This chicken soup is ready 40 minutes after you start chopping, because it cooks from skinless chicken thighs instead of a whole bird. Fresh ginger and garlic give it a gentle heat, and lemon added at the end keeps the flavor bright. It is hot, clear and easy to eat, the soup to make when someone at home has a cold and nobody has two hours to stand over the pot.

Why thighs and not breast

Chicken breast dries out when it cooks in liquid, and after 20 minutes in soup it turns stringy. Thighs carry more fat and connective tissue, so they stay tender and pull apart easily into chunks. Some of that fat goes into the liquid and gives the broth a body that breast meat cannot.

Use boneless thighs. Bone-in thighs work too, but they need about 10 more minutes in the pot, and then the soup is no longer a 40-minute soup.

A rich broth in a short time

A classic chicken soup gets its flavor from two or more hours of slow simmering. Here the flavor is built at the start: brown the thighs in oil for two minutes per side, and the brown layer that sticks to the bottom of the pot dissolves into the soup later. The onion, carrot and celery cook in the same fat before any water goes in.

The water goes in already boiling from the kettle, so the pot comes back to a boil in a minute instead of fifteen. The garlic and ginger cook for one minute only, so they keep their sharp aroma. Lemon juice goes in after the heat is off, because boiling dulls it.

For a vegetarian soup on a cold day, try the red lentil soup with cumin.

40-Minute Chicken Ginger Soup

Clear chicken soup made with boneless skinless thighs, fresh ginger, garlic, vegetables and lemon. Ready in 40 minutes.

40-Minute Chicken Ginger Soup
Servings: 6 servingsPrep time: 10 minCook time: 30 minTotal time: 40 min

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 lb / 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 2 carrots (peeled and sliced)
  • 2 celery stalks (sliced)
  • 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
  • 2 inch / 5 cm fresh ginger (peeled and grated)
  • 8 cups / 2 liters boiling water
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lemon (juiced)

To serve (optional)

  • parsley (chopped)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs for two minutes per side and move them to a plate.

  2. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens.

  3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute.

  4. Return the chicken to the pot, add the boiling water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

  5. Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 18 minutes, until the chicken is tender.

  6. Lift out the thighs, pull them into chunks and return them to the pot.

  7. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and adjust the salt. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does chicken soup keep in the fridge?
Up to three days in a closed container. Reheat only what you plan to eat.

Can I freeze chicken ginger soup?
Yes, for up to three months in a sealed container. Squeeze in a little fresh lemon after reheating, because its flavor fades in the freezer.

Can I add noodles?
Yes. Cook them separately and add them straight to the bowl, so they do not soak up the broth in the pot.

How much ginger goes into chicken soup?
A 2-inch piece gives a mild heat that kids will eat too. If you like it hotter, add another inch.