Chicken in Sesame, Ginger, and Garlic Soup

The temperature keeps dropping in this part of the world. Looks like the cold days are really here to stay, at least for a while. Tis the perfect time for…warm soup!

Many years ago, back in college days, a good friend taught me how to do Hainan chicken rice. I remembered the fantastic fragrance that came from the dish. Sesame oil, ginger slices, and garlic infused the soup and the chicken. My friend also tossed the rice grains with a little bit of sesame oil and oyster sauce in a pan before cooking it. Ah, so wonderful!

Inspired by that memory, I recently made something similar: chicken in sesame, ginger, and garlic soup. I served it with jasmine rice, scallions, and a little bit of chili flakes on a bitter cold night. The heat from the soup, the ginger, and the spicy chili flakes warmed me right up. I think I might make it again real soon.

Here’s my easy version:

Serve 2:

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts and 2 thighs with bones and skin (change it up according to your preference)
• 1—1 ½ inches of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped). Fresh ginger, not powder, is one of the keys here, folks.
• 2—3 Thai peppers (chopped), if using
• 4 garlic (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Sesame oil is the other key ingredient in this recipe. Trust me 😉
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 bunch of scallions (minus the root part, chopped)
• Water

Steps:

• Heat up a medium pot over medium heat
• Add oil, ginger, peppers, and garlic. Let them cook for a minute or two.
• Add the chicken and water. Make sure that the chicken is submerged.
• Add salt and a little bit of pepper.
• Cook for 30 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. Taste the soup and adjust.
• Reduce the heat to low. Take the chicken out and shred them using two forks. Discard the bones.
• Return the meat into the soup and let it sit for about 10 minutes to absorb more flavors.
• Serve hot with chopped scallions and rice.

Hope you like it!

Have a great weekend, all.

For Maria