Romanian Sour Chicken Soup - Low Carb Version
This soup has been our favorite for a very long time. I used to cook it following the classic Radautean Soup recipe, but, since the low-carb diet, I had to adjust it for myself as well. The children didn't notice the difference, and I enjoyed the soup without any remorse! (The bread in the picture is next to my husband's plate:)
I used root vegetables for this variant of chicken soup, but they are only meant to release their aroma and taste in the broth. Then I discard them and in the final soup, I put low-carb vegetables - bell peppers, a small onion, string beans and a wonderful celery stalk (Apio). Celery can be replaced with diced zucchini, or just do without it.
It is a wonderful low-carb dinner, delicious, full and tasty - good for the LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) diet, but also for those who want to reduce carbohydrate intake for other reasons (diabetes etc).
I definitely recommend buying naturally fed chicken, as organic as possible, with those layers of yellow fat.
Cut into medium pieces (I took out the breast and used it for another meal) and place into the soup pot.
Add the carrot, celery, parsley root and 1 onion to the meat.
Pour enough water to cover all the ingredients well and bring to a boil.
Don't forget to remove the foam when it starts to boil and add 2 bay leaves.
Turn the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, 1 hour and a half or more, until the meat is well cooked.
I cooked it in the Multicooker on the "Stew" mode, with the timer set to 1 hour and a half for a store bought chicken. I had to leave the house and I didn't have time to cook it on the stove.
That's a good thing for busy moms!
Now remove all the vegetables and meat from the soup (in a sieve or bowl), set aside to cool.
I prefer to pass the soup through a sieve, but it's optional.
Prepare the vegetables that will actually go into the soup - apio celery, string beans, peppers and a small onion.
Be sure to chop them into cubes as small as possible.
Add them to the soup in the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
After this time, add in the shredded chicken.
In a bowl, beat well 3 egg yolks with sour cream.
Slowly add 5-7 ladles of hot soup to this composition, stirring constantly with the whisk.
Then return this mixture to the soup pot.
Add the crushed garlic, chopped parsley, a little ground black pepper and season with salt.
Mix well and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, until it only STARTS to boil!
This detail about the boiling at the end is important. If it boils for too long, the yolks will coagulate and the soup won't have a matte look. The taste won't suffer, it's more a matter of appearance.
Turn off the heat, put the lid on and let infuse for 15-30 minutes.
I served the soup without bread, but the children and my husband preferred the opposite.
It's wonderful with a little apple cider vinegar (1-2 tablespoons) and a hot pepper.
Enjoy!
