Herbed Chicken Soup and Coconut Water Jasmine Rice

Oct 16

Herbed Chicken Soup

Punchy, herbaceous, hydrating, and balancing, this soup tunes my system and makes the perfect afternoon pick-me up. I’ve been loving it with a scoop of jasmine rice steamed with coconut water.

Preparation of this soup is a gentle meditation and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Take your time with each step: chop your veg uniformly and wash your herbs with care. Take a moment to taste and adjust.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion (any color although I prefer white), finely diced

6 plump garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

2 teaspoons salt, divided

8 healthy grinds black pepper

Optional pinch of red chili flakes

2 large stalks celery, chopped ¼ inch (it’s fine/preferable to keep the leaves on) (about 1 ½ cups)

2 medium carrots, chopped ¼ inch cubes (it’s fine to keep the skin on) (about 1 ½ cups)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into ½ inch chunks

6 cups water

1 cup chopped fresh herbs (some combo of parsley, dill, cilantro, and/or basil is great)

Juice 1 lemon

Combine the olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes in a large or medium stock pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the alliums are translucent, very soft, and melting but not burning, about 10 minutes.

Add the celery, carrots, chicken, and water and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the herbs and lemon juice. Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Coconut Water Jasmine Rice

Subtly sweet and slightly sticky, I love this so much. My recipe uses an instant pot, but you can swap out coconut water for water in a 1:1 ratio and use whatever rice cooking method you’re comfortable with.

2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained well

2 1/3 cups coconut water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in an instant pot and cook on rice setting or pressure cook for 12 minutes. Allow to sit at pressure for 5 minutes after cooking, release the pressure, and enjoy.