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This Asian-style chicken soup with rice is my go-to 30-minute comfort food when I want something cozy but still light and fresh. You get a ginger-garlic broth with bok choy, carrots, and shredded chicken, and serving it over rice keeps the texture perfect. It's also a super easy way to turn leftover or rotisserie chicken into a weeknight dinner.
Asian Chicken & Rice Soup (Better than Takeout!)
This quick and easy recipe combines the familiar comfort of chicken and rice soup with bold Asian-inspired flavors (ginger, garlic, sesame, and soy) for a cozy, restaurant-quality bowl in just 30 minutes. If you love Asian flavors, be sure to check out my Thai Chicken Curry Noodle Soup and Homemade Chicken Ramen.
Why You'll Love It
- Quick, weeknight-friendly recipe: Everything comes together in about 30 minutes with simple ingredients, making it the perfect meal to throw together on a busy weeknight like my white lasagna chicken soup.
- Healthy, hearty, and delicious: This soup features lean chicken, tons of veggies, and rice in a flavorful broth. It's a comfort-food meal that's good for you, too, just like my chicken lemon orzo soup.
- Meal-prep hero: Make this soup at the beginning of the week and store it in the refrigerator to reheat, or freeze it in individual portions for easy dinners and lunches later on.
- Leftover-friendly: Got leftover grilled chicken breasts, pan-seared chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, pan-seared chicken thighs, or carry-out rice? Any of them can be used in this recipe!
- Customizable: Plenty of ingredient substitutions make this Asian chicken soup easy to adapt to your family's preferences and dietary restrictions.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Canola oil: Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil, will work.
- Yellow onion: Peeled and diced. Look for pre-diced onion in your grocery store's produce section to save even more time.
- Carrots: Peeled and cut into coins. You can also use shredded carrots.
- Baby bok choy: Regular bok choy can be used, or substitute for 2 cups of chopped green cabbage.
- Garlic: Pressed or minced.
- Fresh grated ginger: You can use 1-2 teaspoons of dry ground ginger if you don't have fresh ginger on hand.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: I recommend using low-sodium broth to better control the soup's salt content.
- Sesame oil: This staple of Asian cuisine packs a powerful punch, so a little goes a long way in this Asian-inspired soup.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: Another place where I like to use the low-sodium version so I can better control the seasonings in the soup. Use tamari sauce if you need this recipe to be gluten free.
- Red pepper flake: Leave this out if you don't want any heat.
- Cooked and shredded chicken breast: Chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work well, too. This is a great recipe for using leftover cooked chicken.
- Fresh lime juice: This adds so much brightness to the soup. Use fresh (not bottled) lime juice for the best flavor.
- Cooked white rice: I add the cooked rice right before serving to keep the broth clear and the rice perfectly tender. I love it with white rice, but brown rice works great too. You can also use cooked rice noodles (or ramen noodles) like in my Thai red curry noodle soup.
- Sliced green onion: For garnish. Fresh cilantro would also be nice.
- You will, of course, also need salt and black pepper to taste.
What is Bok Choy?
Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage that has white, crunchy, celery-like stems and tender green leaves. Look for them at your local Asian market if your mainstream supermarkets don't carry them.
Baby bok choy has smaller leaves and a lighter green color. Traditional bok choy is larger with tightly packed, darker green leaves. I like using baby bok choy in this soup, but the larger variety works well, too.
How to Clean and Prep Bok Choy
Similar to leeks, bok choy must be cleaned thoroughly before cooking to remove the dirt from between the leaves. Here is how you do it:
- Cut the bok choy in half vertically.
- Fill a large bowl or pot with cold water. Add the bok choy halves and swish them around. Use your hands to separate the leaves and rinse them between your hands.
- Drain the water, rinse, and soak again.
- Repeat soaking the bok choy until there is no more sediment in the water.
How to Make Asian Chicken Soup (Step-by-Step Guide)
Below is a quick overview - scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions and measurements.
- Sauté veggies: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add onion, carrot, and the white portions of the bok choy. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger: When the onion is translucent, add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 more seconds.
- Simmer the broth: Add the chicken broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for about 10 minutes while the flavors develop.
- Add the chicken and the tops of the bok choy. Let simmer for a few more minutes to warm the chicken through and slightly wilt the green tops of the bok choy.
- Finishing touches: Remove the soup from the heat and add the lime juice. Taste, then adjust seasoning, adding salt and/or pepper as needed.
Serve: Add cooked white rice to a bowl, then ladle the Asian chicken soup over the top. Garnish with sliced green onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, let me walk you through the process. After adding the broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, and pepper flakes, bring the mixture to a boil. Add 1 cup of uncooked white rice, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot loosely.
Allow the soup to simmer for 10-20 minutes until the rice is al dente, then finish the soup according to the recipe directions.
Note that the rice will continue cooking as the soup stands, so add the chicken and finish the soup when the rice is still al dente to prevent it from becoming mushy.
You can cook the raw skinless, boneless chicken in the soup instead of adding pre-cooked, shredded chicken.
Cut 1 pound of chicken breast or chicken tenderloins into bite-sized pieces. After adding the broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, and pepper flakes, bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for about 12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Some impurities will float to the top of the pot as the chicken cooks. Skim these away before adding the rest of the bok choy and finishing the soup.
Asian-Style Chicken Soup with Rice
Equipment
- 6-quart stock pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced into ¼-inch coins
- 2 cups baby bok choy chopped, green tops separated from white
- 3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger see notes for substitution
- 64 ounces low-sodium chicken broth (2 quarts)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 pinch red pepper flake optional
- 2 heaping cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- Green onion for serving thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and allow to heat for 1 minute. Add onion, carrot and white stems of the bok choy; saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, saute 30 seconds until fragrant.1 tablespoon canola oil, ½ medium yellow onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 cups baby bok choy, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- Add in the chicken broth, sesame oil, soy sauce and red pepper flake if using. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes to allow flavor to develop.64 ounces low-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1 pinch red pepper flake
- Add in the cooked chicken and green tops of bok choy, simmer an additional 2 minutes to warm chicken through and slightly wilt the bok choy tops.2 heaping cups cooked and shredded chicken breast, 2 cups baby bok choy
- Turn off heat and add in the lime juice, stir. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Place ¼ cup cooked rice into each bowl and ladle the soup over top. Garnish with green onion and enjoy.1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, Salt and pepper to taste, 2 cups cooked white rice, Green onion for serving
Notes
- Bok choy options: Baby bok choy can be swapped out with regular bok choy or green cabbage. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Clean bok choy properly: Bok choy is typically very dirty, so be sure to wash thoroughly, layer by layer, until the water runs clear.
- Fresh ginger can be substituted with 1-2 teaspoons of dry ground ginger.
- Shredded carrot can be used in place of sliced carrot. Shredded carrots cook quickly, so add them with the broth rather than the onions at the beginning.
- Add more veggies: Try adding your favorite mushrooms, spinach, or kale for extra veggies.
- Rice and its substitutions: Adding cooked rice just before serving helps maintain the rice's texture and the clarity of the broth. It also lets you customize your soup, making this a great recipe for families with different eating preferences or dietary restrictions. You can use rice noodles, ramen noodles, brown rice, or even cauliflower "rice" instead of regular white rice.
- Chicken options: Use leftover, frozen, or store-bought rotisserie chicken. Chicken thighs, breasts, or tenderloins all work well in this soup.
- How to cook raw chicken in soup: Cut 1 pound of chicken breast or tenderloins; add to the boiling broth and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Skim any impurities from the surface of the soup before proceeding with the recipe.
- You can cook the rice in the soup if desired. Bring the broth to a boil; add 1 cup of uncooked rice and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot loosely. Simmer for 10-20 minutes, until the rice is al dente. Add chicken and warm through. The rice will continue to cook as it stands; do not overcook the rice.
- Storage and reheating tips: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat leftovers gently on the stovetop, or microwave about 1 min 30 seconds per bowl.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
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