Recipe No 577 soup Original 2014 Adapted 2026

Healing Asian chicken soup

Sometimes soup isn’t all that exciting. Culinary awards are rarely won with soup. This is one of those soups you can give to sick people and get praise. Or break it out as first course for a much grander occasion with much finer company.

Inspired by Move Nourish Believe

Recipe: Healing Asian chicken soup.
Time

Prep:

Total:

Difficulty
very easy
Yield
4 serves • 1800 g
Metric Imperial

Processes

  • Coconut oil (2 tbsp)
    24 g
  1. 01
    Heat in a small stock pot, soup pot or large saucepan over medium heat.

  • Onion, brown, finely diced (2 small)
    240 g
  1. 02
    Add to pan and cook for .

  • Ginger, grated (2 thumbs)
    40 g
  • Garlic, crushed (4 cloves)
    12 g
  • Coriander, root and stem, finely chopped (2½ tsp)
    7 g
  1. 03
    Add to pan and cook for .

  • Turmeric, ground (1 tsp)
    2.3 g
  • Cumin, ground (½ tsp)
    1.6 g
  • Coriander seed, ground (½ tsp)
    1.2 g
  • Salt (optional) (¾ tsp)
    4 g
  • Pepper (optional) (¼ tsp)
    1 g
  1. 04
    Add to pan and stir to combine.

  • Water (½ cup)
    125 g
  1. 05
    Add to pan and deglaze. Stir and scrape to dislodge fond from the bottom of the pan.

  • Corn, kernels (2 cobs)
    150 g
  • Sweet potato, 5 mm / ¼" dice (1 large)
    400 g
  • Carrots, 5 mm / ¼" dice (2 regular)
    200 g
  • Mushrooms1, roughly chopped (6 button)
    90 g
  1. 06
    Add to pan and stir thoroughly to combine and coat the vegetables with the spice mixture.

  • Chicken stock (4 cups)
    1000 g
  • Tamari (4 tsp)
    20 g
  • Mirin (2 tsp)
    10 g
  1. 07
    Add to pan and bring to boil over high heat.

  • Star anise, whole (2 regular)
    2 g
  • Cinnamon stick, whole (2 regular)
    8 g
  1. 08
    Combine in a muslin pouch tied with kitchen string.
  2. 09
    Add to pan and push down to fully submerge.
  3. 10
    Reduce heat to simmer and cook for .

  • Chicken breast, whole, skinless, tenders removed (2 breasts)
    300 g
  1. 11
    Add to pan and poach at a simmer for .

  • Baby bok choy, stems (reserve leaves) (2 heads)
    120 g
  1. 12
    Add to pan and cook for a further . Reduce heat to low.
  2. 13
    Extract star anise and cinnamon pouch and discard.
  3. 14
    Remove chicken and shred finely.
  4. 15
    Bring soup back to boil then turn off heat.

  • Baby bok choy, leaves, larger leaves halved (2 heads)
    70 g
  1. 16
    Stir into soup until just wilted, about .
  2. 17
    Pick out leaves and stems and pile in the centre of each bowl.
  3. 18
    Return chicken to pot and stir to warm through.
  4. 19
    Ladle soup into bowls.

  • Coriander, leaves
    to taste
  • Sesame seeds2
    to taste
  1. 20
    Garnish.

Footnotes

  1. Such as button mushrooms
  2. You can substitute nigella seeds for sesame seeds for an interesting twist.

Making ahead

Defrost stock and warm.

Storing

Keeps in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.

Finished recipe

Categorisation

Category
soup
Meal
dinner entrée lunch
Cuisine
international
Diet
omnivorous
Tags
chicken healing soup