Nourishing Garlicky-Ginger Chicken & Rice Soup
Perfect for a cold, gloomy day or when you have a cold, or when you have a cold on a cold, gloomy day (hah).
*Not a great photo, I apologize! The weather was so icky this day…☁️ also I need to pick up some new bowls because these have seen their day and are full of scratches from years of use, any suggestions on where to get bowls that will last are greatly appreciated.
Growing up, one of my favorite foods was chicken noodle soup. I have fond memories of my grandmother cracking open a can of Campbell’s homestyle chicken noodle soup (gross I know haha), but I just loved the salty, savory flavor and the warm cozy feeling of a bowl of soup on a cold day. As a self proclaimed ~soup lover~ I am always thinking up new combinations of flavors to combine into a soup and this was one that I just decided to wing with whatever we had in the fridge/pantry. Matt is gluten intolerant so instead of noodles I decided to throw some rice into this concoction and I have to say that I think it turned out even better than it would have with noodle (although if you choose to add noodles to this it will be delicious no doubt!).
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken bone broth
1.5lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 2⁄3 cups rice (I use organic short grain)
4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1-2 inch knob ginger, freshly grated
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp of onion salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Zest from 1 lemon (or more if desired)
Juice of 1 lemon (or more if desired)
Salt to taste
Olive oil (optional drizzle garnish)
Instructions:
Add bone broth, ginger and garlic to a medium dutch oven or large pot over medium to high heat.
Once the broth is simmering, add the chicken thighs to the pot and set a timer for 8 minutes. Rinse your rice until the water runs clear, and when your timer is finished add the rice to the pot and start another timer for 12 minutes. If meal prepping, cook rice according to the instructions on the package or to your preference to add to the soup later.
After the time has elapsed, remove the chicken and transfer it to a cutting board. Shred your chicken using two forks, or whatever method you prefer, then add it back to the pot.
Add lemon zest and juice, as well as the garlic and onion salt, then stir. Add more salt if you’d like.
Enjoy!
*All of the additions to this soup are at your discretion! Add as much or as little ginger, garlic and lemon as you want! If you’d like to add additional fresh herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, chop it up and add it to the pot when you add the chicken back into it!
Tips and Tricks:
I personally love to make my own chicken bone broth and use it as the base for this soup, store bought is perfectly fine but I prefer being able to flavor my broth exactly how I like it and I think homemade has a richer, heartier flavor and texture.
In a pinch, using frozen ginger and garlic cubes can save you SO MUCH time peeling, chopping and grating your aromatics. Or you can do this ahead of time and freeze your own freshly grated garlic and ginger so that you already have it prepped!
If you’d like to make this for meal prep, I would strongly suggest making the rice separately and adding it to your soup when you reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. This way the rice won’t become soggy sitting in the broth over time.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you make it and share any feedback you have! I’m always looking to improve my recipes and would love to hear from you!
♥️ Ash