Chinese Chicken Soup

What should you do when you are craving a hearty chicken soup, but don’t want any grains or higher-carb vegetables involved? That’s how this “Chinese Chicken Soup” recipe was born. I starting thinking about all my favorite chicken soups. When I thought about “wonton” soup, I knew I was onto something. I love wonton soup, but how could I achieve that comfort zone without the wanton? Answer, plenty of chicken, a good and flavorful broth base, plenty of vegetables, and two 8 oz. bags of mung bean sprouts as a substitute for noodles. Note: I make huge batches of soup so that I can freeze at least half. I always make more soup in the winter than at any other time of year. It’s nice to be able to go to the freezer and grab some homemade soup to thaw and eat.

Chinese Chicken Soup
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (otherwise, use all low-sodium chicken broth)
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
8 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, pressed
8 cremini mushrooms, or 4 medium portabella mushrooms sliced thin, and cut into bite sized pieces
1 (6 oz.) of snow peas, large dice
2 (8oz.) bags of mung bean sprouts
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
3 tablespoons of soy sauce, tamari, (or coconut aminos to be Whole30 compliant)
1/8 to 1/4 white pepper to taste
1 pinch of Chinese five spice
1 pinch of dried ginger
1 lb. of shredded chicken breast (cook fresh or use left overs)

Gently clean off mushrooms, if necessary. If using the large portabellas, scrape of the “gills” with a spoon. Dice mushrooms, snow peas, and scallions.

Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium-low heat for two minutes. This is a low heat oil and we don’t want it to smoke. We just want to lightly coat and sweat the vegetables in this flavorful oil.

Reduce heat further, if necessary, and add the chopped scallions.

Add garlic and mushrooms, and gently toss and coat with oil.

Add snow peas.

Add chicken stock (hold back 1/2 cup if you are cooking chicken rather than using leftover chicken), broth, soy sauce, pepper, Chinese spice, and ginger. Increase the the eat to medium and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, cook the chicken breasts, if you don’t have leftovers.  Add 2 chicken breasts to a small pan with 1/2 cup of chicken broth, and bring to a low simmer to poach. No spices needed.

After 5 minutes (when the chicken looks like this) flip, cover, and cook for about another five minutes or until cooked through to 160 degrees. As it rests it will come up another 5 degrees.

Shred the chicken with two forks.

Add the frozen spinach and shredded chicken to the soup.

Bring to a low boil, reduce to a simmer, and serve.

You might also like

Wonton-less Soup

Whole30 – Paleo Turkey Chili Verde

Cheeseburger Cauliflower “Helper” (Low-carb Comfort Food)

This recipe has no ratings just yet.

Chinese Chicken Soup

January 17, 2012

Servings: 8

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 35 min

Total: 50 min

Difficulty: Easy

Print This

By: Michele Tedrick, NBC-HWC, A-CFHC, Holistic Chef

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (otherwise, use all low-sodium chicken broth)
• 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 8 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• 8 cremini mushrooms, or 4 medium portabella mushrooms sliced thin, and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 (6 oz.) of snow peas, large dice
• 2 (8oz.) bags of mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, tamari, (or coconut aminos to be Whole30 compliant)
• 1/8 to 1/4 white pepper to taste
• 1 pinch of Chinese five spice
• 1 pinch of dried ginger
• 1 lb. of shredded chicken breast (cook fresh or use left overs)

Directions

• Step 1 Gently clean off mushrooms, if necessary. If using the large portabellas, scrape of the “gills” with a spoon. Dice mushrooms, snow peas, and scallions.
• Step 2 Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium-low heat for two minutes. This is a low heat oil and we don’t want it to smoke. We just want to lightly coat and sweat the vegetables in this flavorful oil.
• Step 3 Reduce heat further, if necessary, and add the chopped scallions.
• Step 4 Add garlic and mushrooms, and gently toss and coat with oil.
• Step 5 Add snow peas.
• Step 6 Add chicken stock (hold back 1/2 cup if you are cooking chicken rather than using leftover chicken), broth, soy sauce, pepper, Chinese spice, and ginger. Increase the the eat to medium and bring to a simmer.
• Step 7 Meanwhile, cook the chicken breasts, if you don’t have leftovers.  Add 2 chicken breasts to a small pan with 1/2 cup of chicken broth, and bring to a low simmer to poach. No spices needed.
• Step 8 After 5 minutes (when the chicken looks like this) flip, cover, and cook for about another five minutes or until cooked through to 160 degrees. As it rests it will come up another 5 degrees.
• Step 9 Shred the chicken with two forks.
• Step 10 Add the frozen spinach and shredded chicken to the soup.
• Step 11 Bring to a low boil, reduce to a simmer, and serve.