Chicken and Rice Soup With Ginger and Turmeric
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 3tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
- 5scallions, thinly sliced crosswise (about ¾ cup), plus 1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle, for garnish
- 5garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (from one 3-inch piece), plus extra julienned ginger, for garnish
- 4teaspoons ground coriander
- 1tablespoon ground turmeric
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1½cups short-grain brown rice or Arborio rice (10 ounces)
- 3quarts chicken stock
- 3bunches baby bok choy (about 1 pound)
- 1(3- to 4-pound) chicken, wings and legs removed and reserved (this will help the chicken fit better in the pot)
- Sliced fresh red chile and chopped cilantro, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
643 calories; 32 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 1666 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a large pot, combine the oil with ¾ cup scallions, the garlic, finely chopped ginger, coriander and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Add the rice and stir until coated. Add the chicken stock and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil over high. Meanwhile, prepare the bok choy: Trim and discard the ends, then halve crosswise, separating the leafy bok choy tops from the heftier stems. Cut the stems crosswise into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Step 3
Once the stock comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and carefully add the whole chicken, then the wings and legs, adding the meat in a single layer. (If the chicken isn’t fully submerged, add enough water until the meat is fully covered.) Cover the pot with a lid, leaving the lid cracked open about 1 inch, and simmer over medium-low until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. (Reduce the heat to low if necessary. You want to keep it at a low simmer to ensure the chicken stays tender.) Transfer the chicken to a large bowl.
- Step 4
Continue to cook the soup over medium, uncovered, until the rice is tender and the liquid starts to thicken, 20 to 25 minutes. While the rice continues to cook, shred the chicken: Once cool, discard the chicken skin and tear the meat into bite-size pieces, discarding the bones. (You should have about 3 packed cups of shredded meat.)
- Step 5
Stir the bok choy stems and shredded chicken into the soup, and simmer just until stems are slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the leafy bok choy tops, and season to taste with salt.
- Step 6
Divide among bowls and serve with bowls of chile, cilantro, sliced scallions and julienned ginger, to garnish.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Juliet Jones
To Mary Paschall, re: your comment about too much fat from the poached chicken. I would go about this recipe differently. I would poach the chicken by itself, the day before. I would strain the broth and leave it in the fridge overnight. (I'd probably cook it for longer than 20 minutes as well.) The next day, the fat will have congealed on top, it will be solid and much easier to remove.
Aarthi
My whole family loved this (incl my 7 year old, who is picky about veggies but not about strong flavors). Added more garlic. Made sure to saute the initial spices well (I also added more of each spice, plus some crushed red pepper flakes), and to salt adequately. I used 2qt bone broth (store-bought, no salt added - the richness really added to the flavor of the soup) + 1qt water, and rotisserie chicken (removed skin, shredded, and added after rice cooked). Simmered at least 45 min total. Yum!
Andi
I don't agree with the idea that previously roasted chicken makes a more flavorful broth. If you have a left over carcass, by all means, use it. But a truly mouth some broth is made by simmering fresh meat, bones and skin. Glad to see this done in this recipe. Also, poached meats can be very flavorful, picking up an astounding amount of depth from the poaching liquids. I'm always amazed by this.
linda
Delicious! I added a few drops of Gochujang chile sauce....just what my husband & I needed for our colds!
kathy
Made it last night with rotisserie chicken and added extra garlic and ginger and reduced the amount of chicken broth. I also added gochujang sauce and lime juice at the end. My family loved it, I thought it was just OK.
Kate
First time ever, after several years of online recipe sharing groups, to write a note. I love everything about cooking and eating and sharing with friends. To summarize my experience with this recipe: Heaven. Exotic flavors from available ingredients. Healthy. My only adjustment was to use jalapeños peppers because of availability. The ginger, scallions, and cilantro are the ultimate flourish at the end. I think this knocked out my head cold. Wow!
ee
Made with rotisserie chicken for an easier weeknight meal. Squeezed lemon juice in to finish.
kb
Altered the recipe for a richer taste and it came out pretty tasty! -1 tablespoon of oil to sautee onion, coriander, turmeric, and ginger. Add chicken broth a couple of minutes later to make a paste-like sauce. -Added the rest of the 32 oz. chicken broth. Simmer on low heat for 8 minutes. I cut the broth recommendation from 3qts to 32 oz. I think this is what made it more flavorful. -Added grilled chicken and rice cooked from the night before. (helps with reducing cook time) Add baby bok choy.
Beth
What a delicious and hearty soup; great for a rainy cold afternoon. I had some mushrooms and added them when I added the Bok Choy, giving the soup additional earthiness. Next time,I will add more ginger and red pepper flakes to increase the heat. This is a keeper.
Mardee
This was absolutely delicious! Because I was out of some ingredients and no time to shop, I substituted leftover rotisserie chicken and its broth for the whole chicken. I tossed in Trader Joe's frozen organic white rice instead of uncooked rice, and substituted fresh baby spinach for the bok choy. And I threw in some sambal oelek. The upside of this was a delicious hot and spicy soup that took only 15 minutes to make. I'll try it as written next time, but I'll keep the sambal oelek in! So good!
Richard Schinella
This recipe is very similar to Chinese "Jouk", where 1 cup of long grain rice is simmered for 1 hour with chicken. ginger & 10 cups of water. The chicken is then shredded & added back to the pot, adding additional time until the rice is transferred into a sort of porridge, ...which is (like this recipe) absolutely delicious.
Rory
Haven’t made this yet, but I have found that a plain rotisserie or home-roasted chicken adds much more flavor to chicken soup than poached chicken. I remove the big chunks of meat and set aside for adding to the soup, then throw everything else in the crockpot overnight with water and seasonings to make the stock. If I roasted my own chicken, I add the defatted pan drippings. But I look forward to trying the tastes of turmeric and coriander — valuable for their antioxidants, too.
Lily
Agree it’s a bit bland as is. But a few small ingredients go a long way to near-perfection. I added one jalapeño to the fry at the beginning. Chopped, seeds included. Also, an extra tbsp of ginger. At the ends I added 2 cups chopped cabbage and the juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime. Delicious.
Mary Paschall
overall on the bland side, pplus way too much fat from the poached chicken. It's difficult to skim with all that rice in there. Needs more zing. I might try adding fish sauce and jalapeno.
steven n
We loved this! I would recommend poaching the chicken for a little bit longer. The flavor is a bit better that way. I also added a bit more ginger than recommended and definitely toast/cook the spices longer than the 5 minutes.
Cat
I don’t eat meat so used halibut fillet fish and it was so delicious. Will make again.
Jason H.
I have now cooked this five times, and each time, my family really enjoys it. This time was the most faithful to the recipe as presented, and my foodie 13-year-old said it was good. (He's twice asked me to make this dish before today.) My curiosity leads me to wonder if corn would be a good addition; what do you think?
curren
Follow recipe to the end- it will be bland but you can doozle it up and make it unreal. You're going to need a lot of water to cover the chicken a whole 32oz thing of stock. So at the end when it's bland you didn't duck up. Just add juice of 2 limes. Some fermented lemon grass chili oil, salt if needed, some more garlic, and some dashes of fish sauce. Needs cilantro
Helen Hope
x2 the ginger and garlic, x1.5 the turmeric and coriander, and used bone-in skin-on chicken legs instead of a whole chicken. The soup, due to excess simmering, turned into a rich stew. It was delicious. Took two hours for me to make as separating the chicken from the bone was tedious, but I was using little chicken legs instead of a whole chicken. Not a weeknight recipe.
el Hefa
You can make this in the instant pot using leg quarters and I remove the skin on most of them as it creates a bit much fat. Just sauté all the spices in the pot, then add ( I used brown rice) rice and stir. Add chicken then broth and cook for 30 min. Let release naturally. It’s easy and wonderful. Also for different recipe ( with spices of choice) you can use less water ( I cup rice I cup water) and you end up with incredible chicken risotto. If you leave the skin on it makes a rich dish.
Add more broth, MUST BE BIG POT
This dish was delicious but I added the listed amount of broth and simmered it for less time and it turned into a stew. Again, really good dish just be careful on the amount of liquid you are putting in the dish.
neurodrew
I used cut up chicken thighs and breasts, trimming visible fat. Excellent taste and consistency
KathyK
Yum! Commenting just to let folks know that this is excellent made with what you have available: in our case that was leftover roast chicken, chicken stock (admittedly I used homemade from the freezer), onion instead of scallions, and no greens. The spice mixture, and letting them toast in the oil first with the allium, makes a very fragrent broth. We will definitely be making it again, with the bok choy or another green.
Monica Roberts
Replaced scallions with fennel, one leek, and jalepeno
ASC
Rice burned to bottom, whole soup tasted burned. Huge waste of time. Just cook rice separately and then put it at end. Ugh.
Sara
Colossal failure. Followed the recipe, but the chicken took an hour to cook instead of 25 minutes. By that time, the starchy aborio rice had disintegrated, turning the soup into a gruel. I might have gotten past the unappetizing texture if there was more flavor, but this dish is bland. I’m a good cook and could not fix this dish. Threw away a $25 organic chicken and ordered pizza.
Cathy
This has gone into regular rotation at our house. Delicious comfort food that is wonderful as leftovers. My only note is that it usually takes about twice as long to cook the chicken through — and even at that I usually end up pulling it out, de-boning and dicing it while some parts are still pink. This isn’t a huge problem, since it is all going back in and continuing to cook, so by the time the bok choy is ready, any under-cooked chicken has finished.
Mary
Lime juice
Kate
Would add more spices, ginger and garlic to the broth if making again. Also would add a chile during cooking and finish with lime and any fresh herbs on hand
Olivia W
SOOOO GOOD!! Halved the recipe for my little family (but kept the ginger and garlic amounts the same) and used chicken thighs which not only turned out great but reduced the cook time. A squeeze of lime to finish & serve made it perfect.
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