This ginger chicken soup will nourish you from the inside out. Comforting, brothy, hearty, perfect for sweater weather. It's the pick-me-up you need when you’re under the weather and don't want to settle for bland.
Simple prep, simple ingredients, a soup you can customize to your taste. Throw in extra veggies, swap some, crank up the spice, dial it back. Make it your own!
I start the soup by sautéing onion, celery, and carrots. Then some aromatics go in. Everything simmers together in a simple broth with some seasonings before I stir in the boiled, shredded chicken.
A little cilantro and a splash of lemon juice at the end make all the flavors pop. Overall, it's a fairly small effort for a wonderful flavor payoff.
Oh, and I like to serve some cooked ditalini on the side. Makes for a hearty, filling meal. Everyone can add as much or as little as they want. And serving it separately means the pasta doesn’t turn to mush.
If you're into meal-style soups, you'll also love my ground beef and corn soup and jalapeno chicken soup.
Pre-cooking notes AND tips
- Bone-in chicken will take this soup up a notch. Though it does mean a bit more work deboning after the chicken boils. Breasts are convenient. I almost always have them in the freezer, so I default to those. But if I’ve got thighs, I go with them instead. They're juicier and way less likely to dry out if you get distracted and overcook.
- I love ditalini in soups. Super spoonable pasta, makes the soup more filling, and doesn’t make the mess that noodles can. But that’s just my preference. You can use any pasta you like. I’d choose smaller shapes.
- Speaking of pasta, my advice is to not dump all the cooked pasta into the pot once the soup’s done. The longer it sits in the liquid, the mushier it gets. I serve it separately. And I also refrigerate any leftovers separately.
- I’ve made this soup with both yellow and red onions, and I’m not partial to either. Use whatever you’ve got or can easily find.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic. Grated works better than minced since the flavor spreads evenly. Grating fresh ginger can be a pain because it’s fibrous. Here's what I do: When I get ginger, I peel it, wrap it in cling film, and freeze it. Then, when I need some, I use my microplane to grate. Way easier than grating fresh, and the remainder goes right back in the freezer.
- I use chicken bouillon paste (Better Than Bouillon, not a sponsored mention, just what I use). But I sometimes sub in pho broth cubes. When I do, I make sure to add salt and soy sauce later so I can taste and adjust. Don’t want the soup to end up oversalted.
- Another great addition I’ve tried is lemongrass. It complements the ginger beautifully. I slice it into 3-inch chunks and toss it in the water along with the bay leaves when boiling the chicken. Then I discard it with the bay leaves. You can usually find lemongrass in Asian markets. Check the freezer section if you can't find it fresh.
- You’ll see I’ve added both vinegar and lemon, and might be wondering why not just use one. That’s because while they both add tang, each brings its own acidic nuance.
- You can swap lime for lemon, but start with less and taste as you go. Lime usually comes through a bit more sour.
Serving ideas
This soup’s great on its own, but you can always pair it with some crusty bread or a simple salad (greens with a light vinaigrette). Oh, and feel free to skip the pasta if you're serving the soup as a starter or a side.
If you're looking for more sick-day recipes, try my arroz caldo.
And that's a wrap!
If you give this chicken ginger soup a try, I’d love to hear how it went. Did you make any changes or add your own twist? Leave a comment and rating down below!
Happy cooking - Nelo
Ginger Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 (500 g) chicken breasts - skinless, boneless, cut into 6 pieces each
- 2 teaspoons salt - regular white table salt
- 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta - or other mini pasta like orzo and mini shells
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil - any neutral oil you prefer
- 1 medium (150 g) onion - finely diced
- 2 stalks/ribs of (80 g) celery - cut into half-inch pieces
- 3 medium (180 g) carrots - chopped or sliced into half-inch pieces
- 4 cloves of garlic - minced or grated on a microplane
- 2 small green chilies - finely chopped. I use Thai/Bird's Eye chilies (Note A)
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger - frozen ginger is much easier to grate
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons regular white sugar
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon - paste, powder or crushed cubes
- 1 tablespoon regular white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch - dissolved in 3 tablespoons water to make slurry
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro - or parsley
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice - freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. Tip: Use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
- Put 8 cups of water into a large pot along with bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add chicken pieces and salt. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat just enough to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 16 to 18 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot, boil the ditalini pasta in salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Remove chicken from the pot with a slotted spoon and let it cool slightly. Shred with two forks. Discard the bay leaves and save the broth. Set them aside.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, cook 3 to 4 minutes or until soft. Add in chopped celery and carrots and cook 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add minced/grated garlic, finely chopped green chilies, and grated ginger. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the reserved chicken broth, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Add ground white pepper, ground black pepper, dried oregano, sugar, and chicken bouillon. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken to the pot along with white vinegar and soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in (well-mixed) cornstarch slurry and stir until the soup thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Mix in chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Give it a taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Let the soup rest for 2 minutes.
- Ladle it into bowls and add some cooked ditalini pasta to each. Refrigerate any leftover soup and pasta in separate containers so the pasta doesn't get mushy. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.
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