Description

On a chilly day, nothing beats a warm bowl of soup! And this Gingery Chicken Soup with Bok Choy has all the ingredients of a classic chicken soup, plus a deeply aromatic ginger-infused broth (the secret? Smashed ginger root!) and a few extras like coconut aminos, sesame oil, and lime juice to place it in a category of its own. It’s a wonderfully comforting recipe that comes together in under an hour.

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 leek, light green and white part cut into half moons
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 medium carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced on a diagonal
2 4-inch pieces of ginger root, cleaned very well, tough ends trimmed, and cut in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
7-8 cups chicken broth
3 cups cooked shredded chicken (about 1 pound)
10 ounces baby bok choy, or 2 medium sized bunches, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes: Thinly sliced green onions, chili oil, cilantro, and extra lime wedges

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Instructions

Time-saving tip: Prep the bok choy and shred the chicken while the veggies sauté or while the soup simmers.

Prep the ginger. Place trimmed, cleaned, and halved ginger root pieces flat side down on a cutting board and firmly smash with the side of your knife, a meat pounder, or a rolling pin until the flesh cracks in some spots.
Sauté the veggies and aromatics. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and cleaned ginger pieces. Sauté for 12-14 minutes, until the ginger is fragrant, onions are translucent, and everything is starting to caramelize.
Simmer the soup. Pour 7 cups of broth into the pot with the veggies and bring to a simmer, scraping up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots and celery are tender and the broth is deeply aromatic from the ginger.
Finish assembling the soup. Add the shredded chicken and bok choy to the soup pot and stir to combine. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes, until the chicken is warm and the bok choy is done to your liking. For a brothier soup, add an additional cup of broth. Add the coconut aminos, sesame oil, and lime juice, and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. At this point, you can remove the ginger pieces and grate a little extra fresh ginger into the soup with a microplane for more ginger flavor. Ladle into bowls, garnish with thinly sliced onions, cilantro, and chili oil if desired, and enjoy!