Ginger-Chicken Soup, Almost Instantly
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Liza Schoenfein March 2, 2018
If you don’t have an Instant Pot and would like to make this soup the traditional way, combine all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 2½ –3 hours before continuing with Step 3 below.
1 whole chicken cut into parts
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots (cut into thin rounds)
3 or 4 celery stalks cut into a few large pieces
1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1–2-inch piece of fresh ginger sliced into thin rounds
4 small cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
Jalapeño pepper slices (optional, and to taste)
1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed, cut in half and pounded a little to release the flavor
2 star anise
½ teaspoon peppercorns
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 quarts water
1) Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot. Set to “Soup” and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes, then release the rest manually.
2) Open the lid and remove the pieces of chicken to a plate. (The chicken will be a little overcooked, but will have made flavorful broth. Set it aside — later you can either add it back to the soup or use it for another purpose such as chicken salad or tacos.)
3) With a large spoon, skim any visible fat or scum from the top of the soup, leaving the cooked vegetable mixture at the bottom of the pot. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve (lined with cheesecloth or paper towel if you like) into a large bowl. Find the carrots and add them to the clear broth, discarding the rest of the vegetable mixture.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt as desired. Shred the chicken back into the soup if you like. Serve with matzo balls.
Note: Read the manual that accompanies your Instant Pot, as features may differ among models.
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