Something Yum - chicken ginger soup

Hello! 

The other day I made this soup, and it was very delicious, so I thought I would share the recipe with you all.. Are you a soup person?  I definitely am.  Some people I know don't consider soup a meal, I just can't agree!  Maybe I just have such massive bowls of soup that it becomes a meal sized serve.  

Anyway, my boss gave me this recipe for Chicken Ginger Soup, he is a real ginger fan, it has so many great health benefits ( Google it if you are interested, it really is good for you!), and it gives this soup a lovely heat that is more subtle than just chilli.   

It is a thin, brothy type soup so would be good as a starter for an Asian feast, or I just have a bowlful for lunch and feel very healthy, like I've done something good for my body. ( And believe me, my body needs a lot of positive work at the moment, I have not been treating it like a temple!)

So here's the recipe!

Healing Chicken Ginger Soup

For the Broth:

2 bone-in free-range chicken breasts (about 1kg total)

8 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 whole head garlic, cut in half cross-wise

1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh ginger (or more!)

2 to 3 thai chiles, chopped or 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

2 cups chopped shiitake mushrooms

1 stalk fresh lemongrass, chopped

Small bunch of coriander

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

3 teaspoons  sea salt

For the Soup:

1 medium onion, cut into crescent moons

3 to 4 stalks celery, sliced into diagonals

3 carrots, cut into matchsticks

2 to 3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

cooked chicken pulled from the bone and chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional Additions/Toppings:

rice noodles

chopped fresh basil

chopped fresh coriander

chopped fresh Thai green chilies

lime wedges

To make the broth, place all ingredients for broth into a 6 litre pot. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain broth into a large bowl or another pot using a colander. Place chicken breasts onto a plate to cool. Pour the broth back into the pot. Once chicken is cooled, remove the skin, pull the meat from the bone and chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Place all of the vegies for the soup (onion, carrot, celery, and shiitake mushrooms) into the pot with the broth. Cover and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a minute or two more or until vegetables are cooked to your liking. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a handful of basil, coriander, and cabbage on top. Sprinkle with thai chiles if desired. You can also add a handful of cooked thai rice noodles to each bowl if desired. Squeeze a little lime juice over each bowl.

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This is my pot full of the broth ingredients, ready to simmer away on the stove, no wonder this is packed with flavour! 

My only changes were that I used a whole chicken, instead of breasts on the bone, and I used dried shiitake mushrooms (found in the supermarket in the Asian section),  fresh ones are hard to find around here!

If you are feeling a bit under the weather, I think this is the soup for you!

Have you eaten anything delicious lately? 

Do you treat your body like a temple or do you give it a hard time like me? 

( I am starting to change this though!)

Back soon with a crochet update.

Have a great day!