Monday 19 November 2012

Chicken Paprikash

Now that the days are getting shorter and the nights colder I find I am pulling this family favorite soup recipe.  My husband has a family member from Hungary and every time we visit them he asked them to make their Chicken Paprikash.  Once we found out we would be moving overseas,  I asked them to  teach me how to make this delicious soup and slowly over the last four years I have made it my own and according to my husband it is every bit as tasty as his family's version:)!  

This recipe requires a little vigilance at the beginning in order to get maximum flavor but then can simmer with minimum attention.
First sauté 1 onion until lightly brown -- be extremely careful not to burn the onions it will change the taste of this soup

Cut 2 red peppers into small pieces.

1/4 cup paprika

After onions are cooked add in paprika and mix 1/4 cup of chicken broth and thoroughly coat the onions with the paprika stirring constantly.

Then add 2 cans of chicken broth and 3 cans of water

Add one teaspoon of crushed garlic

This recipe calls for chicken breast on the bone and with skin or chicken legs with skin and bones.  As I try to minimize the fat I  only add 2 chicken breasts with skin and bone and the rest is boneless and skinless.  In the past I have tried to cut out the skin and bone chicken completely but we did notice the taste of the soup changed so this was a nice middle ground.  

Add chicken to the pot make sure the chicken is completely covered -- add more water if needed but just enough to cover the chicken.

Add one can of mushrooms and bring to a boil.  Once boiling lower temp to simmer and cover  and stir occasionally.  Simmer for about 60 minutes. About 10 minutes before serving in a measuring cup add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a little milk and mix up (make sure you get lumps out) and add to soup to thicken it.
Cook a box of pasta shells 

Add shells to bowl, one piece of chicken and soup.  Optional to top with sour cream and hot sauce
Serve with a side of crusty bread.  I made homemade Focaccia bread with rosemary, onion and sea salt.


Hope you enjoy this family favorite recipe on a cold winter's night:)!

9 comments:

  1. I'm going to try it this way, thanks!

    My Macedonian husband makes a similar dish...he adds a little flour to the sauce and then puts the chicken pieces, sauce and a cup of rice in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for an hour or so. It's the best rice ever!

    Thanks for the recipe and that focaccia bread looks amazing, too!

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  2. (oops, his recipe: about 1-2 cans of chicken broth and no water)

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  3. Looks yummy! Can you share the recipe for the focaccia bread, too?

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    1. I got the recipe from the Bread machine book http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Bread-Machine-Cookbook/dp/0754821021/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353420168&sr=1-11&keywords=bread+machine

      I have tried many of their recipes and they always turn out and are yummy:)

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  4. This just shows the differences in people's taste, my mouth feels like it is on fire just from reading this! My husband, on the other hand, would love this and my daughter would probably say it needed more seasoning! I take it that your family is the spicy foods type?

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    1. Actually Maureen this isn't spicy at all. My husband adds hot sauce to it because I can't handle very spicy foods:)

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    2. It actually is more of a "spicy flavorful" dish than a "spicy hot" dish; it's certainly not going to set anyone's mouth on fire. I add a little Tabasco because I like hot dishes, and my Hungarian cousin makes his own hot sauce to add to the dish.

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  5. I am very hungry now. The recipe and pictures were perfect. I will have to try this one. It is soup season and I enjoy the fall and winter soup months.
    Blessings and hugs!

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  6. I haven't had chicken paprikash since my grandma made it for me as a child. Your focaccia looks so great too. I'm glad you shared the recipe above. Thanks for linking up with us at No Ordinary Blog Hop. Every blessing, Kelly

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