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Clear Soup with Vegetables and Chicken

This delicate, nourishing clear soup features tender chicken and fresh vegetables in a crystal-clear broth. Simple enough to master in your first attempt, yet refined enough to impress at the dinner table. Ready in just 30 minutes with pantry staples and common ingredients.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Calories: 140
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 6 cups chicken stock use low-sodium for better control over saltiness
  • 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1- inch piece fresh ginger sliced thin
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed lightly
  • 1 medium carrot sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 stalk celery sliced diagonally
  • 2 green onions white and light green parts separated from dark green tops
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce optional
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

Equipment

  • Large pot (6 to 8 quarts)
  • Cutting board
  • Chef's knife
  • Wooden spoon for stirring
  • Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
  • Ladle for serving
  • Measuring spoons and cups

Method
 

  1. Cut the chicken breast into uniform bite-sized pieces, about 3/4 inch across. Slice the ginger thinly and crush the garlic cloves with the side of your knife.
  2. Cut carrots into thin rounds and slice celery diagonally. Separate the white and light green parts of the green onions from the dark green tops; save the dark tops for garnish.
  3. Pour the chicken stock and water into your large pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat.
  4. Once boiling, add the ginger slices, crushed garlic, carrots, celery, and the white and light green parts of the green onions. Stir gently and return the heat to medium-high, allowing the broth to come back to a simmer.
  5. Gently place the chicken pieces into the simmering broth and stir to separate them. Maintain a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
  6. Let the soup simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender but not mushy. The chicken should be opaque all the way through.
  7. Add salt, white pepper, and fish sauce if using. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  8. Optional: Pour the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot for a perfectly clear broth without any floating bits of ginger or garlic.
  9. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the reserved dark green parts of the green onions and fresh cilantro if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

Notes

Keep the broth at a gentle simmer the entire time; boiling hard will cloud it and make the chicken stringy. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat gently over medium heat without boiling. Add fresh garnish after reheating for best presentation.