Toasted Naan and Chicken Soup

Author Nik Sharma uses mild Kashmiri chile to give this soup recipe its gorgeous deep red color. If you're not finding this spice at your local supermarket, you can use 1/2 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and ground ancho chile powder.

toasted naan and chicken soup
Photo: Carson Downing
Total Time:
50 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
4 cups

Ingredients

  • Seeds of 2 green cardamom pods

  • 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup finely diced red onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon ground Kashmiri chile, (or 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp. ground ancho chile powder)

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

  • 2 cup shredded cooked chicken

  • 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

  • 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 2 naan

  • 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved

  • 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves

  • 2 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion

  • 1 serrano pepper, seeded (if desired) and thinly sliced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind cardamom seeds. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a 4- to 5-qt. stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cardamom, garlic, ground chile, garam masala, and turmeric. Cook 30 to 45 seconds more or until fragrant.

  2. Add tomatoes and their juices. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken. Cook 2 minutes. Add broth, corn, and lime juice. Increase heat to high; bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer gently, covered, 10 to 12 minutes or until corn is tender. Stir in salt. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, cut naan into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Spread on a baking sheet. Drizzle with additional 2 Tbsp. oil. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. (Naan will crisp as it cools.) Let cool.

  4. Garnish soup with toasted naan, hard-boiled eggs, cilantro, green onion, and serrano pepper. Serves 4.

Homemade Garam Masala

Heat a small dry skillet over medium-high. Reduce heat and add 2 Tbsp. each cumin seeds and coriander seeds, 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns, 2 dried bay leaves, one 2-inch cinnamon stick, 12 whole cloves, and 1 tsp. each whole black cardamom pods and whole green cardamom pods. Toast 30 to 45 seconds or until the spices become fragrant, shaking the pan. (If spices burn, discard and start fresh.) Transfer toasted spices to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Add 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. ground mace; grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place up to 6 months.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

593 Calories
29g Fat
46g Carbs
38g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 593
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 248mg 83%
Sodium 1076mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 46g 17%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 20.7mg 104%
Calcium 147mg 11%
Iron 4.7mg 26%
Potassium 705mg 15%
Folate, total 97.1mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.9mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.6mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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