One Pot Ginger Lemongrass Chicken Soup
This effortless one pot lemongrass chicken soup produces its own delicious immunity boosting broth as it cooks. A whole chicken cooked in the oven surrounded by lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and a selection of your favorite root vegetables. The perfect broth for boosting your immunity in the colder months.
Servings: 4 serves
Calories: 40kcal
Ingredients
- 4 lb Chicken (1.6kg)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 lemongrass stalks
- 1 thumb fresh ginger cut into slices
- ½ thumb fresh turmeric cut into slices
- 9 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 cups chopped vegetables of choice - I used carrots, celery and mushrooms here see notes for alternatives
- Roughly chopped parsley to serve
- lemon slices to serve
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric to serve
- cooked wild rice to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C)
- Rinse the chicken under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a snug fitting oven-proof dish with a lid (I used cast iron)4 lb Chicken
- Trim the ends from the lemongrass, remove the outer leaves, slice in half lengthwise, and then crosswise. Pop into a mortar and pestle with the salt, ginger, turmeric, and garlic and hit with the pestle a couple of times until slightly crushed.2 lemongrass stalks, 1 thumb fresh ginger, ½ thumb fresh turmeric, 9 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons salt
- Place a few pieces of the lemongrass mixture in the cavity of the chicken and then arrange the rest around the outside of the bird
- Pour over the broth and dot the butter on the skin of the chicken. Add freshly ground pepper2 cups low sodium chicken broth, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Place a large sheet of aluminium foil over the bird and press down until it is just touching. Pop on the lid and pop into the oven for 50 mins.
- After 50 minutes remove the lid and the foil and spread the vegetables around the chicken6 cups chopped vegetables of choice - I used carrots, celery and mushrooms here
- Replace the foil and lid and continue baking for another 30 minutes
- Remove from the oven and check the chicken for doneness (see notes), let rest for 5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the soup mixture and allow to cool for 5 minutes before carving and shredding. Remove the lemongrass strands from the pot before adding the chicken pieces back in. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place a generous serving of chicken, vegetables, and broth in a bowl, top with a small sprinkle of the ground turmeric, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve with some cooked wild rice if desired.Roughly chopped parsley, lemon slices, ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, cooked wild rice
Notes
Chicken
To check for doneness: insert an instant read thermometer between the thigh and body - it should read 170 F. Or prick the thick part of a thigh and check to see whether the juices run clear (this is not as accurate).
To defat the broth: allow the broth to cool slightly in the glass jar and skim the fat from the juices.
Veggies
You can make this a traditional roast chicken style dish by adding potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and turnips.
Or you can give it more of an Asian flair by adding carrots, and mushrooms while cooking, and add a handful of chopped bok choy before serving.
Store
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can also be stored in a freezer-friendly container for about 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 8g | Sodium: 260mg