Punjabi Style Chicken Soup with Cabbage

Everyday Maven

(Indian, soup, cabbage, chicken)

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
     or Coconut Oil (for dairy free)
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 large yellow onion, pureed
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger root
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ small serrano or jalapeno chile, finely chopped
     (see Notes for spiciness)
¾ lb ground chicken thighs (or boneless, skinless chicken thighs cubed)
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1½ tsp garam masala (Indian spice blend available from McCormick)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1½ lb green cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced.
6 C chicken broth or stock
1¼-oz can coconut milk
⅓ C chopped cilantro

Instructions

Punjabi Style Chicken Soup with Cabbage


1. Use food processor or blender to puree the onion.
2. Peel ginger using a small spoon by gently rubbing the edge of the spoon sides. Mince and set aside.
3. Remove core from cabbage, cut in thick slices, turn and thinly slice.
4. Finely chop garlic. Remove seeds from serrano chile and finely chop. Measure spices, stock and open the coconut milk. Chop cilantrok measure ⅓ cup and set aside.
5. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add Ghee or butter then cumin seeds. Cook stirring constantly for 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add pureed onion and cook 8 to 10 minutes.
7. Add serrano chile, ginger and garlic. Cook stirring constantly for 1 minute until fragrant.
8. Add chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until starting to brown. Next, stir in salt, garam masala and turmeric, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant.
9. Toss sliced cabbage into pot and stir until well coated with spice and chicken mixture. Cook 8 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage starts to soften and reduces a bit.
10. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk, reduce light to a simmer and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in chopped cilantro.
11. Serve and Enjoy.

Notes

• This Punjabi Style Chicken Soup with Cabbage was born from my desire to find more creative ways to get my family to eat more of two things; cabbage and turmeric. Cabbage because it’s really cheap, filling and I personally love it and turmeric because it’s an anti-inflammatory powerhouse.
• As for spiciness, if you want this soup MILD, omit the serrano chile. If you want it MEDIUM, include the serrano but don’t use the ribs or seeds. If you want it SPICY, use the serrano including seeds and ribs.
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast cut into 1" chunks would also work well, just allow the pieces to sear a bit longer than the ground chicken so you can ensure it is cooked through.
• I used plain homemade chicken stock (chicken bones, garlic, kosher salt and water). My Flu-Fighter Stock would also be a fantastic base for this soup and add an additional layer of flavor. If you use packaged chicken broth, you may need to adjust the salt. Make sure to start with less as most packaged broths tend to be on the salty side.