10 French beans cut into 1 " strips 1 medium onion cut length wise 3 to 4 green chillies slit 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 2 bay leaves /tej patta/ birinji elai 3 to 4 cloves/lavang 1 inch stick cinnamon/dalchini/pattai 2 to 3 cardamom/elaichi /elakkai 1.5 tsp fennel /saunf /sombu Handful of chopped mint leaves Handful of chopped corriander leaves Salt as needed 2 tbsp cooking oil 3 tbsp ghee
Method
Wash the basmati rice and soak it in water for 20 mins and then drain it .
Heat the pressure cooker vessel with oil and ghee .
Crackle the fennel seeds and the whole spices until they turn aromatic.
Saute the onions until transparent followed by the mint leaves , ginger garlic paste and vegetables.
Let the fat coat the vegetables and saute ginger garlic until the raw flavor is lost . This will prevent the ginger garlic paste from burning and sticking to the pan's base .
Add required salt ,coconut milk and water . Bring it to a boil .
Add the drained Basmati rice. Check for salt and adjust if needed. Add the fresh corriander and close the cooker lid .
Pressure cook for 2 whistles on high flame and turn off. Let the pressure release naturally.
Open it and wait for 5 mins before you can fluff it . Trying to fluff immediately will make it mushy .
Roast cashews in ghee and add it to the brinji . You may also add some fried or toasted bread crumbs for extra taste.
Serve hot with onion raita and a gravy of your choice.
Pulao / Pulav is a one pot meal that can be prepared in minutes and there are different varieties of pulao from veg to non-veg. There are sometimes, when we don’t have anything at home, but still need a rich food may be for a party or on the arrival of surprise guest. Plain Pulao […]
TikTok Salmon Rice Bowl | Honey and Soy glazed Salmon RiceThis leftover meal commonly eaten in Japanese and Korean households became viral when a Tik Toker Emily Mariko shared a video of her version of this dish. A delightful dish with a lot of umami, this Salmon Rice Bowl is very easy to cook. I learned it from my thirteen year old daughter and while she goes the whole Korean route eating it
Login
