Hi friends, it’s me! How was your weekend? I know it’s been a while since I’ve given you a new recipe, but there are so many older recipes on Ambitious Kitchen that never got the love they deserve.
Since we’re heading into March fairly soon, I decided that This Asian Chicken soup recipe needed to get on the blog ASAP. We can only do soup season for so much longer, so be prepared to put this on your menu for the week.
Inspired by my love of Pho
This recipe was inspired by my love for pho. Tony and I love to order it from Coco Vietnamese about once a week. The broth is incredible and it’s full of fresh flavors, rice noodles and a taste that’s heaven sent.
Of course, this asian chicken soup recipe isn’t exactly the same. I added fresh ginger, lemongrass and garlic to create a healing and nourishing soup packed with immune boosting ingredients. There’s even an option to add rice noodles in the last 5 minutes of cooking for a slurp-worthy meal that’s truly DELISH.
Asian chicken soup ingredients
This asian chicken soup is full of healthy, nourishing ingredients that bring incredible flavor to the both. There’s also plenty of fresh herbs for an immune boosting broth that everyone will truly love. Here’s what you need:
- Sesame oil: I love the flavor of sesame oil and what it brings to this dish. It’s subtle but worth investing in. Plus sesame oil is great for when you’re cooking at high temperatures. Just be sure to store it in the fridge after using. If you don’t have sesame oil, feel free to use olive oil.
- Chicken thighs: I like to use organic boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe because they’re much more flavorful and moist than chicken breasts. However, chicken breasts will also work.
- Garlic + Ginger + Lemongrass: I call these the nourishing trio. Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties, ginger is wonderful for digestion, and lemongrass includes incredible flavonoids. All of them together just make the dish incredibly tasty.
- Green onion: we’re using both the white and the green in this recipe. It’s my favorite.
- Low sodium chicken broth: feel free to use chicken broth or bone broth in this recipe.
- Gluten free reduced sodium soy sauce: this is the brand that I like to use.
- Fish sauce: this ingredient adds an incredible umami, earthy and savory flavor to the soup. Try not to skip it.
- Thai chili paste: absolutely love this stuff. it’s great for adding to curry, soups and marinades.
- Bok Choy: to be honest, I haven’t cooked with bok choy much until now, but it’s my favorite because of how nutritious and crunchy it is. In a way, it reminds me of celery. We’re using the entire stalk, including the leaves. Just chop them up!
- Fresh herbs: this recipe calls for fresh cilantro, mint, and thai basil. If you’re unable to find thai basil, regular basil will work, or you can simply leave it off.
Toppings for asian chicken soup
This soup was made for toppings so feel free to get crazy; it’s truly what makes this asian soup so flavorful. For toppings, I suggest fresh lime, thai chile or jalapeno, green onion and if you’d like, rice noodles.
The rice noodles are totally optional, but who doesn’t love slurping up noodles?
How to store & freeze asian chicken soup
- In the fridge. This healthy asian chicken soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- To freeze. Allow the asian chicken soup to cool completely before placing it into airtight, freezer-friendly bags or containers. If you’re adding noodles to the soup, I recommend freezing this soup without the noodles. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply allow the soup to thaw in the refrigerator before re-heating on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you’re adding noodles, cook them separately and add them to your reheated soup when you’re ready to serve.
A playlist to listen to while you cook
In case you’re in the mood to listen to music while you cook, check out my new playlist called ‘banana almond butter toast’. It’s three hours long, so you might as well bake some of these tahini cookies too.
More nourishing recipes you might like:
Healing Lemongrass Thai Green Chickpea Curry
Golden Coconut Chicken Lentil Soup
Nourishing Yellow Chickpea Pumpkin Curry
The Best Chicken Soup You’ll Ever Eat
I hope you get a chance to make this flavorful asian chicken soup soon! It’s truly delicious and SO easy. If you make it, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below. xo!
Nourishing Asian Chicken Soup
Nourishing asian chicken soup with bok choy, lemongrass, green onion, garlic, ginger, and fresh herbs like cilantro, mint and basil. Optional to add rice noodles for a fresh, flavorful and healthy dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted or dark sesame oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bunches of green onions, white and green parts divided
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced or grated ginger
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon thai chili paste (or ½ tablespoon sriracha works too)
- ¼ cup gluten free low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and outer layers discarded, halved lengthwise
- 6 bok choy ribs with leaves, coarsely chopped
- 2-3 teaspoons fish sauce
- For serving:
- ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup mint leaves, torn
- ½ cup torn Thai bail (regular basil will also work)
- Green onion (just the green part of the onion)
- 1 thai chile, to garnish (can also sub jalapeno)
- Sesame seeds (white or black), for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnishing
- Optional for serving:
- 8 ounces rice noodles
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to a large dutch oven or large pot and place over medium high heat. Add in chicken thighs and generously season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides. You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way, just get it nice and golden brown for flavor purposes. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.
In the same pot, add the remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil. Immediately add in minced garlic, white part only of the green onions, sliced carrot and ginger. Saute for 3-5 minutes, the slowly add in the chicken broth, thai chili paste and soy sauce. Add the chicken thighs back to the pot and place two lemongrass stalks in. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred chicken. Before adding chicken back to the pot, remove the lemongrass stalks and discard. If you'd like to add rice noodles, now is the time to do so. Add them to the pot along with the bok choy and fish sauce and simmer for 5-7 more minutes.
- Pour into bowls, then garnish with a few cilantro, mint, thai green basil, green scallions, thai chile, sesame seeds and a fresh squeeze of lime.
Recipe Notes
If you want you can serve the soup with or over rice or ramen noodles.
To freeze this soup: allow it to cool completely before placing it into airtight, freezer-friendly bags or containers. If you're adding noodles to the soup, I recommend freezing this soup without the noodles. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply allow the soup to thaw in the refrigerator before re-heating on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you're adding noodles, cook them separately and add them to your reheated soup when you're ready to serve.
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
114 comments
WOW! such a different recipe! Will have to try!
I hope you do!! Something new and fun 🙂 Enjoy!
Wow! This looks amazing!!! I am making this tonight.
Hope you love it!!
This sounds so good! I don’t use Fish Sauce much so don’t really want to buy a whole bottle. Can you leave it out or substitute with something else? Thank you!
Can you substitute the Fish sauce with something else? Thank you!
You can simply leave it out and add more soy sauce if necessary!
Made this today! It is beyond delicious. I can’t believe how good it tastes!!!
So happy to hear that!!
Just recently started following you on Instagram and so happy I did – such a great recipe. Obsessed with soups and this was one of my favorites I’ve made in recent memory!
Amazing! So happy to hear that.
YES!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE 🙂 Thanks!!
Enjoy!!
I’m going to be honest, I am not a huge soup fan. But this sounds so dang delicious!!
Add some noodles to this one and it will be more like a delicious ramen!! 🙂
Love your recipes ! This one was amazing . So delicious! Even without all the ingredients.
So happy you liked it! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
Hey Monique! Thank you for the recipe!! I made it after a week of over-indulging on vacation and my boyfriend said it was one of the best things I’ve ever made for him 🙂
Hey Sam! So happy to hear that 🙂 It’s a great way to get those veggies in!
This soup is SO easy to put together and really balanced and delicious. The fresh herbs, green onions, sliced jalepeno and lime is essential to take an already tasty base to another level of deliciousness. I added mushrooms to this as well, did chicken breast instead of thighs and threw in dried noodles in towards the end. It’s a super flexible recipe and this will be on a regular rotation for me!
Yes!! All of the flavors in here are so wonderful together. Glad you enjoyed!
Yummy! We made this tonight and it was delicious. Checking out your other recipes for the rest of the week!
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed and I hope you find some more recipes here you love 🙂
Made this last night and it was so satisfying and flavorful! I added in some mushrooms and rice noodles like you suggested to make it a little heartier too. Thank you so much for sharing, I’ll definitely check for other quick soups and Asian inspired meals on your site.
So happy to hear that, Larissa! Love the addition of noodles & mushrooms. I hope you find some more recipes here you love!
omg i need this n o w !
So good!!
LITERALLY AMAZING!! The flavors of this soup are wonderful. I added rice noodles to mine and it was a nice addition. Highly recommend this soup as it is comforting, healthy, and delicious!!
So happy you enjoyed!!
I am going to make this “Nourishing Asian Chicken Soup” for my husband’s birthday dinner tonight. This looks amazing and I cannot wait to taste it! I’m wondering if making this same recipe in a Crockpot or Instant Pot would turn out to be just as yummy.
I’m inspired by the, “Be Who You Are, Not Who They Want You To Be” picture and am going to join your weekly emails to stay inspired.
Hi Michelle! Amazing – I hope he loves this soup! And so happy to hear that you’re finding inspiration here 🙂 Enjoy!
This is soooo good! But I realized I never added the chili paste called for in the ingredients! Am I missing it somewhere in the steps? I’ll make this again and would love to add it, just not sure when 🙂
Thanks for the catch! Updated 🙂 you’ll just add it with the chicken broth and soy sauce. Glad you enjoyed!
This soup is SO flavorful. I served it over rice noodles, and my boyfriend called the meal an “all-timer. We decided we would be happy if we were served this at any fancy Asian restaurant. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll be making it again for sure!
Delicious! So happy to hear that!
Hi!! I have made several of your recipes this year and I’m a huge fan!!
This one I felt was on the bitter side a bit– I think I would suggest something sweet to balance out the bok choy that was fennel-y flavored. That would be my only suggestion! So some sugar or maple syrupy, or orange-y?
We had this the day after thanksgiving to serve some friends at our home because I wanted something totally different from turkey.
Thanks! <3 <3
Hi! So glad you’re finding recipes here that you love. Feel free to add whatever you’d like for it to fit your taste preferences. Traditionally, asian style soups do not contain additional sugar, but rather focus on the flavorful ingredients. I think maybe adding more ginger might be helpful if you’re looking for a sweet note. 🙂
Great hangover food! Delicious, it reminds me of my favourite Duck Noodle soup from a Thai restaurant in Shanghai. Thank you so much.
Yum absolutely! A healthy choice for hangover food 😉
Hi! Hopefully I didn’t show up too late to the party. I would love to make this, am wondering if it can be made in the Instapot – if it’s not a hassle could you provide directions for that? I think someone above asked as well. Thank you!!
Hi Ariel! Never too late 🙂 I actually don’t cook with an Instant Pot, so I’m not 100% sure what the directions would be. Let me know if you do try it!
I’m a new convert to pho, but haven’t tried making it at home. This looks pretty easy!
So delicious! You’ll love this recipe – let me know if you try it 🙂
I’ve been under the weather the past few days and after having this soup today I believe I’m miraculously healed. This soup is everything you want: brothy, hearty, and packed with vegetables. Bonus, the spice clears out the sinuses!
I didn’t have the energy to make it to the store that carries real lemongrass, so I omitted it, but I’m excited to try it next time. Also only had 4 oz of my brown rice noodles and that was still plenty.
Thanks!
I’m so happy you found this recipe! It’s deliciously nourishing and great for when you’re feeling sick. Still amazing without the lemongrass 🙂 hope you’re feeling better!
This soup was fantastic! Tasted so much like pho but even better because the broth was so flavorful!! Will definitely make again!
Absolutely!! So glad you enjoyed.
So good!! The texture is great, and definitely add the coffee (I just used some instant coffee that I had on hand)
I think you might be referring to a different recipe 😉 but I’m glad you loved it!
I used ramen noodles because they came individually wrapped in 1 person servings and I could make separate servings for meal prep.
Perfect! Great idea 🙂
I really loved this soup! It was spicy but very good with all the herbs! Flavor was perfect. Tasted like something I’d get in a restaurant! Thank you!
Absolutely! Better than takeout 😉
Hey Monique! Great recipe. I made this and it was amazing. I did add some habaneros for extra heat.
Hi Lisa! Delicious! So glad you loved it.
I loved this recipe! It was super easy and taste very similar to Pho. I will definitely be adding this to my regular meal rotation. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Excellent recipe ! It will be added to the rotation. I added rice noodles and it reminded me of a Thai spin of chicken noodle soup. Delicious !
Delicious! Great idea with the noodles – yum.
My 4 year old just announced at the dinner table, “I’ve dreamed of this soup.” Yep, it’s that good.
Love that!! So glad she loved it 🙂
I halved this recipe since I live alone, and approximated amounts. Since I had lemongrass essential oil, I substituted that. The soup was so flavorfull !!! A definite recipe that you can play around with because the base ingreients are so bold.
I’m so glad you loved it! And yes, this one’s great for customizing. I would just check and make sure your essential oil is safe to use in a recipe 🙂
Ooh I love the flavors in this soup. You must use sesame oil like the recipe calls for, don’t try to sub with olive or another kind of oil.
It’s the best!!
“Gluten free soy sauce…” Only idiots think soy sauce has gluten. Makes me wonder how much more incorrect information is on this site.
Most soy sauces do contain gluten as they’re actually made with soy and crushed wheat (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-soy-sauce-gluten-free). If someone is celiac it’s important to note this. Tamari is a gluten free soy sauce alternative.
This was amazing! Made it for lunch today and my husband immediately said to keep the recipe and double it next time.
A couple of notes: no bok choy to be found at my store on the weekly shopping run, so I subbed spinach. Just gave it a rough chop and added it at the same time. I also went grating-happy with my carrots yesterday, so I had only grated carrot. Added it at the same time as the spinach and it worked great. A couple of people have commented on possibly omitting fish sauce – I tasted the broth before and after and it’s great either way. Definitely still make it if you don’t have the fish sauce. However, it really adds a little extra special flavor.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing with different veggies 🙂 glad you both loved it!
I have never commented on a recipe before this point but oh my goodness this was incredible. My husband and I loved it so much and will definitely be putting it in our regular rotation. Thanks so much!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for your comment, Lauren 🙂
My husband and I enjoyed this very much! I did not have any chicken thighs, so I put approx 1lb frozen chicken cutlets in the instant pot, attempting not to fully cook them prior to adding them to the recipe as instructed with the chicken thighs. I added fresh mushrooms, more bok choy and chicken, therefore I had to add approx 4 cups more of chicken broth for a more soupy dish. I chose to cook the noodles separately, not knowing if I would have to freeze some. We got approx 6-8 servings. Thank you for the recipe! We will definitely make again.
Perfect! I’m glad that worked out well. Such a great dinner!
Absolutely loved the flavour and could feel the goodness in every mouthful. I’m cooking it again tonight! I put fresh turmeric in with garlic and ginger. Just delicious.
So happy to hear that!
So easy and flavorful! Will definitely be making again!
So glad you liked it!
This is one of the best soups I have ever had! I planned to make it and hadn’t read through the recipe and was assuming it would take at least a couple hours. I was pleasantly surprised that it came together in under and hour and still had soo much flavor! The most time intensive part is chopping veggies and herbs!
Absolutely! So glad you enjoyed!
Loved this recipe! I honestly make at least one of your recipes every week. I used leftover roasted turkey and it turned out awesome!
So happy to hear that!
This soup is AMAZING! My husband loved it too! I will definitely be making again!
So happy to hear that!
Think of the best pho you’ve ever had and multiply it by infinity and add extra stars because this was healthy! This was amazing and this will become part of our dinner rotation. My kids loved it too!. Loved the veggies and herbs, fresh and delicious!!! 10 out of 10!
Yes! So delicious 🙂 Glad it was a hit with the whole family!
Loved this recipe!
I’m so glad!
This soup is delicious!! It tasted better than I imagined. I was skeptical with the mint, but it was so good. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed!
This recipe is amazing. I make it almost once a week! I like to add mushrooms and add a little extra spice with red pepper flakes. Thank you!
Love that! Great idea 🙂
This soup is so yummy! Made it when I was craving pho instead of ordering takeout and it totally hit the spot. I added 4-5 sliced mushrooms and sauteed them with the rest of the veggies at the beginning of the recipe.
Perfect! Great idea to add mushrooms 🙂
Wow I LOVE this soup! Hit the spot to fulfill my pho cravings without having to spend a zillion hours making the broth. I subbed the thai chili paste with chili garlic sauce and it was excellent 🙂
So happy to hear that! Easy and so cozy 🙂
I made and enjoyed this soup. The broth has rich flavor thanks to the soy sauce and fish sauce. I love all the fresh herbs and probably used those excessively to top the soup!!! Delicious
Absolutely! Glad you loved it 🙂
This soup was delicious! It reminds me of pho, but with much cleaner ingredients. The herbs just add a whole other level! Thank you for the recipe!! 🙂
This is the first feedback I have ever left on a recipe and HOLY COW is this delicious! Love all the other comments about how versatile it is, and so I made some changes based on what I had available – used toasted sesame oil and added a little olive oil too because I was worried about it burning (it did not), and two skin-on bone-in chicken breasts (instead of boneless skinless thighs – although I love chicken thighs and will use those next time). Cooked them skin side down first to render the fat and then found I did not need to put in any more oil when I added the carrots/garlic/ginger. I was lazy with the ginger and did not grate it but cut it into pieces instead, wont skip that step next time. I used a teaspoon of the Thai curry paste as I was feeding this to my family, really happy I added it as I could still taste it but there was no spice at all for their little tastebuds. I used two boxes of chicken broth (maybe 9 cups total?) and then added frozen dumplings at the end with the bok choy and shredded chicken. Served it with a plate of Thai basil, mint, cilantro, jalepeno, bean sprouts and the green parts of the onion. Husband loved it. My kids (6 and 4.5), LOVED smelling and adding additional goodies – the basil and mint etc, and they literally slurped the broth from the bowl (hey, I was so happy they loved it, couldnt tell them no. I slurped it to TBH). We had great dinner time conversation about ingredients, healthy foods and what an immune system is, and how Mother Nature and her plants (in this broth) can help keep us healthy against viruses (like Covid).
Next time I am going to add fresh egg noodles! Cannot wait to make it again!! Thank you for sharing!
Amazing! So happy everyone loved it 🙂 And yes, perfect for customizing.
Wow, Made this for dinner tonite. Did not have bok chow on hand so I subbed green cabbage and baby spinach. I also added small amount of sliced muchrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash. The flavor is perfect . I forgot to put in chili paste and we loved it still. Keeper
Sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed!
Delicious and so easy! I used rotisserie chicken and it was still fantastic and flavorful.
I’ve made this pho inspired Asian chicken noodle soup twice now! So comforting and healthy with all the veggies. The first time I made this I added mushrooms to the mix, and left out the noodles. The second time I added the noodles. Both times the flavor was awesome, but I think I’m leaning towards liking it without the noodles. The next time I make it I’m going to try adding 4oz of noodles vs 8oz and see how I like it. Thanks for such a great dish!
Love that! Great for customizing 🙂
This has become a staple recipe in our house. A very warming bowl of noodles, sometimes we garnish with yogurt or avocado to get some creaminess in there!
Amazing! Love that 🙂
This has become one of our very favorite go-to recipes! It’s honestly perfect for any time of year and the flavors are insane. If you have any leftovers, they’ll only get better over time.
Oooooh myyy! This soup was another level. I have never ever thought I would be able to cook something so different and special and healthy! This soup should be cooked for anyone who gets a cold, I guess it would heal that as well! Thank you for this opportunity and that you share such amazing recipes with us!
I’ve made this 5-6 times over the past 3 months, it’s that good. We keep coming back! It’s currently 5 degrees and this soup is perfect for freezing Milwaukee winters. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
So happy to hear that! Perfect for winter 🙂
So good – love how it can be customized with a variety of toppings. I usually make this with leftover cooked chicken breasts instead of cooking the chicken as part of the prep. Turns out great and it’s a real crowd pleaser!
Absolutely! Great idea 🙂
I made this and it was incredibly easy and delicious. I used chicken breast instead of chicken thighs so I added more broth because it was needed. Otherwise, highly recommend this recipe, it’s perfect for a weeknight!