Asian Chicken and Rice Soup

Heart warming and soul healing.

Sometimes when you’re sick, the best soups are the simplest ones. This Asian Chicken and Rice Soup comes together in no time, laced with aromatics like garlic and ginger and infused with bold miso and yuzu flavor. Ready in just 20–30 minutes (30 if you are making rice from scratch), it takes minimal effort but will warm you to the core. It’s light yet satisfying, the kind of soup that feels both comforting and restorative, and isn’t that what we are all looking for when we are under the weather.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR ASIAN CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

• Chicken Broth – For convenience, boxed broth works well here, especially since we’re enhancing it with miso and aromatics. However, if you want to take it up a notch, use Better Than Bouillon. It’s just that much better than your typical boxed broth, and you can adjust the intensity to your liking. Just a word of caution: don’t make it too concentrated, or it’ll turn out too salty.
• Miso – Use a mild (white) or medium (yellow) miso, and try to stay away from the more fermented varieties, as they can overpower the other flavors in this soup. My go-to and favorite is Miko Dashi Miso with Bonito. It delivers extra umami from the bonito while staying perfectly balanced and not overpowering.
• Scallions
• Cilantro – You need an entire small bunch of cilantro. Just make sure you clean it throughly before chopping it up and putting it in the soup! Simply cut off the bottom stems and discard those before chopping.
• Ginger – Fresh only!
• Garlic – Fresh only!
• Soy Sauce – Regular or low sodium.
• Yuzu Kosho – Ah, yes—the secret ingredient. If you’re unfamiliar with this ingredient, it’s a Japanese fermented green paste made from chilis, yuzu, and salt. It’s spicy, bright, and acidic, adding just a touch of heat and a whole lot of flavor to this soup. There are a few places you can order it from: I got mine from Amazon HERE, and it’s lasted me months. Target also sells it online HERE. If all else fails, you can buy it in powder form from The Spice House HERE. For 10% off your Spice House order, use my code THEBOLDAPPETITE. If opting for powdered, start by adding 1/2 tsp and work up from there.
• Chicken – This recipe is designed to deliver a heartwarming, soul-healing soup in under 20 minutes, or about 30 if you need to make the rice from scratch. Do yourself a favor and grab a rotisserie chicken, or use leftovers if you have some on hand.
• White Rice

HOW TO MAKE ASIAN CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

Prepare the Rice – If you don’t have leftover rice on hand, prepare the rice before starting the soup. The amount is up to you. I typically make 1 cup of rice for every 3 people.

Make the Broth – In a soup pot over medium heat, add the chicken broth, garlic, sliced scallions, ginger slices, soy sauce, and miso. Stir in the yuzu kosho — I use 1 teaspoon for a mild heat level, but if you’d like something that will clear your sinuses, feel free to double that. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Assemble – To finish the soup, add your desired amount of rice to a bowl and ladle the soup over top. Be careful to avoid the large pieces of ginger (I usually fish those out, but if you enjoy a strong hit of ginger, feel free to leave them in.)

RECIPE VIDEO

STORING/REHEATING

The broth for this Asian chicken and rice soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat it in a saucepan over low heat. It’s fine to store the broth with the chicken, but don’t add the rice directly to the pot, it will absorb all the liquid during storage. Keep in mind that the flavors will intensify as they sit: the garlic will become more pronounced, and the ginger a bit more pungent.

Looking for more soups? Check out the below recipes.

Spicy Miso Soup
Zuppa Toscana
Chicken Pozole Verde