Canja de GalinhaPortuguese Chicken and Rice Soup

Canja de galinha is Portugal's chicken and rice soup: a clear, golden broth with shredded chicken, soft rice and a few fresh mint leaves on top. It's what Portuguese families cook when someone is ill, after a big night, or simply on a cold evening, and it's often the first course at weddings and christenings.

It has very few ingredients, so the broth has to be good. Two things make it. Start the chicken in cold water and simmer it gently, never at a rolling boil, so the broth stays clear and full of flavour. And add the mint right at the end, so it tastes fresh rather than stewed.

The recipe

Canja de GalinhaPortuguese Chicken and Rice Soup

Canja de galinha, Portugal's chicken and rice soup: a clear golden broth, tender shredded chicken, soft rice and fresh mint. Gentle, cheap and comforting.

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Prep15 min

Cook75 min

Total90 min

Serves6

Ingredients

MetricUS

Serves

6

½×1×2×3×

• 1 boiling hen or whole chicken (about 1.5 kg), or 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs and legs
• Chicken giblets, if you have them (optional)
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 1 carrot, peeled (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2.5 litres cold water
• 150 g short-grain rice, such as carolino
• 1 small bunch fresh mint (hortelã)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Put the chicken, giblets, onion, carrot and bay leaf in a large pot. Add the cold water and 2 tsp salt.
2. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming off any foam. Turn the heat down so it barely simmers and cook, partly covered, for 50–60 minutes for a regular chicken, or up to 2 hours for a boiling hen. The meat is ready when it pulls easily off the bone and reads 74 °C at the thickest part.
3. Lift out the chicken and set it aside to cool a little. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the onion, bay leaf and giblets. You should have about 2 litres.
4. Skim some of the fat from the surface if you like. Bring the broth back to a simmer, add the rice and cook for 15–18 minutes, until soft.
5. While the rice cooks, remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred the meat into small pieces. Slice the carrot, if you used one.
6. Return the chicken and carrot to the pot and heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and season.
7. Ladle into bowls and top each one with a few mint leaves.

Notes

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Why mint?

Mint is the classic Portuguese touch, and it's what makes canja taste different from other chicken soups. Torn leaves go on top of each bowl, or a sprig goes into the pot for the last minute. If you don't like mint, a little parsley works, but it won't taste like canja from a Portuguese kitchen. Our Portuguese soups guide covers the other soups eaten at home, including caldo verde and sopa da pedra.

Getting the rice right

Portuguese cooks use carolino, a short-grain rice that releases starch and gives the broth a slightly silky body. Arborio is a good substitute. Long-grain rice works but stays separate and the soup is thinner. Some families use small pasta instead, such as pevides or letters. For more on carolino and the country's other rice dishes, see our Portuguese rice dishes guide.

Make ahead and storage

The rice keeps soaking up broth, so canja thickens a lot overnight. If you're making it ahead, cook the broth and chicken, keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days, and add the rice when you reheat. The broth without rice freezes well for up to 3 months.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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Amazon best seller

Farberware 6-quart stainless stockpot

A best-selling stockpot for caldo verde, octopus and cooking bacalhau.

Tip: Works on all hobs, including induction.

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Portuguese

Costa Nova Brisa stoneware bowl

Portuguese stoneware that's microwave- and dishwasher-safe. The right depth for caldo verde or açorda.

Tip: The Brisa range comes in several colours, so you can mix and match.

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Portuguese

Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage serving bowl

The famous cabbage-leaf ceramics from Caldas da Rainha, made since the 1800s. Perfect for salads and batatas a murro.

Tip: Large bowl for the table, or the set of four for individual portions.

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