Canja de galinha
The Portuguese and Brazilian answer to chicken soup, made for the sick, for new mothers and for every chilly evening. It is a clear chicken broth in which rice is cooked, with shredded meat and a handful of fresh mint at the end. The mint and a few drops of lemon make it soothing and fresh at once. The rice is cooked in the already strained broth, so it gives up some starch and thickens it slightly.
Your own work in that: 12 min.
- Broth 50 min
- Shredding the meat 10 min
- Cooking the rice 18 min
- Mint and serving 2 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSimmer the chicken
Put the legs in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and skim off the scum. Add the onion, carrot, bay leaf and salt and simmer gently 40 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and comes off the bone easily.
Ingredients: 800 g bone-in chicken legs · 1800 ml water · 1 pcs onion · 1 pcs carrot · 1 pcs bay leaf · 2 tsp salt
Over low heat — the broth stays clear.Strain the broth
Lift out the chicken and vegetables and strain the broth back into the pot. Dice the carrot finely and add it to the soup — discard the onion and bay leaf.
Ingredients: 800 g bone-in chicken legs · 1800 ml water · 1 pcs onion · 1 pcs carrot · 1 pcs bay leaf · 2 tsp salt
Shred the meat
When the chicken has cooled slightly, remove the skin and shred the meat with two forks into small pieces. Discard bones and skin.
Ingredients: 800 g bone-in chicken legs · 1800 ml water · 1 pcs onion · 1 pcs carrot · 1 pcs bay leaf · 2 tsp salt
Small pieces — they should fit on a spoon with the rice.Cook the rice in the broth
Bring the broth to the boil, add the rinsed rice and cook 15–18 minutes, until the grains are tender. The rice starch thickens the soup slightly.
Ingredients: 100 g short-grain rice · 1 bunch fresh mint leaves · ½ pcs lemon · 1 tbsp olive oil
Rice in the broth — it releases starch and thickens it slightly.Add the meat
Return the shredded meat to the pot and heat 2 more minutes. Season with salt.
Ingredients: 800 g bone-in chicken legs · 1800 ml water · 1 pcs onion · 1 pcs carrot · 1 pcs bay leaf · 2 tsp salt
Tear the mint
Pick the mint leaves from the stalks. Tear large ones with your fingers — cut with a knife, they darken at the edges.
Ingredients: 100 g short-grain rice · 1 bunch fresh mint leaves · ½ pcs lemon · 1 tbsp olive oil
Add the mint off the heat
Take the pot off the heat and stir in most of the mint. Boiled mint loses its freshness and turns dark; it only needs to wilt in the hot soup.
Ingredients: 100 g short-grain rice · 1 bunch fresh mint leaves · ½ pcs lemon · 1 tbsp olive oil
Serve with lemon and oil
Ladle the canja into bowls, add the rest of the mint, a few drops of lemon and a little olive oil. Serve at once — standing in the soup, the rice drinks up the broth.
Ingredients: 100 g short-grain rice · 1 bunch fresh mint leaves · ½ pcs lemon · 1 tbsp olive oil
Before you start
With a whole hen
The most aromatic canja is made with a boiling hen simmered 2 hours. Chicken legs are quicker and also very good.
Brazilian version
In Brazil canja often includes diced potato and carrot and parsley instead of mint. In Portugal it is most often finished with mint.
Storage
The soup keeps 3 days in the fridge, but the rice soaks up the broth and thickens it — add water or stock when reheating. Add the mint fresh.
