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.
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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-inspired 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 broth. There are 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 it. 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 makes the dish incredibly tasty.
- Chicken broth: feel free to use chicken broth or bone broth in this recipe.
- Soy sauce: I like to use a gluten free low sodium soy sauce (yes, some soy sauce has gluten!) You can also use tamari or coconut aminos.
- 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.
- Veggies: we’re loading up this soap with carrots, green onion and 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-inspired chicken soup
This soup was made for toppings so feel free to get crazy; it’s truly what makes this Asian-inspired soup so flavorful. For toppings, I suggest fresh lime, Thai chile or jalapeño, and green onion. Feel free to add some hot sauce like sriracha, too, if you like a little heat!
Looking to add noodles?
Feel free to add rice, ramen, or udon noodles when you add the bok choy back into your pot! Just be sure to double-check the cooking time on the back of your noodle package so that you don’t overcook the noodles.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Sure! Simply omit the chicken and add cubed tofu instead. You can also make it vegan by omitting the fish sauce.
Storing & freezing tips
- 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-inspired chicken soup soon! It’s truly delicious and SO easy. If you make it, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Nourishing Asian-Inspired Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ 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
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
Absolutely delicious! My partner said it was up there with one of the most flavoursome dishes I have made, and I whip up a lot of cuisines. Luckily I made a big batch so we can have leftovers for tomorrow night’s dinner. Highly recommend!
Was delicious. I added 5x star anise, 1x cinnamon quill, 1x Bay leaf and 1/2 Chilli deseeded to the stock which I had simmering while the chicken was being browned and the carrot mixture was sautéing. I removed these extra items when the chicken was being shredded. I also added 2 top coconut sugar to the broth. Will make this recipe often!
I made this once before. The flavor was amazing but it was so spicy I struggled. I want to try again with a different brand of Thai chili paste, but your link to the kind you like isn’t working. What kind do you recommend? I got mine at the asian grocery store and while I am not sensitive to spice it was too much. thanks!
I typically use sambal oelek, but feel free to reduce the amount and add more after tasting!
If you like Asian flavors this soup is fan-freaking-tastic. I followed the recipe to the T. (I’m a rule follower.) Every little bite wad a burst of flavor. I added the rice noodles and wouldn’t change one thing.
The best! So glad you loved it!
Absolutely fantastic! Making it for the second time in two weeks. This time a double batch to share.
So happy to hear that!
This is a great recipe for those days where you want to feel full yet light at the same time. All of Monique’s soups have an immense amount of flavor, and this one, yet again, knocks it out of the park.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Hi. I have made this soup and LOVE it but what can I use instead of lemongrass?
So glad you love it! Feel free to simply omit it 🙂
This was soooo good! My family loves it! Just the right amount of spice and so flavorful!
So happy to hear that!
LOVED this recipe! Tasted similar to a soup you’d get at a restaurant! The flavors are delicious – my husband really liked it as well. It was my first time cooking with lemongrass and it blew me away, so easy to peel and add. I used the recommended swaps; sriracha (because I couldn’t find the Thai chili paste, coconut aminos for a no soy/lower sodium option and also using only chicken breasts, not thighs (next time I make it I’ll definitely try using thighs). I omitted the basil too. I was a bit confused on how to cut the green onions (whether keep they halved or sliced) – I ended up slicing them and it worked out. Highly recommend this recipe! So tasty and easy to make
Absolutely! So glad you both loved it!
I love this soup! I always come back to it.
I’m so glad!
This was absolutely incredible! I didn’t have chili paste on hand but used Gochujang paste instead. Fantastic flavor!!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
The math on the cooking time does not add up. 3 minutes to saute vegetables, 25 minutes to simmer, then 5 minutes to simmer at the end. That’s already 33minutes assuming it takes zero minutes to brown the chicken, zero minutes to bring the pot to a boil, and the minimum recommended times otherwise. More realistic would be 45 minutes to an hour. What is with these online recipes and grossly underestimating cook time. Like, it’s helpful to know how long something is going to take, and irresponsible to list an impossible time. Not even going to get started on 15min prep time which is ALWAYS too optimistic.
Hi! Apologies for any confusion or frustration here – we’ll revisit these times and revise as needed. I hope you enjoyed!
Made this soup for our dinner tonight – wow – beautiful flavours, definitely a keeper recipe for us.
So happy to hear that!
My husband stated that this soup was very flavorful, a rare comment from him! Indeed it exceeded my expectations. I added water chestnuts with the garlic and other veggies and a few pea pods from our garden with the noodles. I would eliminate the fish sauce next time. Plenty of flavor without it. Will definitely make this again!
Amazing! So glad you both loved it!
This is so amazing! Be honest – do you have other soup recipes that are on par with this one? I love soups so much and am trying to find more to add to my roster.
Highly recommend THIS soup!
Recipe looks great! Making it today. FYI sambal oelek is Indonesian, not Thai
Followed the recipe to a tee, it was completely amazing!! My husband loved it too! Thank you Monique for a great recipe ♥️♥️
It is my pleasure. SO glad you are loving this soup ❤️
I really enjoyed this recipe. I had leftover grilled chicken breast that aI used instead of cooking the chicken thighs. I followed the recipe pretty much step by step other than that. Except that I found that the 1 tablespoon of thai chili paste made the soup a little too spicy for some of the folks I was making it for. I added two more cups of chicken stock to tone it down a little bit. Also, I probably added a little extra fresh ginger. I am a ginger junky and can’t imagine any recipe having too much fresh ginger. I love the flavor of the broth and was impressed by how much flavor it developed in such a short period of time. I am looking forward to the leftovers as I think that it will be even better after the spices and herbs have time to meld. Loved the complex flavors of this soup and how fresh it tastes with the bok choy and all there other fresh herbs. The lime juice at the end (lime wedge) really gave it that fresh bright punch that it needed. I also added some fresh oyster mushrooms that I think worked well in the soup and added just one more layer of flavor. Great Recipe, I am going to share it with others, and I don’t do that very often.
Aw thank you so much! I am glad to hear that you are loving this recipe ❤️🙂
Delicious and flavourful!!!!
Another AK soup win! This one is absolutely incredible. It has SO much flavor yet it’s so easy. It really does feel nourishing – love all the veggies and spices. This is a winner that will definitely go in the regular rotation.
Ah this is amazing! SO glad you are enjoying this recipe ❤️🙂
Sooooo delicious!!!! With your new pear cheddar tart, I think you might be a genius 😍.
Love both of these recipes!!
I’m Chinese and am completely congested with a cold. Wanted a brothy Asian chicken soup. This hit the spot!
So happy to hear this! Glad you found this recipe, hope you feel better!
This soup is so fresh and comforting. I’ve made it three times now. The best was when I used stock/broth from poaching a whole chicken. I added the cooked meat in at the end.
This soup tastes wonderful – very flavorful. I love it so much that I am writing my review after my first few bites because I don’t want to forget! I used fresh lemongrass, peppermint and Thai basil from my garden. Monique, your site is my go to for recipes – thank you!
Aw thanks so much, Sharon! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, and so cool that you grew those ingredients yourself 😍 Thanks for leaving a review!
This recipe is fantastic. I substituted yellow onion for green onion and lemon zest for lemon grass, and also added sliced mushrooms. The broth was absolutely delicious and the veggies and chicken were cooked perfectly.
Those are excellent subs! I’m so happy you loved it, Adora 🙂 Thanks for the review!
Absolutely love this soup! Do you think you could make it using a whole chicken?
I think that should work just fine! I’d recommend either cutting it into pieces first before cooking it in Step 1 or roasting it whole and then using the shredded meat + juices. Enjoy!
Super flavorful, entire family loved it!! This will definitely become a regular in our home. Thanks so much!!
Yay! I’m so glad you all loved it 🥰
This broth was so SO wonderful. I just love the depth of flavor of this soup! The only ingredient i didn’t have was lemongrass, and I’m sure it would’ve been even better with it. You get the flavor of the chili paste, but this wasn’t spicy hot (u could add more, of course) A++ recipe, thanks 🙂
I’m SO happy you loved it! Thanks so much for the sweet review 🙂
This soup was so yummy!! Sriracha worked really well and I didn’t have any fresh lemongrass on hand so I subbed ~2 tsp dried lemongrass and it worked perfectly!
Nice! So happy that worked well 🙂
I cook a lot but have yet to leave a review on a recipe … until now because not leaving a review for this would be a crime. I made this last night and it’s the best thing I’ve made in awhile. SO GOOD!!!! My husband and I could NOT stop talking about how good this was. I’m sitting here at 10:40AM eating leftovers for lunch because I couldn’t wait any longer to have some more LOL. It’s so nourishing and warming and the flavors are incredible. I’m going to make the One Pot Curry Chicken Noodle Soup next, Can’t wait!!
Oh I am SO happy to hear that, Ashleigh!! Glad you guys are obsessing over it haha!
Such a great recipe!! I made some changes (didn’t have lemongrass used lemon zest) and added a step where I toasted some of the more traditional pho spices that I happened to have on hand (whole cloves, fennel, star anise, black cardamom and cinnamon stick). It’s so so delicious !!!
Those all sound like amazing additions! Love it! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
DELICIOUS! I doubled the recipe and slightly decreased the soy sauce because it didn’t need all of it. Also grated some turmeric in for more immunity benefits. Soo incredible.
Nice!! So happy that you loved it!
So good! I also like to freeze this soup & save for later. Absolutely Delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
I used my homemade chicken stock and cooking the chicken thighs intensified the chicken flavour of my stick.
It’s a keeper.
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Love the flavors in this soup! I did a vegetarian twist this weekend – added some shelled edamame and egg noodles to make it hearty. I think tofu would be great in it, too!
Oooh that sounds delicious! Totally agree about the tofu 🙂 Happy you enjoyed it!
My fiancé was apprehensive when I told him what was for dinner and then he tasted this soup and said it was one of the best things I’ve ever made. He actually asked if I could make it again tomorrow night. Often times broth-based soups lack flavor but this is absolutely divine, filling and so full of flavor. Exactly the recipe we needed as we move into fall and winter. You nailed it Monique!
Whaaaat that’s incredible! Glad that you two loved this one so much!
I’ve been on a jag making ajitsuke tamago (ramen eggs), but could not commit to the three day process of making a ramen stock, so was looking for a nice light Asian noodle soup to eat them with.
This smells delicious, and I am looking forward to dinner tonight – a starter of pork belly, and then this soup with the eggs
So happy you found this recipe! Hope it was delicious 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving a review!
SO delicious and flavourful! A new staple in our house! Thank you for this recipe 😊
Aw yay! I’m so glad you guys love it!
Wow! This recipe is absolutely delicious and flavorful! Tried something new and so glad how the family loved it Just glad I got to get all my needed ingredients in Karman Foods, fast and hassle-free.
I’m so happy you tried and loved it!
This Asian Chicken Soup is absolutely delicious! It’s easy to make and still, the flavor stands out best. The whole fam loved it, too! Just glad I got to get all my needed ingredients through Karman Foods, fast and hassle-free.