Moldovan Chicken Noodle Soup
By Elizabeth Ciobanu ·
Warm and soothing, the bold flavor of this Moldovan classic will change what you think chicken soup should be.
Chicken soup is something that crosses boundaries and cultures. It's a classic in so many different cuisines. And yet, each one has variations that make it unique to that culture.
My husband is a transplant from the Old Country, and while he loves American food and has made himself at home with all the food on offer here, he still gets nostalgic about those dishes that make him "feel like home."
I don't attempt too many Moldovan dishes, as most of them are time-consuming and complicated, but one of the ones that I have mastered (at least he claims it tastes like home) is the Moldovan chicken noodle soup (zeama).
Even so, I take a few shortcuts to make the recipe fit with the ingredients on hand and to shorten the process, so I'm not sure my mother-in-law would consider it authentic. Next time she's in town I'll test it out on her and report back.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Makes
- 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2-3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 quarts chicken stock, or water
- 15 oz diced tomatoes, or 2 large tomatoes chopped
- 1 lb chicken thighs, bone-in or boneless
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh lovage, or 2 teaspoons dried lovage
- Celery leaves or chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)
- 8 oz dry egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Chop onion, celery, and carrots.
- Warm the olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan or stockpot.
- Saute the onions for 2-3 minutes until they're beginning to soften.
- Add the celery and carrots, and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2 quarts of chicken stock or water to the stockpot. (The stock is not necessary if you're using bone-in chicken thighs; just use water.)
- Add the diced tomatoes.
- Bring the water up to a boil, then add the chicken thighs. If you're using bone-in thighs, just put them in whole – you'll cut the meat off the bone later. If using boneless thighs, chop the chicken before putting it in the boiling water.
- Return the water to a boil, then turn down the heat so that it's just simmering.
- Simmer for 30-40 minutes until chicken is cooked through. If you used bone-in thighs, remove the chicken pieces with tongs or a slotted spoon, and allow to cool for a few minutes on a plate before cutting the meat off the bones and chopping it into bite-size pieces.
- Return the chopped chicken to the stockpot.
- Add the roughly chopped lovage or celery leaves or green onions, fresh or dried dill, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the egg noodles to the stockpot and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Ladle into serving bowls and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I like to use bone-in chicken thighs and boil the bones with the meat, as the boiling bones provide the richness of stock without having to buy or cook stock separately. Be aware that adding larger pieces of chicken with a bone in the middle will increase the cooking time by at least 10 minutes.
- Lovage is an unusual cooking ingredient, and you're unlikely to find it in a grocery store. If you don't happen to have some growing in your herb garden, you can use celery leaves or green onions instead. Although the flavor will not be the same, it will still be delicious!
- Allow leftovers to cool to lukewarm before refrigerating. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.