Ginger Garlic Chicken Soup Recipe

This ginger garlic chicken soup gets its broth from chicken thighs, fresh ginger and garlic simmered in plain water for 15 minutes. A drizzle of soy sauce, black vinegar and sesame oil finishes each bowl with a sharp, savory edge. It serves 4 to 6 in 45 minutes.

The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman, and there is no store-bought broth, because Perelman builds it by simmering chicken thighs, garlic and ginger directly in water. Thighs have the fat to flavor plain water in a way breast meat can’t, which is the point she makes directly in the cookbook.

The soy sauce, black vinegar and sesame oil go in at the end, not into the simmering broth. Cooking them in dissolves their sharp edge into the background, so Perelman adds them per bowl at the table instead. That is what gives the soup a note closer to hot-and-sour than plain chicken noodle.

Ginger Garlic Chicken Soup Recipe

Recipe by Emily MitchellCourse: SoupsCuisine: Asian-InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

25

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minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

474

kcal

Deb Perelman’s weeknight chicken noodle soup from Smitten Kitchen Keepers — no stock required, because the chicken thighs do all the work. Ginger, garlic and scallions build the base from scratch, then soy sauce, black vinegar and sesame oil go on each bowl right before you eat.

Ingredients

• Soup

• 2 lbs (905g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped

• 1 bundle (6–8 oz / 170–225g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated

• 4 tsp (11g) kosher salt

• Freshly ground black or white pepper

• 10 cups (2.4 litres) water

• 8 oz (225g) dried ramen-style or curly noodles

• 1 cup (135g) carrot, cut into thin matchsticks

• To finish

• ¼ cup (60g) black rice vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar)

• ¼ cup (60g) soy sauce

• 2 tbsp (25g) toasted sesame oil

• Crispy chili oil, to taste

Directions

• Add the chicken thighs, garlic, ginger, scallion whites, salt, pepper and water to a large pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is very tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• While the soup simmers, whisk the black vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Add chili oil to taste.
• Lift the chicken out with tongs and transfer to a cutting board. Add the noodles and carrot to the broth and cook according to the noodle package directions.
• Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces using two forks. Once the noodles are done, return the chicken to the pot and rewarm for about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Divide between bowls. Top each with scallion greens and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the soy-vinegar mixture over each bowl. Add more to taste.

FAQs

What is black rice vinegar and where do I find it?

Black rice vinegar, also sold as Chinkiang vinegar, is darker and maltier than regular rice vinegar, which is why it changes the finishing drizzle noticeably. Most Asian grocery stores carry it in the vinegar aisle, and it is easy to find online. Regular rice vinegar works as a substitute, but the soup will taste a little flatter at the finish.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

Thighs are what build the broth here, because their fat flavors the plain water in a way breast meat can’t. Perelman makes this point directly in the cookbook, which is why swapping to breasts produces a noticeably thinner, blander result. If you use breasts, compensate by replacing half the water with low-sodium store-bought stock.

Can I use a different noodle?

Any dried noodle that cooks in under 5 minutes works, including soba, rice noodles or egg noodles. Thicker noodles that need more time will overcook while you shred the chicken. Perelman’s own note in the recipe is to add noodles right before serving, because they keep absorbing the broth if they sit.

Can I make this ahead?

The broth and shredded chicken can be refrigerated for up to two days, which makes this easy to prep in advance. Keep the chicken separate from the broth so it doesn’t dry out or go mushy. Add the noodles and the soy-vinegar drizzle only when you are ready to serve, because both change noticeably if they sit in the broth.

What should I serve this with?

This soup is a full meal on its own and doesn’t need a side. If you want to stay in ginger territory, ginger chicken soup with thighs runs a similar weeknight approach worth bookmarking alongside this one. For a citrus version of the same base, lemon ginger chicken soup takes the warmth in a completely different direction.