draft4–6 servings

Rustic Roasted Chicken Soup

A rustic soup with deeply roasted chicken and vegetables, tender potatoes and zucchini, and a fresh parsley-and-dill finish. The broth develops directly from the chicken, vegetables, and water, without prepared stock.

Ingredients

Chicken

800–1000 g chicken legsdefrosted and patted dry
8 g kosher saltfor seasoning chicken

Roasted vegetables

300 g onionsquartered
250 g carrotscut into large chunks
180 g celery stalkscut into large pieces
200–250 g celery rootpeeled and cut into 3-4 cm chunks
80–120 g parsley rootpeeled and cut into large pieces
5 cloves garlicsmashed

Soup

350 g potatoespeeled and cut into large chunks
250 g zucchinicut into thick half-moons
2 leaves bay leavesUse judgment
6–8 sprigs fresh thymeUse judgment
7 g kosher saltinitial soup seasoning
100 ml dry white winefor deglazing
1.7–1.8 L hot waterinitial pressure-cooking liquid
See note additional wateras needed to top up the finished soupUse judgment

Finish

20–25 g fresh parsleyfinely choppedUse judgment
10–15 g fresh dillfinely choppedUse judgment
Unspecified freshly ground black pepperUse judgment
See note kosher saltfor final seasoning after dilutionUse judgment

Equipment

14-inch cast-iron skillet
pressure cooker

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 230°C. Pat 800–1000 g chicken legs dry and season with 8 g kosher salt.
Heat the 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the 800–1000 g chicken legs skin-side down and sear for 4–5 minutes until browned, then flip.
Add 300 g quartered onions, 250 g carrots, 180 g celery stalks, 200–250 g celery root, 80–120 g parsley root, and 5 smashed garlic cloves around the chicken.
Transfer the skillet to the 230°C oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring the vegetables once during roasting if convenient. Aim for browned edges without burning. For additional color and depth, one onion cut-side may be allowed to become quite dark.
Transfer the roasted chicken and vegetables to the pressure cooker.
Place the skillet over medium heat, add 100 ml dry white wine, and scrape up the browned fond. Pour the wine and fond into the pressure cooker.
Add 350 g potatoes, 2 bay leaves, 6–8 sprigs fresh thyme, 7 g kosher salt, and 1.7–1.8 L hot water. Do not add loose whole peppercorns.
Seal the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.
Allow a 15-minute natural pressure release, then manually vent any remaining pressure.
Remove the chicken from the soup. Remove and discard the bones, then return the chicken meat to the pot.
Add 250 g zucchini and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, until tender.
If desired or needed for the final volume, top the finished soup up with additional water. After adding water, return the soup to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes so the added water is fully heated and incorporated.
Finely chop 20–25 g fresh parsley and 10–15 g fresh dill. Turn off the heat and stir most of the herbs into the soup.
Cover and rest for 5–10 minutes so the residual heat infuses the parsley and dill without prolonged cooking.
Taste carefully for salt, especially if the soup was topped up with water, and adjust with additional kosher salt as needed. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
Reserve some chopped parsley and dill, if desired, for sprinkling over individual bowls.

Success cues

Chicken is very tender after pressure cooking and separates easily from the bones.
Roasted vegetables have browned edges but no burnt flavors.
Broth has substantial chicken and roasted-vegetable flavor despite using water rather than prepared stock.
Zucchini is tender but remains intact.
Parsley and dill retain a fresh aromatic character rather than tasting heavily cooked.
Final broth tastes properly seasoned after any additional water is added.

Scaling notes

Scale linear ingredient quantities and both ends of their ranges together. The 4–6 serving yield is approximate; choose an original serving count before scaling. Adjust the 2 bay leaves, 6–8 thyme sprigs, 20–25 g parsley, and 10–15 g dill with judgment. Additional water, final salt, and black pepper remain cook-adjusted rather than automatically multiplied. Recheck seasoning after any dilution. Pressure-cooker capacity is unspecified, so verify capacity before increasing the batch; do not multiply cooking times by the yield factor.

Development notes

One cook was reported, with roasting before pressure cooking, deboning after pressure cooking, and additional water at the finish. No tasting evaluation was provided, so this remains draft.
Next time, record actual ingredient quantities, added water, final yield and seasoning, and whether the broth has enough depth after dilution.
Keep the soup unstrained: omit loose whole peppercorns and finish with ground pepper. Add parsley and dill off the heat to preserve their fresh aroma.