Ginger Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

Soup season is slowly approaching and I always like to start reintroducing them at the end of summer using seasonal produce and keeping them nice and light and refreshing. This Thai-inspired soup gets its flavor from lots of ginger, garlic, onion, and lemongrass (if you can find it!). Coconut milk gets stirred in at the end to add a touch of sweetness and creaminess, while lime juice brightens it up and fish sauce gives it that classic Thai flavor and umami boost. Any veggies or protein can be used here, but my favorite combination was chicken thighs (bone-in), eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes.

Ingredient Highlight

Coconut milk! Is a wonderful alternative to cream and milk for those of us who are lactose intolerant or vegan. It’s also a good source of iron, magnesium, potassium, and selenium. Don’t fear that saturated fat – it only can become a problem if you’re consuming a ton of it on a regular basis (as with anything else!). In fact, coconut oil is high in medium chain triglycerides, which may improve your GOOD cholesterol levels along with other health benefits.

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Servings 4 People

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed, chopped, or thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp grated ginger 3-4” knob of ginger
• 1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, smashed (optional)*
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 lb chicken thighs**
• 5 cups sliced/chopped veggies eggplant, bell pepper, carrot, broccoli, mushrooms, etc…
• 2-4 cups chopped kale (optional)
• 1 (15 oz) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• Fresh cilantro
• Sriracha, optional
• *To release the yummy essential oils from the lemongrass, smack it really hard with the back of your knife to crack it open all over before adding it to the soup (see video). If you can’t find lemongrass, skip it and add some extra ginger and/or garlic for flavor or try adding lime zest strips.
• **I like using bone-in chicken thighs (remove the skin and trim the fat) because it has more flavor, but you can easily use boneless skinless to save on time and messiness. Boneless chicken cooks faster, so reduce the cooking time a bit before adding the rest of the veggies.
• ***Add veggies that take longer to cook first, then add the more tender quick cooking veggies at the end. For example, eggplant, carrot, and mushrooms can go in with the chicken, but green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, etc…should go in during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring often.
• Add the ginger, lemongrass, water, and soy sauce. Cover and increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Add the chicken and long cooking veggies (see note). Cover and let it come back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a simmer for 10-15 minutes (depending on size of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through, stirring halfway. Add in any remaining quick cooking veggies in the last 3-5 minutes of cook time.
• Turn off the heat and remove the chicken. Stir in the kale (if using), coconut milk, lime, and fish sauce. Shred the chicken and stir it back in. Taste and add more lime or salt if it tastes like it still needs something.
• Serve topped with fresh cilantro. If you want to add a little kick, stir some sriracha into your bowl.

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

• Chop ½ yellow onion
• Smash, chop, or thinly slice 3 cloves garlic
• Grate 3 tbsp ginger (3-4” knob of ginger)
• Prep 4-5 cups sliced veggies
• Chop 2-4 cups chopped kale (if using)
• Make the soup

Substitutions:

• See recipe notes.
• To make vegetarian, use tofu in place of chicken and substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce or tamari.

Storage:

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Leftovers + Repurposing:

• Warm up leftovers on the stove or in the microwave (it tastes even better the next day!). Top with lots of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

*To release the yummy essential oils from the lemongrass, smack it really hard with the back of your knife to crack it open all over before adding it to the soup (see video). If you can’t find lemongrass, skip it and add some extra ginger and/or garlic for flavor or try adding lime zest strips.

**I like using bone-in chicken thighs (remove the skin and trim the fat) because it has more flavor, but you can easily use boneless skinless to save on time and messiness. Boneless chicken cooks faster, so reduce the cooking time a bit before adding the rest of the veggies.

***Add veggies that take longer to cook first, then add the more tender quick cooking veggies at the end. For example, eggplant, carrot, and mushrooms can go in with the chicken, but green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, etc…should go in during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.