The first time I had chikhirtma, I was working as a saucier, and one of my jobs was making the broths for the soups. So I thought I had a pretty good handle on what a “good soup” was. And then this one came along and completely humbled me.
It was so simple it almost didn’t make sense. Just really good chicken broth, aromatics, and then thickened with eggs and a little acid. No cream, no flour, nothing heavy. But the texture? Silky, rich, almost luxurious. I remember trying it and immediately being like wait… how is this this good?
At its core, chikhirtma is a Georgian chicken soup that’s all about technique. You start with a deeply flavorful chicken stock, then gently thicken it with eggs so it becomes silky instead of brothy. It’s finished with acid, usually lemon juice or vinegar, and loaded with fresh herbs like cilantro and dill.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Whole chicken – The base of the soup and what gives you that rich, deeply flavorful stock. A whole chicken will give you the best depth, but bone in thighs are a great shortcut and still super flavorful.
- Butter – This is used to cook the onion, but you can also use oil or fat of your choice.
- Onion – Finely diced here so it melts into the soup and builds a flavorful base.
- Chicken Stock – You can either make your own by simmering the whole chicken in water, or use chicken stock.
- Eggs- The thickening agent. They give the soup that silky, velvety texture without any cream.
- Dill and Cilantro – added at the end for freshness. They bring a bright, herby finish that keeps the soup light and balanced.
Georgian Chicken Soup – Chikhirtma
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 Hours 40 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken
- Salt and pepper
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup cilantro stems
- 1/4 cup dill stems
- Stock or water to simmer the chicken
Soup
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 7 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups chicken stock (from above)
- 3 eggs (or 4 if you want it very thick)
- 1.5 lemons, juiced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup dill, chopped
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Cook the chicken. In a large pot add the whole chicken, onion, bay leaf, cilantro and dill steams and cover with chicken stock or water. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium and bring it up to a low simmer. Top with a lid and simmer on a low bubble for one hour, until the chicken is cooked and tender. Turn off the heat.
STEP 2.
Remove the chicken and shred, discarding bones and the skin. Set aside. Strain out the broth and set aside.
STEP 3.
In a pot over medium heat, add the butter. Once it is bubbling, add the onion and saute until cooked through, salting and stirring as you go. Once translucent, add minced garlic and saute another 2 minute until fragrant.
STEP 4.
Add the shredded chicken and 6 cups of broth to the pot. Bring that up to a low simmer and season as needed with salt and pepper, tasting as you go.
STEP 5.
Temper your eggs. Do this by whisking the eggs and lemon juice in a bowl until it is very smooth. Make sure your soup is simmering. Whisk in one ladle of hot soup at a time, adding the liquid very slowly. We want to slowly bring the eggs up to temperature, if you do this too quickly they will scramble! Add 4-6 ladles until your mixture is very hot. Once the egg mixture reaches 150-160*F you are safe from scrambling. Add the egg mixture into the simmering soup, whisking it in until the soup is combined and thickened.
STEP 6.
Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Serve topped with cilantro and dill!
The recipe calls for eggs, but the steps indicate only egg yoilks. Are the egg whites not used in the recipe?
3 whole eggs :)