Chicken Velouté
Prep
20 mins
Cook
40 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
A silky, elegant French soup featuring tender poached chicken in a luxuriously smooth cream sauce enriched with aromatic vegetables and fresh herbs. Perfect as a refined first course or light main dish.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 500 gchicken breast(whole)
- 50 gbutter
- 1onion(quartered)
- 1carrot(roughly chopped)
- 1celery stalk(roughly chopped)
- 1leek(white and light green parts, sliced)
- 150 gmushrooms(sliced)
- 1000 mlchicken stock
- 200 mlheavy cream
- 2egg yolk
- 3 gfresh thyme
- 2 gsalt and white pepper(to taste)
- 15 mllemon juice
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Place whole chicken breast in a large pot with quartered onion, carrot, celery, and thyme. Cover with chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Poach for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through, then remove chicken and set aside to cool. Strain the stock, discarding the vegetables.
Tip: Keep the poaching liquid as it will form the base of your velouté and contains essential flavour.
- 2
Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced leeks and mushrooms, sautéing gently for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant, stirring occasionally.
Tip: Don't rush this step—allow the vegetables to release their flavours slowly for a richer soup.
- 3
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables if desired for a traditional roux, or continue without flour for a lighter version. Pour the reserved poaching stock into the pan, stirring constantly to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Tip: A light roux (equal parts butter and flour) can help thicken the soup naturally if you prefer a thicker consistency.
- 4
While the soup simmers, shred or finely dice the cooled chicken breast into small, uniform pieces.
Tip: Smaller pieces will distribute evenly throughout the soup and create a more elegant texture.
- 5
In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and heavy cream until smooth. Slowly ladle a cup of the hot soup into this mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs, then gradually pour the mixture back into the pot.
Tip: Tempering prevents the eggs from scrambling and creates a silky emulsion.
- 6
Stir in the shredded chicken and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The soup should be creamy and smooth without any visible lumps.
Tip: Never let the soup boil once the egg-cream mixture is added, as this can cause curdling.
- 7
Season to taste with salt, white pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, keeping the flavours delicate and balanced.
Tip: Lemon juice brightens the rich, creamy flavours and adds subtle complexity.
- 8
Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with fresh chervil or parsley if desired. Serve immediately while steaming hot.
Tip: A touch of fresh herbs adds visual appeal and a whisper of freshness to this elegant soup.
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