Ginger Chicken Soup
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4 generous servings
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.
Notes
Note A: Chilies – Don't skip them. A little spice really balances all the other flavors. You can use milder varieties if you like. I use more chilies than I've mentioned because I like my soup a bit spicy.