Palestinian Musakhan Chicken Soup with Sumac and Caramelized Onions

Name: Palestinian Musakhan Chicken Soup with Sumac and Caramelized Onions
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: 2.6 lb (1200 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 6 thighs, patted very dry; 2 tsp (10 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste at the end; 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 4 large (about 2.2 lb) (1000 g) large yellow onions, halved and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) half-moons; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced; 2 tsp (4 g) ground allspice; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; 2 tbsp (14 g) ground sumac; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken stock; 2 cups (475 ml) water; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon; 3 rounds (about 6 oz) (170 g) pita rounds (or taboon/shrak bread), torn into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ½ cup (65 g) pine nuts; 1 tbsp (7 g) ground sumac, for sprinkling over the bowls and bread; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped; ½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

All the flavors of Palestinian musakhan in a bowl: a deeply savory chicken broth built on a mountain of slow-caramelized onions, perfumed with allspice and tart sumac, and finished with shredded chicken, toasted pine nuts and olive-oil-crisped bread.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 25 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 2 hr 5 min
Makes: About 3 quarts (2.8 L) soup, 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
2½ lb (1200 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 6 thighs, patted very dry
2 tsp (10 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste at the end
1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
4 large (about 2.2 lb) (1000 g) large yellow onions, halved and sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) half-moons
4 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced
2 tsp (4 g) ground allspice
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
2 tbsp (14 g) ground sumac
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups (475 ml) water
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
For the crisp bread and topping
3 rounds (about 6 oz) (170 g) pita rounds (or taboon/shrak bread), torn into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (65 g) pine nuts
1 tbsp (7 g) ground sumac, for sprinkling over the bowls and bread
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, for serving (optional)

Equipment (8)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) Dutch oven or heavy soup pot with lid
Small skillet for toasting pine nuts
Rimmed baking sheet
Chef's knife and cutting board
Tongs and wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer
Pastry brush or spoon for oiling the bread
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Slice the onions as evenly as you can, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, so they caramelize at the same rate. The pile looks huge but cooks down to about one-fifth of its volume.
Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels so the skin browns instead of steaming.
Check that your sumac is bright red-burgundy and tangy; old sumac turns brown and tastes dull. Taste a pinch first.
Plan about 2 hours 5 minutes start to finish. The onions need steady attention for 30 minutes, then the soup is mostly hands-off.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Slice the onions into ¼-inch (6 mm) half-moons, mince the garlic, chop the parsley and tear the pita into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
- Pat the chicken thighs completely dry, then season both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.
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Ready when: Onions are uniformly sliced and the chicken skin feels dry to the touch.
Tip: Dry skin is the key to browning; wet chicken steams and sticks to the pot.
2
Sear the chicken
- Heat a 5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
- Place the thighs skin-side down (no oil needed) and sear without moving them for 7 to 8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases easily.
- Flip and sear the second side for 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat, leaving the browned bits in the pot.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden brown and lifts from the pot without tearing; the chicken is not cooked through yet.
Tip: If the skin sticks when you try to lift it, give it another minute; it releases when properly browned.
3
Caramelize the onions
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the 4 tablespoons olive oil and all the sliced onions with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes and scraping up the browned bits, for 30 minutes.
- The onions will first release liquid and turn translucent (about 10 minutes), then slowly turn golden and finally deep amber and jammy.
- If they start to scorch or stick, add 2 tablespoons water and lower the heat slightly.
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Ready when: Onions are deep amber-brown, soft, sweet-smelling and reduced to roughly a fifth of their original volume.
Tip: Don't rush with higher heat; scorched onions turn bitter and can't be fixed.
4
Bloom the spices
- Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Stir in the garlic, allspice and cinnamon and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Take care not to let the garlic brown.
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Ready when: The spices smell warm and toasty and the garlic is just fragrant, not browned.
5
Simmer the soup
- Pour in the stock and water and scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Add the 2 tablespoons sumac, the bay leaves and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Nestle the seared chicken thighs (with any juices from the plate) into the liquid, skin-side up.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, partially cover and simmer gently for 35 minutes.
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Ready when: Chicken registers at least 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part and the meat pulls easily from the bone.
Tip: Keep the simmer gentle, with only a few bubbles breaking the surface, so the broth stays clear and the chicken tender.
6
Crisp the bread and nutsOven 400°F / 205°C
- While the soup simmers, heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Toss the torn pita with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.
- Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of the finishing sumac.
- Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking often, for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Pita is deep golden and crunchy; pine nuts are light golden brown and smell nutty.
Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds. Tip them onto a cool plate the moment they color.
7
Shred the chicken
- Transfer the thighs to a cutting board and let them cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, skim the excess fat from the surface of the soup with a wide spoon and discard the bay leaves.
- Pull off and discard the skin and bones, then shred the meat into bite-size pieces with two forks.
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Ready when: Meat shreds easily and is no longer pink at the bone.
Tip: Leave a thin film of flavorful oil on the soup; just skim off the thick layers.
8
Finish the soup
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Stir in the lemon juice and half the parsley.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to marry the flavors.
- Taste and add more salt, a pinch at a time, until the broth tastes savory with a bright tang.
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Ready when: Broth is hot, savory and pleasantly sour, with the chicken evenly distributed.
Tip: Season at the end; sumac and stock vary in saltiness.
9
Serve
- Divide the crisp bread among 6 warm bowls.
- Ladle the hot soup and chicken over the bread.
- Top each bowl with toasted pine nuts, a sprinkle of the remaining sumac, the remaining parsley and, if you like, a spoonful of yogurt.
- Serve immediately.
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Tip: Add the bread to each bowl just before serving so it stays partly crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Be patient with the onions. They provide the soup's sweetness and body, and the deep amber color is what makes it taste like musakhan.
Sumac loses its tang when cooked a long time, so some goes in during the simmer and the rest goes on top to keep the flavor bright.
For a heartier meal, add a drained 15-oz (425 g) can of chickpeas with the shredded chicken in step 8.
Chilling the soup overnight makes skimming fat easy: lift the solidified layer off before reheating.

Make ahead

"The soup (through step 8) can be made up to 3 days ahead; cool, cover and refrigerate. Toast the bread and pine nuts fresh, or store them airtight at room temperature for 1 day and re-crisp the bread at 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate the soup (without bread or nuts) in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat until steaming hot (165°F/74°C). Store pine nuts and bread separately at room temperature for up to 1 day."

Substitutions

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → bone-in, skin-on chicken legs or a mix of drumsticks and thighs. Same weight and timing. Boneless thighs also work; skip searing for the skin and simmer 20 minutes.
pine nuts → slivered or whole blanched almonds. Toast them the same way for a similar crunch at lower cost.
ground sumac → finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus an extra 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Gives a similar tartness but lacks sumac's fruity depth; use sumac for serving if you can.
pita rounds (or taboon/shrak bread) → toasted sourdough or flatbread such as lavash. Tear into pieces and crisp the same way.