golden coconut ginger chicken soup

hi there! waving a frosted, newly mittened hand to you all from a suddenly wintery minnesota. the cold rushed in and presented herself with just under a foot of snow quite abruptly, leaving us hardly any time to enjoy the last of leaf peeping and walks around the lake sans-nipped nose. rude, but i get it. it’s probably obvious, but i love this time of year. i love the chill that catches in your ribs, the need to bundle up and get warm from the bones out, watching the snow fall near a crackling fire (fuzziest, thickest socks are a go from here on out,) piping mugs of hot cocoa, and embracing what can sometimes feel like a very long, very dark night for months on end in the north. if you’ve ever bumped into a minnesotan elsewhere in the world, you probably remarked on the cold and they probably proudly told you that yes! it really does feel like this 8 months out of the year! - this is not us being boastful or simply weird about liking averse weather; you just sort of… have to, if you live here. we’re the sort of people who delight in throwing outdoor beer festivals in january and truly can’t be fussed about the temperature unless it’s literally subarctic. we snow shoe! which I can’t wait to try this year! we put metal sheds on frozen lakes and sit on buckets over holes we’ve drilled in said lakes and go fishing! we find more ways to stay outside this time of year, as if we just can’t bear being toasty indoors. we are truly nuts but also, persistent af. will not be deterred by such things as a -27 degree forecast. i’m sure some scientist somewhere (norway, iceland?) has studied this phenomenon and I can’t wait for the confirmation bias to come flooding my way.

none of this has much to do with this soup except that it sort of has everything to do with this soup. this soup is winter comfort, scooped into a warm bowl, here to keep you nourished and joyful during these long, cold months. it’s a fun take on a classic chicken noodle - there is ginger (zing!) miso (please invest the $10 a bag of miso paste will run you) turmeric (buzzwordy, but SO amazing for your immune system) and coconut (big! creamy! hug!)

a few things before we get rolling:
- i used pre-cooked chicken because i’m not really buying/making meat these days and frankly i was lazy while dreaming up this recipe. do as you wish.
- the fresh herbs are key here. on the whole i think fresh herbs need to be added to any warm, savory dish, and they brighten this up beautifully and help balance the almost-sour flavors happening here
- there is a splash of rice wine vinegar in this soup. it’s optional as i’ve listed in the recipe notes, but if you’re one of those jerks like me who ~ happens to have ~ it in the cupboard, splash ‘er in.
- you will love this, i pinky swear.

golden coconut ginger chicken soup
makes 4-6 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30-40 minutes

1 onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 1/2tbsp miso paste (optional, but truly amazing and kind of ~makes the soup)
2c cooked chicken breasts (i bought pre-cooked shredded chicken to you know, make life easy)
1c full-fat canned coconut milk (try to get mostly the thick stuff)
4-5c broth or stock
1c orzo, any pasta shape you like, or rice* (i used banza chickpea rice)
1c peas (frozen works)
a heavy splash of rice wine vinegar *totally optional
1tbsp coconut oil
2tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
2tsp turmeric
1tsp red chili flake
1/2c fresh mint leaves
1/2c cilantro
juice from 1 lime, plus more for servings

heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. add the onion, carrots, and garlic, and saute for 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. add the ginger, miso, and spices, and saute for another minute or so. add the chicken, coconut milk, and broth, and let simmer for 20 minutes (it can go forever and ever, but you’re going to want to eat this soon - promise!)

if you’re adding orzo, pasta, or chickpea rice like i did, add it to the soup now. it’ll need 10ish minutes to cook through. if you’re using real rice, you may want to cook it separately to ensure it’s tender!

a few minutes before serving, stir in the peas, vinegar, mint, cilantro, and lime juice. let the soup bubble away, then serve, topping with more fresh lime juice.