Kimchi Chicken Soup

Yeah, I know, you're thinking this is an odd combination.  It did start as one of those let's see how this works kind of things.  I think I've mentioned before that we do a calorie restriction diet two days a week.  During the Fall and Winter our meals for those two days tend to be soups.  This soup has the benefit of being filling while consuming less of it.


Usually when I'm making soup for a fast day I pick kale or bok choy from the garden and add it to whatever broth and protein I've selected.  Add some sautéed sliced mushrooms and you have a quick flavorful soup.  When using bok choy I'll usually season the chicken or shrimp with Korean red pepper powder to add some heat and an Asian flair to the soup.


As you know, I make my own Kimchi and for the past two years I've made it from bok choy grown in my garden.  I did buy a large nappa Cabbage from our favorite international grocery and  made some with that while waiting for the time to fully harvest the bok choy.  Once the freeze threatened I harvested  and converted the bok choy to kimchi.  Once all the fermentation was done, I dumped both jars into a large bowl and mixed them thoroughly and put the mixture back in the jars.  That gave me two gallons of mixed nappa and bok choy kimchi.


We had been out running errands and didn't get back to the house till after dark.  So, instead of putting on my head lamp to go pick some kale, I decided to throw in some kimchi.  This is lighter and less hot than my standard kimchi soup but still filling.  I've fixed it twice and neither of us has finished our bowl.

Steaming Hot Kimchi Ckicken Soup

The written recipe is combined and should make four bowls for a normal meal with a little something extra on the side, like a bowl of rice.


Kimchi Chicken Soup


2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz mushrooms
5 cups chicken broth
18 oz kimchi
3/4 cup kimchi liquid
3 Tbs sesame oil, divided
salt
pepper
garlic powder


Slice the chicken breast into three strips each and then slice about 1/4 thick.  Set on plate and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Slice the mushrooms and place in hot skillet with half of the sesame oil in it, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  While the mushrooms are cooking, put the chicken broth, kimchi, and kimchi liquid in a pot and turn on medium heat.  When the mushrooms are done, transfer to the pot.  Add the  rest of the sesame oil to the skillet and when hot, add the chicken.  Cook the chicken till brown on that side then flip.  Once the chicken is done on both sides add to the soup.  Stir to combine.  Bring the soup to a simmer, if not already there, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve hot.


See, quick and easy.  My batch had more than the good wife's and the whole bowl came to just under 400 calories and I ate about half of my bowl.  This is a flavorful filling soup that you ought to try, especially if you are a fan of kimchi.  If you give this a try let me know what you think.


Uncle T