Healing AIP Chicken Soup that is limey, salty, and so fresh! Garlic-ginger-coconut-infused broth, chicken thighs, and fresh herbs prove that you don't need hours to prepare a nutritious meal, just fresh ingredients. It's delicious, comforting, and EASY to make now or freeze for later.
What I want you to know about this particular soup recipe is that it's full of tender shredded chicken and just sings with fresh limey flavor. Plus, the garlic-ginger-coconut trio is super satisfying. It can (and should be) loaded to the brim with fresh herbs.
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Knock on wood, but if you have a sore throat, this is so soothing and will totally hydrate you in a way that only electrolytes can. Plus, I'm convinced it's as healing for the body as it is happy for the soul because the flavor pops and it's easily digestible.
If you have a bout of nausea, ginger is always the answer and if you can get on board with cilantro, it's one of the best liver cleansers as it can remove heavy metals from your body.
Tasting Notes
It starts with the standard comforts of homemade chicken broth but also includes:
- Ginger. Fresh, anti-inflammatory, adds a spicy factor.
- Garlic and onions. Just the right amount of potency, anti-viral, anti-bacterial.
- Salty broth.
- Generous amounts of lime juice and a pinch of zest.
- A pile of cilantro - or go with fresh mint, Thai basil, kaffir lime, parsley, or rosemary.
- Coconut milk for richness (think Tom Kha vibes).
It's savory but also bright. Warm and cozy but refreshing. Healthy, yet comforting. Plus, it's easy to make and tastes complex.
💭Top Tip
Keep the garnishes fresh and prepare those at the last moment to get the most out of delicate herbs, like cilantro.
White Chicken Chili Variation
Consider fanning some avocado and minced red onion on top if you'd like a white chicken chili option. Have powdered ginger and garlic? Try swapping those if that's what you've got.
Preparation
Make the entire recipe start to finish or prep and freeze for later.
🔪 Instructions
Cook the chicken until they reach 165°F then set aside.
Dice the vegetables (medium chop). Use a microplane to grate the peeled ginger.
Sauté or sweat the vegetables until tender.
Add 2 cups of water and shredded chicken to the pot. Let that come to a simmer.
Finish the soup with coconut milk, lime juice and zest, and a big pinch of fresh herb magic on top.
Taste the soup and if it needs it, add more salt.
Freezer Options
This soup can be frozen for up to 1 month and I have two options for you.
The Cook-Later Option: See the recipe card notes for instructions on how to prep, freeze, then cook the soup.
The Reheat-It Option: If you would like to cook the soup first, then freeze, you will follow the recipe as written but omit the garnish. Allow soup to cool 20 minutes then portion and transfer to freezer bags or glass containers. Simply microwave to reheat. Garnish and serve.
Scaling
If scaling up or down, keep all ratios the same except the salt; add 1 teaspoon sea salt and then add more to taste. When scaling, bare in mind you will need a vessel that can hold roughly 4 cups for the original recipe (so 8 cups if doubling, 12 cups if tripling).
Leftovers
Leftovers? But how? You mean you didn't stand dunking your spoon into the leftovers in the pot? Just me then, okay. You can store any soup leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 days. The garnish should be stored separately and added after you've rewarmed it.
Nutrition, big flavor, and healing whole food ingredients make this a cold-weather (and head-cold) essential. Garlic, ginger, and lime juice? This trio can make it all better.
HEALING CHICKEN 🥣: FAQS
Yes! Details can be found in the recipe notes.
Just pour any leftovers into a container, seal it, and refrigerate. Of note, you can store fresh herbs in a wet paper towel separately.
Yes! Have some chicken already cooked? If it's fresh, you can use it in place of the thighs here. Of note, cooked chicken lasts for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
HEALING AIP CHICKEN SOUP
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients:
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
- 1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk additive free
- 4 limes remove zest from 1 lime and then extract juice (about ¼ cup)
- ¼ cup cilantro/mint/thai basil for garnish chiffonade
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken.6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- Slow Cooker Method: Season chicken thighs with salt and place in slow cooker with the oil. Set to “Bake” mode for 400F for 45 minutes. Oven Method: Use an oven-safe pan or Dutch oven at 400F, spread oil and place seasoned chicken thighs in pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until an internal temperature registers 165℉.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Chop the vegetables (onion, celery, and garlic) and transfer them to a large prep bowl as you work to give yourself plenty of room on the cutting board. If you own a microplane, mince the ginger directly over the bowl to capture as much ginger juice as possible (as opposed to just chopping it).1 onion, 3 stalks celery, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, 4 garlic cloves
- Sweat vegetables and make broth. Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Allow to rest for 10 minutes so you don't burn your hands and so the chicken can reabsorb surface juices. Combine the vegetables (onion, celery, garlic, and ginger) to the hot slow cooker or Dutch oven. Sauté on high heat for 7 minutes. Stir then add 2 cups of water. Return the shredded chicken (discarding the bones) to the pot.1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk, 4 limes, ¼ cup cilantro/mint/thai basil for garnish
- Finish the soup. Bring to a simmer then add coconut milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Allow the soup to warm then serve along with salt to taste. Top with fresh cilantro, mint, or Thai basil for Asian flavors or try adding avocado or red onion for Southwest.
Notes
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (additive free)
- 4 limes (zest of 1 lime plus ¼ juice)
Nutrition
📖AIP Variations
- boneless skinless chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs work, too. Once cooked, you can discard the bones and skin. You can also use a whole chicken in this recipe to replace the thighs.
- sea salt: Kosher salt, Himalayan pink salt 1:1
- olive oil: avocado oil or refined coconut oil 1:1 for
- onion: white, yellow onions work best; use green onion or leaks if that's what you have; use 1 tablespoon onion powder to replace the fresh onion
- celery: celery root may replace celery
- garlic: substitute green garlic; use the pre-minced garlic where 4 cloves minced is equivalent to 4 teaspoons; use 1 teaspoon garlic powder to replace 4 cloves fresh garlic; if avoiding garlic, use shallots or asafoetida instead or try removing the green germ from the center of the garlic as some people are sensitive to this
- fresh ginger: replace with 1 teaspoon ground ginger (must be really fresh as ginger loses flavor after 6 months in the pantry)
- full-fat coconut milk: you can leave the coconut milk out of this recipe but it does provide a dairy-free richness
- limes: substitute with lemon to taste
- fresh herb garnish: use cilantro, mint, Thai basil for an Asian flavor profile or try fresh rosemary, thyme, basil, or parsley for an American flavor profile
Darius says
Really surprised how much the coconut works in this recipe. Everyone loves this soup.