Martha Stewart Bok Choy and Chicken Soup

Martha Stewart Bok Choy and Chicken Soup is an easy brothy soup made with poached chicken breast, baby bok choy and a ginger chile broth, ready in 40 minutes. This cozy soup fits chilly weeknight dinners, sick days and winter lunches, and it works as a light, healthy meal any night of the week.

Pull the chicken out of the broth the moment it hits 160°F, because the breast keeps cooking in hot liquid. Leave it in and it turns dry and stringy by the time the bok choy is tender.

Martha ladles the hot broth over the torn chicken in each bowl instead of returning the meat to the pot. That reheats the chicken gently, and the celery, garlic, ginger and chile simmer in the broth first so every spoonful tastes layered.

Martha Stewart Bok Choy and Chicken Soup

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Course: SoupCuisine: American, AsianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

190

kcal

Tender poached chicken and silky bok choy float in a clear, gingery broth with a slow chile kick. A squeeze of lime at the table brightens everything.

Ingredients

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  

• 2 cups water
  

• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
  

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light-green parts separated
  

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  

• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and julienned
  

• 1 small serrano or jalapeno chile, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
  

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken-breast halves
  

• 2 heads baby bok choy (about 12 ounces), stalks sliced crosswise into ½-inch pieces, leaves left whole
  

• 3/4 teaspoon fish sauce
  

• Coarse salt
  

• Lime wedges, for serving
  

Directions

• Build the broth: Combine the broth, water, sliced celery, scallion whites, garlic, julienned ginger and sliced chile in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium.
• Poach the chicken: Add the chicken and cook at a bare simmer until a thermometer in the thickest part reaches 160°F, about 13 minutes. Then remove the chicken from the broth.
• Shred the chicken: Let the chicken cool until you can handle it, then tear it into 1-inch pieces. Divide the pieces among 4 bowls.
• Cook the bok choy: While the chicken cools, add the sliced bok choy stalks and whole leaves to the broth. Simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Season the soup: Stir in 3/4 teaspoon fish sauce, then season with coarse salt. Taste it first, since the fish sauce already adds salt.
• Serve: Ladle the hot soup over the chicken in each bowl and sprinkle with the scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges so everyone can squeeze in as much as they like.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, ThermoPro instant-read thermometer, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this soup less spicy?

Yes, seed the chile before you slice it, since most of the heat sits in the seeds and white ribs. You can also use half the chile and let people add more at the table.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

You can, though thighs take longer, closer to 20 minutes at a simmer. Check that they reach 175°F, since dark meat stays tender at a higher temperature than breast.

How do I store leftover bok choy and chicken soup?

Keep the broth, chicken and bok choy together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove, because boiling hard makes the chicken rubbery.

Can I make the broth ahead of time?

Yes, simmer the broth with the aromatics up to 2 days ahead and keep it chilled. Then bring it back to a simmer, poach the chicken and add the bok choy just before serving.

What's the biggest mistake with this soup?

Leaving the chicken in the pot after it reaches 160°F is the most common one, because it overcooks and dries out. Take it out right away, then ladle the hot broth over it in the bowls to warm it through.