This Ginger Chicken Soup is packed with nutrients to keep you healthy through cold and flu season. It’s an updated, more flavorful version of classic chicken soup with ginger, garlic, cilantro, apple cider vinegar and lemon. Tender chunks of green plantain add bulk to this amazing butter broth soup!
Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup? Whenever I’m sick, sad or sleepy, homemade chicken soup always gives me the warm belly hug I need. What I love about chicken soup is that it doesn’t require an entire day in the kitchen to have an incredible depth of flavor. In fact, you don’t want to overcook chicken soup for fear you’ll end up with soggy mush.
My version of Ginger Chicken Soup comes together in nearly 30 minutes and features a butter chicken broth flavored with ginger, garlic, parsley, cilantro and two acids as well as thick, tender chunks of green plantain. You have to try green plantain in soup to understand how delicious it is! They will be the pieces you scoop up intentionally (and maybe serve yourself a little more than the rest of the family, if you’re anything like me.)
What makes this Ginger Chicken Soup healing?
+ Chicken Broth: Hands down, my favorite store-bought chicken broth is Bonafide Provisions Chicken Broth. You can find it in most grocery store’s freezer aisles. Once defrosted, it’s gelatinous (the hallmark of a GOOD broth) and tastes like it’s been simmering away all day.
+ Ginger is an effective antibacterial and antiviral when fresh that can help your body fight off cold and flu viruses.
+ Garlic can help prevent illness while also shortening the duration of any cold or flu. You can up the garlic benefits by stirring in a clove of raw garlic into the finished soup.
+ Cilantro is soothing to the digestive system when sick, and it also helps with detoxing heavy metals from the body. Outside of the health benefits, it adds a bright flavor to the soup. If you’re in the I Hate Cilantro camp, you can replace it with fresh parsley.
How to make quick & easy chicken soup:
+ Start with a flavorful base of aromatics: onion, celery and carrots in olive oil.
+ Flavor the base with subtly spicy and warming ginger, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.
+ Add the starchy plantains and simmer in rich chicken broth until tender.
+ Stir in the pre-cooked chicken thighs. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken.
+ Boost the nutrient density and richness of the broth by adding a few tablespoons grass-fed butter.
+ Finish the soup with acidic lemon juice and apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors.
If you like this Ginger Chicken Soup, be sure to check out my Turkey Stuffing Stew and Yellow Chicken Veggie Soup.
Ginger Chicken Soup
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 23 min
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots, 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped celery, 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- cracked black pepper
- 2 green plantains, peeled and sliced lengthwise and into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds pre-cooked and shredded chicken thigh or rotisserie chicken
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (more if desired)
- handful cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the dried parsley, salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the chopped plantains and saute for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, cover with a fitted lid and let cook on medium-low for 10 minutes until plantains are fork tender but not mushy.
- Stir in the shredded pre-cooked chicken, butter, cider vinegar, lemon and cilantro. Simmer for a few minutes to marry flavors. Taste and add extra seasonings or lemon, if desired depending on your preferences.
- Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
13 Responses
Can this be made in the instant pot?! I’m thinking yes!!
A reader did make it in the instant pot yes – sauteed and then cooked for 15!
This was delicious and very easy to make! Much more flavorful than your average chicken and veg soup! Will definitely make again!
I needed this soup. I’ll be making this over the weekend and will report back. I’m sure it will be wonderful – all your recipes have been delicious.
Hope you enjoy it!
This soup is absolutely delicious! A staple for me I come back to it time and again. I had a planned medical procedure and made a big batch of this beforehand and know it contributed to my fast recovery! The broth is so flavorful. I use ghee instead of the butter, add more lemon and garlic and am excited to eat it every time I make it. As always, Well done, Alaena! This is my go-to for immune boosting during these covid times.
★★★★★
If you’re dairy free, will omitting the butter change it tremendously? It still sounds great to me without the butter!
It’ll still be yummy!
I am doing whole 30 and subbed butter for ghee
My hubby LOVED IT (Non healthy eater)
Im def doubling the batch next time!
So yummy!
One of my all-time favorite recipes! It freezes well and makes for a tasty but nutrient dense cozy soup. I try to keep a batch frozen but tend to go through it faster than I can make it. It’s a staple in our home and has been absolutely great, especially when in a flare and/or the adrenal fatigue has me down and out. If you’re reading this and haven’t made it already, get to it!
★★★★★
I tell everyone about this soup! Easily my favorite leftover chicken recipe. So easy and full of flavor, especially when under the weather. I like the plantains on more of the yellow side to give it a sweet taste. Yum!
★★★★★
I love this soup! It’s easy and simple to make, and great for subbing in things. I have made it as written opting for rotisserie chicken, and it was delicious. I also made it without plantains (didn’t have time to grab them), did a half veggie/half chicken broth combo, added spinach, and subbed purple onion for yellow and lime for lemon – it turned out SO good. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
★★★★★
Will it change the recipe too much if I leave the plantain out?