Tinolang Manok (Filipino-style Chicken Soup)

There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of steaming chicken soup on a cold day. Now that the weather is getting colder, I am making more soups than ever which include family favorites like borscht, sotanghon soup, egg flower soup, and light chicken soup just to name a few.

Today’s recipe, chicken tinola, is a classic Filipino soup made from bone-in chicken meat simmered in a ginger-based broth with added vegetables traditionally green papaya cut into wedges and handful or two of pepper or malunggay (moringa) leaves.

In Philippines, these greens are readily available since Filipinos usually grow them right in their backyard. But for transplants like me who now lives abroad, I don’t have access to them all the time resorting to substitution of similar ingredients. It doesn’t affect the quality or the taste of the dish very much so it’s okay.

I used chayote instead of green papaya and spinach for malunggay or pepper leaves. This is a hearty soup that you and your family will enjoy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 lbs (1 kilo) bone-in chicken meat, cut into serving pieces (You can remove the skin if you want)
2 medium-size chayote
1 bunch spinach
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size ginger
1 Knorr chicken cube
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ tsp salt
6 cups of water
2 tbsp cooking oil, for sautéing

Tools You Need:
Knife
Cutting board
Large cooking pot

Procedure:
1. Peel chayote, cut in half and remove seeds, then cut into wedges.

2. Peel ginger, and slice thinly.3. Peel garlic and mince. Similarly, peel and slice onion.4. Heat cooking pot on medium high and add oil. Throw in onions and garlic and sauté until garlic has browned a bit and onions are fragrant and become translucent, about 2 minutes.5. Add ginger and sauté for a minute.6. Add chicken meat and salt. Saute for about 3 minutes.7. Pour in fish sauce and mix.8. Add water, chicken cube, and chayote wedges then stir. 9. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice to evenly distribute flavor.10. Once chicken and chayote are thoroughly cooked, add spinach and cook for another minute.11. Remove from heat and ladle soup into individual bowls and serve with rice.

Tinolang Manok (Filipino-style Chicken Soup)

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

A classic Filipino soup made from bone-in chicken meat simmered in a ginger-based broth with added vegetables.

Author: Mia

Recipe type: Soups

Cuisine: Filipino

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (1 kilo) bone-in chicken meat, cut into serving pieces (You can remove the skin if you want)
• 2 medium-size chayote
• 1 bunch spinach
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size ginger
• 1 Knorr chicken cube
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• 6 cups of water
• 2 tbsp cooking oil, for sautéing

Instructions

1. Peel chayote, cut in half and remove seeds, then cut into wedges.
2. Peel ginger, and slice thinly.
3. Peel garlic and mince. Similarly, peel and slice onion.
4. Heat cooking pot on medium high and add oil. Throw in onions and garlic and sauté until garlic has browned a bit and onions are fragrant and become translucent, about 2 minutes.
5. Add ginger and sauté for a minute.
6. Add chicken meat and salt. Saute for about 3 minutes.
7. Pour in fish sauce and mix.
8. Add water, chicken cube, and chayote wedges then stir.
9. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice to evenly distribute flavor.
10. Once chicken and chayote are thoroughly cooked, add spinach and cook for another minute.
11. Remove from heat and ladle soup into individual bowls and serve with rice.

3.5.3208