Vadouvan-Spiced Chicken, Leek & Swiss Chard Soup

Chicken and vegetable soup is always nourishing—but when it’s well-seasoned and thoughtfully built, it can be so much more.

This one starts with leeks, cooked slowly in butter until sweet and tender. Garlic and Vadouvan—a mellow, French-influenced curry blend—add warmth and body, while Yukon Gold potatoes and shredded chicken bring substance. Swiss chard finishes the pot with an earthy green note that keeps everything balanced.

Vadouvan is what gives this soup its depth. A gently spiced blend of toasted onion, garlic, cumin, and turmeric, it traces its roots to the Tamil region of southern India, where French and South Indian cooking traditions met. Unlike traditional Indian masalas (like the vibrant blends from Diaspora Co.) Vadouvan is subtler. There’s no heat, just savoury complexity that lingers in the broth.

It’s the kind of soup that feels restorative but tastes layered. A one-pot meal that’s easy to pull together, satisfying to eat, and surprisingly nuanced for something so simple.

Vadouvan-Spiced Chicken, Leek & Swiss Chard Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups chopped leeks, light green and white parts only
1 small bunch rainbow Swiss chard, stems separated from leaves, chopped (about 1⅓ cups stems, 4 cups packed leaves)
Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp Vadouvan curry powder
6 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 bay leaf
2-3 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Method:

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks and Swiss chard stems. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and Vadouvan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add broth, potatoes, and bay leaf. Season again with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add Swiss chard leaves and cooked chicken. Simmer 5 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and the chard has wilted. Remove bay leaf, stir in parsley, and adjust seasoning to taste.

Prep insight: A good chicken broth is important here. Homemade is ideal, but a full-flavoured, low-sodium stock will also work well—just taste carefully as you season.

This is a soup that delivers both comfort and complexity. It’s quietly robust, gently spiced, and ready to anchor a weeknight meal or a quiet Sunday lunch.

Watch the soup reel on Instagram →