A quick and hearty soup bursting with flavor and antioxidants like turmeric, ginger and garlic
I honestly have never met a soup I did't like. Well...maybe one or two here and there. I love the versatility of soup, whether it's hearty (like this one), or brothy, soup can easily be a stand-alone dish made with relative ease with handy ingredients. This soup blends some of the flavors I love the most: Lemon, ginger, garlic and turmeric, which gives it its golden color.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
- 1 medium yellow or brown onion-cut in half and sliced
- 3 medium gold potatoes, unpeeled, and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 large or 2 medium carrots-peeled and sliced (about 1/2" slices)
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ginger powder, but fresh is best!)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Aleppo pepper (or mild chili powder)
- 2 TBSP onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 TBSP Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 cup Asian rice (I use Cal Rose)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 egg at room temperature
- Juice of 1 large or 2 medium lemons (also at room temperature)
- 2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh cilantro (coriander) and extra virgin olive oil to garnish
- Chili pepper flakes for added heat (optional)
Equipment:
A large soup pot or Dutch oven
Cutting board (plus a separate one for the raw chicken)
Sharp knife for cutting up chicken, onions and potatoes
Peeler for peeling carrots and ginger
A zester or cheese grater (for the ginger)
A mixing bowl that can handle hot liquids
A whisk
A soup ladle
Measuring cups and spoons
A garlic press (no worries if you don't have one, just use a knife to mince)
Let's Do This!
But First....
Prep your ingredients:
Cut the chicken breasts into chunks, depending on your desired size (not too small!)
Peel the onion, cut in half, then slice into medium slices
Cut the washed, unpeeled potatoes into 1" cubes
Peel and slice carrots into 1/2" slices
Peel the ginger, then grate about 2 tsp worth (about a 2" chunk will do the trick)
Peel and mince the garlic, or use a garlic press if you have one
Step 1
Heat the soup pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat for about 1 minute, then add the butter and olive oil. Heat for another minute
Add the chicken, onion slices and carrots
Stir frequently until chicken start to brown slightly, about 5 minutes
Step 2
Turn heat to medium, then
Add the garlic and ginger
Move things around for about 2 minutes, until the aroma of the garlic and ginger rises
Step 3
Add the seasonings: Aleppo pepper (or chili powder), onion powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, and turmeric
Stir to incorporate the seasonings
Step 4
Add the chicken broth and water
Stir in the rice
Drop in the 2 bay leaves, give the soup a gentle stir
Step 5
Place lid over the pot, let the soup come to a gentle boil
Then, reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 45 minutes, or until the chicken chunks are tender and potatoes are cooked through
Step 6
Prep the egg mixture:
-whisk the egg in a heat-tolerant mixing bowl
-whisk in the lemon juice
-slowly pour one ladle-full of the soup broth into the egg mixture and whisk until
blended
-repeat this step another 2 times (you are tempering the egg mixture before adding it
back into the soup)
-gently pour the egg/soup mixture back into the soup pot, stirring until blended
Step 7
Add salt and pepper to taste
Allow the soup to cook on low heat for about 5 minutes longer, turn off the heat
Flavor the soup with 2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
Step 8
Pour soup into bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro and drizzle with olive oil and chili pepper flakes before serving. Enjoy!