Ginger Chicken and Rice Soup With Zucchini
Published June 2, 2025
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable)
2 tablespoons minced ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
½ cup brown rice
1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Chile crisp, lemon wedges or chopped cilantro (or a combination), for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
12 grams carbs; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 157 calories; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 273 milligrams sodium; 13 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Step 2
Heat a medium Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium. Add the oil, ginger, garlic and turmeric and let the mixture sizzle and soften for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Step 3
Add 6 cups water to the pot, along with the chicken, rice, zucchini, bay leaf and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer then turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- Step 4
When ready to serve, remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the thighs, then return the meat with all of its juices to the pot. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
To serve, divide the soup among bowls and top with any combination of chile crisp, lemon and cilantro.
Private Notes
Comments
Terrific meal prepared following the recipe. The leftovers were even better at breakfast after the rice soaked up the flavors all night. One pet peeve about these comments: it is one thing to make minor alterations in the preparation, e.g., quartering the zucchini and cutting it into slightly smaller pieces, or increasing the amount of water a little, and quite another to substitute half the ingredients, make something entirely different and then pretend you are making a comment on the recipe.
@G James I love all the comments and reading about the different things people try in the recipe, either because of allergies or making due with what they have on hand or whatever. It gives me ideas of what I can substitute if I need to. I love to read what worked and what didn’t. For me my kitchen is a lab, testing and trying new flavors and new combinations. Reading the comments is like having a conversation with all my foodie friends. I never make a NYT recipe without reading a bunch of comments first.
I was a little skeptical when looking at this recipe because of the few ingredients! It turned out to be fabulous just as written. I would however wait until about 15 minutes before adding the zucchini as it was pretty mushy! I'll make this again for sure
I replaced the 6 cups of water with the 5 cups of chicken stock others suggested. Very yummy!
So delicious!! I added carrot and spinach cause I needed to use it and subbed chicken broth instead of water per the comments! Will make again!
I found this to not be super flavorful, but definitely had potential. I think if I made it again I’d season the chicken with salt and pepper, sear it, set it aside, then sauté half an onion before adding the aromatics and following the rest of the recipe as written. I’d definitely use broth instead of water as well.