Chicken Soup with Garlic and Ginger
When buying chicken, look for these certifications: Certified Humane Raised and Handled, Global Animal Partnership, Animal Welfare Approved, and AGW (A Greener World) Certifications. And remember that claims such as "no antibiotics," "pasture raised, "cage free," and "humanely raised" have little to no bearing. As always, if higher quality meat is too expensive to eat regularly within the bounds of your budget, treat meat as more of a special treat. (Quality > quantity!) This way, whenever you buy meat you can support farmers who are working hard to raise their animals in an environmentally conscious way.
1 lb chicken breasts
1 lb chicken thighs
4 cups yellow potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cups carrots, chopped into semi-circles
¼ cup fresh ginger, grated (use a fine cheese grater)
8 cloves garlic, minced
½-1 tsp red pepper flakes
8 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
Leftover parm or pecorino rinds
12 oz baby spinach or other green of your choice
½ lemon, juiced
Salt
Olive oil
Parmesan or pecorino cheese
Parsley(optional)
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large soup pot. Turn heat to medium. Once the oil is warm, add the onions. (They should sizzle when added to the pan.) Cook until the onions are soft but not brown. Add the garlic, ginger, and ½ tsp salt, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the stock, chicken, potatoes, carrots, pepper flakes, and cheese rinds to the pot. Add 1 tsp salt if using low sodium or homemade broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked through, take it out of the pot and shred it on a large plate or cutting board. Add the chicken back to the soup, along with the spinach, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the spinach is wilted. Serve with parsley, parmesan cheese, and a side of crusty bread or on top of a bed of rice.
