I fell in love with this soup the first time I made it. The simple addition of lime juice and fish sauce that flavors the broth may not sound all that extraordinary, but they both have big flavors that make this soup stand out. I switched out the chicken thighs from the original recipe. I substituted my favorite chicken tenders and added a few stems of baby bok choy for taste and color. I found that cooking the rice separately, then adding it to the bowl before serving, worked better. Though it is an extra step, leftover rice and broth should be stored separately. If put together for storage, there will be little broth left the next day since the rice absorbs most of the liquid.
Jasmine rice is perfect for this soup, however, you could substitute what you have available: basmati, white rice (medium or short grain), or brown rice.
These pretty citrus fruits are calamansi and are sold locally in Hawaii and widely grown in the Philippines. The calamansi are very small with a tangy, sour flavor. I just happened to see them at the market the day I made the soup and thought it would be a great addition.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks
- ¾ cup jasmine rice rinsed well
- 1 pound chicken tenders, trimmed
- 1 carton (32 ounce) chicken stock + 1 can (14.5 ounce) chicken broth
- 3 small shallots, halved
- 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (Red Boat brand recommended)
- 4 baby bok choy, stalks separated and washed well
- kosher salt
- 1 Fresno pepper thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup crushed salted peanuts
- Combine sugar and ½ cup hot water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add ginger and let cool; drain and set aside.
- Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add rice and gently boil until rice is just done, about 10 minutes. Rinse and drain well.
- Pour chicken broth (14.5 ounce can) in a 2 cup measuring cup. Top off with enough water to measure 2 cups. Pour the broth and chicken stock into a large saucepan along with chicken, shallots and garlic. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken and garlic to a plate and let cool. Strain stock through a cheesecloth lined sieve (discard shallots). Return broth to the saucepan.
- Shred chicken; set aside.
- Smash garlic to a paste using the side of a chef's knife. Add garlic paste to broth and bring back to a gentle boil. Place bok choy stalks in the broth for a minute just until they are tender. Remove to a plate. Turn off the heat.
- Add lime juice, fish sauce, and reserved chicken to the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning adding salt and more fish sauce if needed.
- Divide rice among 4 bowls, ladle hot soup over the rice with some of the chicken. Top with reserved ginger, bok choy, Fresno pepper slices, scallions, and peanuts.
