This Chicken and Vegetable Soup is made by sautéing onions, ginger and garlic, and then building on that incredible aromatic base with slowly simmering chicken and finally adding in carrots, celery, potatoes and beans at the end.
What makes this chicken soup stand out is the grated ginger. It’s not an ingredient you often find in chicken soup, and the smell of it cooking is so unexpectedly soothing, especially if you’re making it on a cold day or for someone who is under the weather.
The ginger, garlic, and onion along with the fat from the chicken create such a satisfying broth, which is then topped with diced chicken, veggies and beans. We add a large sweet potato because it adds a subtle sweetness to the broth and the beans and red potatoes give the soup an extra heft.
You can add either kidney beans or black beans, or really both is a good option. We also add the carrots and celery towards the end rather than at the beginning so that they have a firmer texture. The soup gets plenty of flavor from the garlic and ginger, so we use the celery and carrots as added vegetables rather than using them at the beginning to add flavor to the broth.
For us, this recipe has evolved from a very simple version with just carrots and celery to a fuller version with more vegetables and beans. It’s a really flexible recipe. You can serve it over rice or noodles or on its own (we usually serve it on its own). You can add or remove vegetables. We tend to make the version below, but if we have extra vegetables on hand (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, etc.) we’ll toss them in too.
Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Ginger
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1-2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 whole chicken, or an assortment of bone-in skin on chicken pieces
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 3 medium red potatoes, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, diced
- 1 can kidney or black beans (or both)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the chicken, chicken broth, and 2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Ensure that the chicken is submerged in the broth. Reduce to a low simmer and cover.
- Simmer for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked and no longer pink. You will need to cook it less if using only chicken pieces compared to using a whole chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate or cutting board to cool.
- Skim off any extra fat from the top of the broth.
- Add the carrots, red potatoes, and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, remove the meat from the bones and dice into small pieces. Add the diced chicken back to the pot. Add the kidney and/or black beans and allow to warm through.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, serve warm in bowls
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