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!

 

Ginger Chicken 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

 

 

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Ginger Chicken Soup

  • Author: Alaena Haber
  • 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

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the dried parsley, salt and black pepper to taste. 
  3. 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. 
  4. 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. 
  5. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.