Ginger Chicken Soup for Chilly Weather

When I left for Florida on September 12th, it was 85+ degrees.  In Florida, it was pretty much always between 85 – 92 degrees.  When we got back on Sunday, it was about 58 degrees – and will get down to 38 degrees overnight.  Brrr…

I was totally expecting our garden to be dead because it’s been getting cold at night,  but everything actually looked great and I even picked some radishes and lettuce that was ready.  I’ll post pictures of the garden and our trip soon, but I thought I’d get this recipe posted for Ginger Chicken Soup in honor of the fall/soup weather that showed up while we were gone.  I made this a few weeks ago during a “cooler” spell of 70 degrees.  It had a nice slightly spicy flavor and was good reheated for lunches.  I’ll definitely make this again.

This recipe is another example why it’s a good idea to always have cooked, shredded chicken breast and cooked quinoa or rice frozen – it makes it a snap to pull those things out and make a hearty soup with whatever veggies you have on hand.  You could easily substitute spinach, peppers, broccoli, or even frozen veggie mix for the listed vegetables.

Ginger Chicken Soup
adapted from Clean Eating Magazine Aug/Sept 2012

• 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil (I used coconut)
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2-3 cloves mince garlic
• 8 whole peppercorns
• 2 32 oz boxes of low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a squirt of sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes (more or less as desired)
• 8 oz. cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped
• 1 head bok choy, tough core removed and chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced thin
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• sliced green onion

Instructions:

In large saucepan, saute onions and garlic with oil on medium-high until translucent, stirring occasionally.  Add carrots, snap peas, and bok choy and cook for 2 minutes.  Add peppercorns, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes, following by broth, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and ginger, and bring to a boil.  Add chicken and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Stir in quinoa.  Top with cilantro and green onion before serving.