Healthy and delicious garlic chicken soup recipe that is super quick and easy to make. It's made with shredded rotisserie chicken (or any leftover cooked chicken) and green vegetables. Topped with mellow garlic then sautéed in butter and sesame oil, adding rich flavour, this soup can be finished with noodles or served as a low-carb version.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion diced small (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium carrot diced into small cubes (about 1 cup)
- 1 large celery rib diced into small cubes (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large garlic cloves diced
- 4-5 slices of ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder optional
- 1/2 Rotisserie chicken breast/thigh/drumstick meat pulled off and torn into shreds or diced, about 400-500 g / 1 lb.
- 1-2 leaves Chinese broccoli or other greens, diced or sliced (about 1-2 cups)
- 1/2 head broccoli cut into half florets
- 6 cups chicken stock or water + stock cubes
- If using noodles: About 100 grams or 3-4 oz. dried thin egg noodles or rice noodles
To finish the soup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 5 cloves garlic sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons salted butter about 30-40 g / 1-1.5 oz.
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Extra ground pepper to serve
Instructions
- Prep. Shred the chicken meat and dice all the vegetables, 2 garlic cloves, and cut a few ginger slices. Slice extra garlic for making the buttery topping. Boil a kettle of water to cook the noodles separately if using (according to the packet instructions).
- Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a heavy pot and place over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and a little salt and saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Optional step if making noodles: In the meantime, cook the noodles in a separate pot (if using). Once the noodles are cooked, strain and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking. I like to undercook the noodles by a minute as they will soften further in the hot chicken soup.
- Add ginger, chopped garlic, pepper and turmeric (these two always go hand in hand as pepper enhances turmeric's curcumin absorption in the body). Stir through and cook for 1 minute.
- Add shredded rotisserie chicken and stock cubes followed by six cups of water. Or you can use ready-made stock, or half and half. Stir through and bring to a simmer.
- Add sliced or chopped Asian greens and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Finally, add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 more minutes. Then turn the heat off and taste for salt. Finish by adding a tablespoon or two of lemon juice.
- To make buttery garlic oil, heat a medium pan over low-medium heat. Melt the butter and once hot, add the sliced garlic. Saute over low-medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until it starts to change colour. Add the sesame oil and continue to cook until the garlic is caramelised, crispy and golden brown. Don't overcook or burn the garlic as it will turn bitter; it's better to undercook. Transfer the buttery oil and the garlic to a bowl as soon as it looks ready.
- To finish the soup, add the pre-cooked noodles (if used) to the hot soup and pour some of the garlic butter over the top. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve the soup with extra garlic and parsley in bowls.
Notes
The nutrition label below is for chicken and vegetable soup with noodles.
Storage: This chicken soup will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 926mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2938IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
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