SOUPS

Ginger Garlic Chicken Soup

Ginger Garlic Chicken Soup
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Ginger Garlic Chicken Soup

Recipe by thesal28_wpCourse: SoupsDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Since March 2020, this soup has been in HEAVY rotation in my house. It’s a kicked up version of my very popular One Pot Homemade Chicken Soup, and contains lots of immune boosting ingredients that also boost flavor. This soup gets another hit of flavor from a dash of toasted sesame oil at the end (my favorite brand is La Tourangelle). Optional, but recommended, a few sliced chilis to give the soup an extra bit of nose clearing goodness, which is always welcome when battling a case of the sniffles.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil), divided

  • 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast (thighs work too, but they typically produce a bit of “floaty stuff” that will need to be skimmed)

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 bunch green onions, white part only, sliced (slice and reserve one green onion top for garnish)

  • 4-5 minced garlic cloves

  • 1-inch knob of ginger, minced or grated using a microplane grater

  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery

  • 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

  • 1 large carrot, julienned

  • 6 cups chicken broth (I typically use bone broth)

  • 4 cups napa cabbage, sliced thinly (I sometimes use bok choy instead)

  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

  • 1 serrano chili, sliced, for garnish (optional)

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  • Heat 1 1/2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or your preferred neutral oil) in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken generously with Kosher salt and add the chicken to the pot. Once the chicken is browned, flip over and brown the other side.  Remove the chicken from the pot and place onto a heat-proof plate.
  • Add the remainder of the grapeseed oil to the now empty pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot.  Stir to combine and cook for about 1 minute.  Add the celery and mushrooms to the pot.  Add a pinch of Kosher salt and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the 6 cups of water to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the liquid to a bare simmer, then add the chicken back to the pot. Keeping the liquid at a bare simmer, cook the chicken for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool until it can be safely handled. While the chicken is cooling, add the chicken stock to the soup and bring the soup back to a boil. Reduce the soup to a simmer again. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, dice it into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the chicken back to the soup with the julienned carrots.
  • Taste the soup and season it with Kosher salt. Simmer the soup for another 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.  Right before serving, add the cabbage (or bok choy) to the soup. Garnish the soup with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, sliced green onion, sesame seeds, and chilis, if using.(See note below for variations)

Notes

  • This soup is very forgiving as to substitutions. Plain green cabbage works if you can’t find napa or bok choy. In the summer, I love adding a bit of corn. Lately, I season it with fish sauce and lime juice instead of all Kosher salt, sometimes adding a bit of coconut milk and cilantro if I have it. If you don’t have sliced chilis, chili crisp is very delicious in it instead. Play around with it and make it your own!

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