Ginger Lime Chicken Soup Recipe

This ginger lime chicken soup is a citrusy, ginger-forward broth with shredded chicken, served over cilantro lime rice that sits in the bowl underneath. The rice stays separate so the broth stays brothy, and lime goes into both layers. It serves 4 in about 1 hour.

The recipe is from How Sweet Eats by Jessica Merchant, and it uses pre-cooked shredded chicken instead of raw. Rotisserie chicken or leftovers go straight into the simmering stock, cutting the active cook time to under 30 minutes. I reach for this when there’s leftover chicken in the fridge and dinner needs to happen fast.

The ginger is what most people undershoot, because 3 to 4 tablespoons of minced fresh ginger sounds like too much. It softens as it cooks, and what tastes sharp raw becomes mellow in the broth by the time the soup is done. Go under that amount and the soup tastes like plain chicken stock with lime squeezed in.

Ginger Lime Chicken Soup Recipe

Recipe by Emily MitchellCourse: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

2

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hours 

35

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

Jessica Merchant’s weeknight chicken soup from How Sweet Eats — pre-cooked shredded chicken simmered in ginger, garlic and lime-zested stock, ladled over cilantro lime rice with a fresh squeeze of lime. A broth that does not need hours on the stove.

Ingredients

• Soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 sweet onion, diced

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 to 4 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1.5 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or leftover)

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1 tsp fresh lime zest

• Lime wedges, to serve

• Fresh cilantro, to garnish

• Cilantro lime rice

• 2 cups jasmine rice

• 3 cups water or chicken stock

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Zest of 2 limes

• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice

• ¾ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

• Make the soup
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft.
• Add the shredded chicken, stock and lime zest. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Make the cilantro lime rice
• Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
• Bring the water or stock to the boil in a saucepan. Add the rice, butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
• Remove the lid and stir in the lime zest, lime juice and cilantro.
• Serve
• Scoop rice into each bowl. Ladle the soup over the top. Finish with fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime.

FAQs

Can I use rotisserie chicken for this?

Yes, and the recipe is specifically designed for already-cooked chicken rather than raw, which is what makes it weeknight-fast. Rotisserie works perfectly, as does leftover chicken from the night before, because it goes straight into the simmering stock. Once the chicken is in, the soup only simmers for 20 to 30 minutes.

Do I have to serve the rice separately or can I mix it in?

Jessica serves them separately so everyone adds their own scoop, which keeps the rice from soaking up all the broth as the soup sits. Mixing the rice in works for immediate eating, but store leftovers separately or the rice absorbs the broth overnight. The separate approach is also what makes this soup worth making in a larger batch.

How do I know if I’ve used enough ginger?

The recipe calls for 3 to 4 tablespoons of minced fresh ginger and Jessica notes this is adjustable. Taste after 15 minutes of simmering and add more if the broth still tastes flat or mild. Do not substitute ground ginger for fresh, as the heat and depth are completely different.

Can I make this with leftover turkey instead of chicken?

Yes, and Jessica explicitly mentions this in the recipe, making it a natural soup to make in the days after Thanksgiving. Use the same quantity of shredded cooked turkey in place of the chicken, and the rest of the recipe stays the same. The ginger and lime work well with turkey’s richer flavor, and the swap holds up just as well for leftovers.

What should I serve alongside this?

The soup and rice together are already a full meal. For another citrus-and-ginger bowl in the same format, lemon ginger chicken soup takes the warmth in a slightly different direction. For a spicier bowl with the same ginger notes, Thai coconut curry with kale brings coconut and lime to a completely different place.