Recipe: Star Anise Chicken Spinach Soup
Chicken and spinach soup fused with Asian flavours of star anise, garlic, ginger and green chilli for a slightly spicy kick
This combination of clean simple flavours is rewarding, light, healthy, comforting and satisfying. Poaching chicken thighs on the bone with the skin in-tact adds rich oily cartilage flavour and texture which not only tastes good but has immune-boosting qualities.
If you find yourself missing the carb element, then try adding pre-cooked rice at the end or egg noodles for a more filling result.
Star Anise Chicken Spinach Soup
Chicken broth infused with star anise, shredded poached chicken, spinach, spring onion and a squeeze of lemon. Simple and satisfying.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 3 star anise
- 2 chicken thighs with bones and skin on
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 small green chilli chopped fine
- 150 g baby spinach leaf
- 2 spring onions sliced finely
- 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with chicken stock, add chicken thighs and star anise. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove thighs from soup base and using 2 forks, shred meat from the bones. Discard skin. The bones may be kept for making additional stock).
- Return shredded chicken meat to soup base along with garlic, ginger and green chilli. Bring to the boil once again then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and remove star anise.
- Put spinach inside the soup pot on top of the liquid and place a lid on top. The heat and steam from the soup will wilt the spinach. After 5 minutes remove the lid and stir spinach through the soup.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add a good squeeze of lemon.
- Divide soup between bowls and garnish with spring onion.
