Chicken Soup Recipe by Marcus Samuelsson

Leftover Chicken Soup

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This chicken soup is fragrant with ginger, star anise, and lemongrass, and uses whole chickens to make a nearly no-waste meal.

Marcus Samuelsson

Updated on August 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Leftover Chicken Soup — Photo: Abby Hocking

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 30 mins

Servings:

Marcus Samuelsson's chicken soup is just what you need on a chilly night. He uses the whole bird — from the bones to the skin and the livers — to make a delicious no-waste soup.

Samuelsson starts with the stock, making it from chicken carcasses to get every bit of flavor from the bird. He chars onions and ginger, and adds those along with aromatic star anise, fish sauce, and lemongrass to the stock to further build the flavors. Feel free to substitute store-bought stock and upgrade it by simmering it with charred vegetables.

While the stock simmers, Samuelsson makes a rolled Japanese-style omelet with eggs, mirin, and soy sauce to add to the soup when it is served. He also sears the chicken livers and skin, shreds the chicken for the soup, and prepares the shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, scallions, and other additions. The result is a bowl full of flavor, without wasting a thing.

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Ingredients

Broth

Two whole chicken carcasses, cleaned of meat, roughly chopped (from 2 (4-pound) chickens)
3 ounces fish sauce
2 pods star anise
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
12 cups water
8 ounces fresh ginger, peeled
4 large white onions, quartered

Egg Ribbon

3 large eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin
2 teaspoons chopped chives

Soup

4 cups chicken broth (see above)
4 ounces rice noodles, cooked
6 ounces shredded cooked chicken
2 Egg Ribbons (see above)
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, julienned
2 ounces scallions, sliced
1 ounce bean sprouts
1 head baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 ounces Napa cabbage, sliced
2 pieces crispy chicken skin

Directions

Make the broth

Place chicken carcasses in a large stockpot and cover with water; bring to a boil to remove any impurities from bones. Once bones have been washed, remove from boiling water.
Place chicken carcasses, fish sauce, star anise, lemongrass, and water in a separate stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, on a grill or in a cast-iron pan, char white onions and ginger then add to stockpot. Simmer broth for 2 hours, then strain and reserve 4 cups to serve 2 people.

Make the egg ribbons

Whisk eggs in a small bowl with soy and mirin. Brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet with oil. Add egg mixture and swirl skillet evenly to coat. Cook over moderate heat until egg is almost set, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, roll up omelet. Transfer rolled omelet to a work surface to cool, then thinly slice into ribbons.

Make the soup

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and sear chicken livers until browned, about 2 minutes per side, turning halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken livers to a plate. Add chicken skin pieces to the same pan and sear until browned and crispy on both sides.
Divide reserved broth between 2 large bowls. Add noodles, shredded chicken, chicken livers, egg ribbons, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, sprouts, bok choy, and cabbage to each bowl. Garnish with a sprinkle of crispy chicken skin and serve.