Jackson found this soup in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything two weekends ago, and we’ve eaten it three times since. It’s the kind of meal that warms you up from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, and tastes mighty fine while doing so.
It’s also the kind of meal that’s perfect for right now; the chicken and vegetables are just what we need to combat the negative effects of our daily pilfering of the shortbread from the oversized cookie tin (you’re doing it too, right?); I’m convinced that the garlic, ginger, and hot sauce are the magic elixir that’s protecting my kids from this weird winter flu that’s invaded almost every household we know; and the fact that the meal comes together in less than half an hour is a holiday gift to whoever is in charge of getting something decent on the dinner table this week.
The first time we ate this Jackson made it on his own, although I confess to sneaking in and taking a few liberties with the seasonings. The original recipe just calls for soy sauce, but I think this slightly jazzed up version tastes even better. However, feel free to play with the flavours that suit your family’s tastes – I think it would be practically impossible to mess this thing up.
Jackson's Chinese Chicken Soup
Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
Serves 6
- 6 cups chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
- 1/2 cup long grain rice
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 celery stalk, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1-2 cups raw or cooked chopped boneless skinless chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce
- Fresh ground pepper
- Sliced green onions
1. Put the stock in a large, deep pot set over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low so that it's barely boiling and add the rice, ginger, garlic, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken. If it's raw cook for 8-10 minutes. If it's cooked, cook for 2-3 minutes, until it is heated through.
3. Add the peas in the last minute of cooking. Season with the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, hot sauce and lots of fresh ground pepper.
4. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sliced green onions.
