Ginger Chicken, Rice & Lentil Soup
This soup is heart-warming, healthy and delicious. Serve it on after a day spent outside in cool winter or fall weather. It makes a large quantity — great for company or for wonderfully nourishing leftovers.
Even though the soup will be cooking in part all day long, it is still really simple. Begin with the stock in the morning, so it can simmer all day — developing a rich, hearty broth. You’ll finish it off about 1-1/2 to 2 hours before dinner.
Make the Stock
- bones from 1 or 2 chickens
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 inches of fresh ginger root
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 onion, cut in quarters
- fresh herbs, if desired
- 3 to 4 quarts of filtered water
Put all stock ingredients in 10 quart stock pot and fill to within 1 or 2 inches of the top with filtered water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. Make sure it is constantly simmering, to preserve a safe food temperature for the duration of the cooking time. Remove from heat. Strain to remove all ingredients, leaving just the liquid behind.
Easy tip: Use a pasta pot for easy straining. Put the pasta insert into the pot. Put all the stock ingredients in the pasta insert. Fill the insert and pot with water. When the stock is done, lift out the insert, leaving the delicious stock behind in the pot.
If you make the stock a day ahead of time, allow it to cool a bit, then store it in the refrigerator. Skim off the fat (if desired) before proceeding to the next stage.
Soak the Lentils and Rice
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 1-1/2 cups brown jasmine or basmati rice
- 1/2 cup wild rice blend (or brown rice)
- 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey
- 8 cups filtered water
While you get the stock simmering, also combine the lentils, rice, water, and vinegar in a 5 to 6 quart pot. Put on the heat just to bring the contents to a near boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let soak a minimum of 7 to 8 hours.
Make the Soup
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 to 8 carrots, diced
- 5 to 8 stalks of celery, diced
- previously soaked lentils and rice, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- salt and pepper to taste (may not be necessary at all)
- meat from 1 deboned chicken
To the stock, add the vegetables, lentils, rice(s) and spices. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1/2 to 1 hour, until lentils and rice are tender. Add the chicken. Adjust seasonings and serve. Add additional water as needed.
© Copyright 2006-2010 by Wardeh Harmon.
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Wardeh,
That sounds really good! I think I will add that to an upcoming menu. Thanks!
sounds totally yummy! has similarities to my grandma’s ‘yakhni pulao’ which I make sometimes. I first boil chicken pieces with the bone with a quartered onion, largish piece of peeled ginger, 2-3 cloves of garlic, cheesecloth containing coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds. Simmer for an hour, remove chicken, debone, and then use the stock to cook basmati rice and add the meat pieces back in.
Wardeh, where do you get your brown basmati rice from?
Wow, Sangeeta — that is a wonderful heritage recipe. I am going to do it as soon as I have another chicken.
The brown basmati rice comes from either Azure Standard or a natural food store wholesaler that is an hour away. I believe the farm is Lundberg Farms in CA.
Have you been able to work out more of your natural food shopping avenues?
I made this soup today and it was wonderful! Thank you! I keep trying lentil recipes and this is the best one I’ve tried, by far. My 2-year-old had 4 bowls of it. I’m excited to keep trying your recipes.
Made this tonight and really enjoyed it. The kids ate it without complaint! I’m new to this way of cooking, so maybe I’m wimpy but I didn’t really like the taste of acv. What is the reason for adding it to the soup, and not just for soaking?
All in all, great dish! Best lentil recipe for sure! Thanks!
Megan, using ACV (or any vinegar) for the stock helps pull all the gelatin out of the bones, making the stock more nutritious. Gelatin is a protein sparer and helps you utilize protein better. Meaning, you can use less meat in the dish and get more out of it if there’s gelatin in it.
You can cut back on the amount of ACV or eliminate it if you wish.
Oh, I remember reading that! Thanks!
This was great and made enough to feed an army! We thickened up the leftovers with a little flour to make pancakes, and served them with some mango salsa. Very tasty in every incarnation!