This Lemon Ginger Chicken Soup Recipe is a classic Julia Child recipe that you owe it to yourself to try. Elegant, healthy and light, this is a soup will carry your through Winter and into those cool Spring days. Simmering chicken breasts and thighs in chicken stock deepens the robust chicken flavor. And lemon and ginger brighten the flavors. You’ll love this recipe for it’s pure simplicity.
Warming and comforting, this Lemon Ginger Chicken Soup Recipe delivers a rich chicken flavored broth scented with ginger, lemon and garlic. An easy chicken soup recipe that’s rewarding and healthy. This is one amazing bowl of soup.
And Chicken Soup with no noodles? Yes, it does exist. This soup is fresh in flavor and light in calories and one that will have you asking for seconds and thirds.
Most lemon chicken soup recipes include orzo or rice for a Greek flare. This recipe stays clean, fresh and super heathy using just chicken, spices and vegetables.
So if you’re looking for a much lighter and healthier version of classic Chicken Noodle Soup, you’ve got to give this one a try.
Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Broth
- Mirepoix: Onion, celery and carrots
- Parsley
- Chicken: Both boneless skinless chicken breast and bone-in skin on thighs. The bones and skins will add a deep layer of flavor.
- Lemons: Slices and zest.
- Seasonings: Ginger, garlic and bay leaves.
Pro Tip: Freeze Ginger. Keep that knob of ginger in the freezer. Whenever you need a small amount for any recipe, just remove it and use a zester or microplane zester to acquire the amount you need and then return the rest back to the freezer for future use. You don’t even need to peel the ginger. EASY and practical.
How To Make Lemon Ginger Chicken Soup, It’s Easy!
- Step 1: Place chicken, 2 whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, fresh ginger, salt and pepper in a 6 quart Dutch oven.
- Step 2: Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce to low and simmer with lid slightly ajar for 45 minutes.
- Step 3: Make the Mirepoix. Mirepoix is a a classic French technique where chopped celery, onions and carrots are sauteed, then added to soups and sauces as an aromatic for a base layer of flavor. Practice your knife skills here and cut the vegetables as close to the same size as you can. Saute the veggies in neutral oil or olive oil at a low heat until just starting to become tender and sweet.
- Step 4: Shred the Chicken: Remove chicken from broth and once it’s cool enough to handle, shred chicken thigh meat from bones and discard the skin. Shred the chicken breast meat. Find the two cloves of garlic in the broth and using the back of a fork, smash them against the side of the Dutch Oven.
- Step 5: Remove the lemon slices to a plate. Add the sauteed vegetables, lemon zest and shredded chicken back into to cooking liquid. Add 2 cups water. Cover and reduce heat to medium, and simmer approximately 20 minutes.
No, that’s where the flavor comes from. Adding raw chicken to the broth intensifies the chicken flavor.
How To Season Soup For A Brighter Flavor
As I learned in Culinary School, any type of acid will brighten the flavors of any dish. An example is a splash of vinegar when making tomato based dishes. Vinegar will take the bite out of a too harsh tomato flavor.
For this soup, lemon zest acts as the acid to lift the flavors of the soup to brighter level.
Storing and Freezing
Once the soup has cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat simply use the microwave or stovetop.
This soup will also freeze well. Again, allow the soup to cool, then place in several airtight small containers for individual servings, or a large container. This soup will keep in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat, allow the soup to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then use microwave or stove top to reheat.
Lemon Ginger Chicken Soup Recipe
It’s perfect in every way. Delicately flavored broth with ginger, bay leaf and garlic. Carrot, celery, onions are brightened with lemon zest. Tender chicken that soaks up every bit of that flavor…and the rest is perfect and elegant history.
‘Tis the season to transition from thick comforting stews to lighter fresh soups. This chicken soup with lemon brings it on.
I hope you give this lemon chicken soup recipe a try. It’s a very special recipe.
And if you’re soup fans like us, don’t miss my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular on my site for Chicken Noodle Soup.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
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Lemon Ginger Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 pound chicken thighs skin on, bone-in
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon ginger grated
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 Tablespoon neutral oil canola works good here. You can also use olive oil.
- 1 1/2 cups onion chopped, about 1 large onion
- 2 cups celery chopped, about 4 – 5 stalks, plus leaves
- 2 cups carrots peeled and chopped, about 3 – 4 carrots
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 6 slices Lemon from one of the lemons you zested.
- 2 cups water
- 4 teaspoons lemon zest zest from 2 lemons
- salt & pepper
- Parsley or basil to garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken, 2 whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, sginger, salt and pepper, and chicken broth in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce to low and simmer with lid ajar for 45 minutes.
- Make the mirepoix: Chop all of the vegetables, zest two lemons, and slice one of the lemons that you used for zesting.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add onion, celery, carrot and lemon slices. Saute over medium heat for 5 – 6 minutes or until tender. Stir occasionally.
- Remove chicken from broth and once it's cool enough for handling, shred chicken thigh meat from bones and discard skin. Shred the chicken breast meat. Find the two cloves of garlic in the broth and using the back of a fork, smash them against the side of the Dutch Oven.
- Add the sauteed vegetables, lemon zest and shredded chicken back into to cooking liquid. Add 2 cups water. Cover and reduce heat to medium, and simmer approximately 20 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust for seasonings (salt and pepper) and serve.
- Garnish with parsley and some of the sliced lemon.
Notes
Nutrition
Lemon Ginger Chicken Soup … It’s What’s For Dinner
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
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