My first experience with this soup was in my friend Lina’s house. It was love at first “taste”, and I haven’t stopped making it and remaking it ever since. This delicious soup has its origin in the Philippines, but through years of my remaking it, over and over and over again, I am sure that it has now become my “butchered-up” version of the original one.

Nevertheless it is unbelievably good, and for me rates high on the comfort-food scale. It especially appears on my radar whenever my husband or I have a cold. And what better for a cold than a good old fashioned home made chicken soup. Especially when it has tons of fresh ginger in it! I absolutely swear by ginger. It’s my very own version of antibiotics, which I steer clear from if I can help it.

Step one: the broth

1 medium onion

1 medium potato (or 2 small)

2 carrots

2 cardamon seeds

2 bay leaves

a bunch of sage leaves

salt

pepper

1 whole chicken (about 2kgs) I always ask the butcher to remove the skin and to cut it in 4 pieces so it can fit nicely in the pot.

Put all ingredients (except the chicken) in a large pot filled 1/2 with water.

When the water comes to a boil, add the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is tender.

Remove the chicken & vegetables on a separate dish & keep aside.

Strain the broth and keep aside.

Step two: what goes in that broth!!!

1 medium onion chopped fine

1/2 cup round rice

1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

In a frying pan: put chopped onion & rice, add a bit of olive oil, and keep stirring until mixture looks dryer & begins to separate. Don’t leave this on the stove and do something else, as it will burn before you know it! Just keep stirring. When its ready, remove from the burner & stir some more as it tends to keep cooking with the heat left in the pan even after removal.

Add the chopped ginger.

Add above mixture to your strained broth, and return to the stove.

Meanwhile clean your chicken and save the biggish peaces for another meal (see pasta w/chicken & bechamel which I will post after this.)

Take all the small pieces and add to your soup pot.

Keep cooking until the rice is done. Remove from the heat immediately (or else the rice will keep cooking and become too mushy). And keep the lid OFF until its cool.

I like to eat this soup with some toasted village bread.

P.S. This will make a huge pot of chicken ginger soup so you should have plenty of leftover. When you come to re-heat the left over next day, the rice may have swelled up some more and the soup may have thickened. Just dilute with some ready chicken broth, or some water & chicken flavoured Bouillon if needed).

 

Enjoy!