This chicken soup with cilantro and lemon is a light and hearty soup with a mellow herby and tangy taste. Made from scratch using bone in dark meat chicken, cabbage, carrots, generous amount of cilantro and fresh squeezed lemon juice! Inspired by the flavors of indo chinese lemon coriander soup, it packs a TON of flavor (without being spicy!) and will warm up your soul on chilly days!
We are big fans of light, brothy soups, and this chicken coriander soup recipe is an absolute keeper! With an unusually cold winter in Vegas this year, I've been making it every week to enjoy during the evenings. It's incredibly satisfying and comforting.
Chicken Soup With Cilantro
This recipe is inspired by the popular lemon coriander soup from India. In India, cilantro is referred to as coriander-hence the name! Since my family loves chicken, I created this chicken-based version, which has quickly become our household favorite.
This soup features a mellow chicken base infused with the flavors of garlic, ginger, and cilantro stems. I poach the chicken for about 45 minutes to an hour to prepare a warming and delicious broth. To that, I add a few vegetables like cabbage and cilantro, along with tender, shredded chicken.
A touch of black pepper and soy sauce enhances the broth beautifully. To finish, I scatter a generous handful of fragrant cilantro and add a squeeze of lemon juice, to bring forward a bright & zesty note to the soup. It's truly full of flavor!
What Makes this recipe Special?
- First and foremost, it's the homemade chicken broth that makes all the difference. Packaged chicken stock or broth is not popular in India. I watched my mom prepare chicken yakhni (spiced chicken broth) every time she was about to make soup, and its taste was simply unmatched. So,I use skinless chicken drumsticks, similar to how I use them in my chicken shorba. Dark chicken meat is packed with flavor, and slow cooking it results in the most flavorful, aromatic broth. But if you are in a rush, you can use instant pot or pressure cooker for making the stock.
- There's no added oil. For sure the soup isn't fat free because chicken drumsticks have fat. If you want to add more richness, I suggest using a mix of skin on and skinned chicken pieces.
- In this soup, minimal spices shine! I only use a handful of whole black peppercorn while making the broth and ground black pepper to finish it. Lemon coriander soup isn't supposed to be spicy and the same is true for this chicken version too.
- You can use a variety of vegetables for this soup, but cabbage and carrots are the most common choices in India, and I stick to just those. I believe the selection of vegetables plays a big role in contributing to the soup's mellow and comforting taste.
- Lastly, the consistency of the soup isn't thickish. We add bit of cornstarch slurry to make sure that the soup isn't watery. This slight thickening gives it just the right body without making it heavy.
Ingredients
- Chicken Drumsticks - I like to skin them before using. You could use them skin on if you like a super rich broth. You could use bone in chicken thighs too.
- Cilantro Stems- The stems are incredily flavorful. We only add a few else too many could make the soup bitter.
How To Make Lemon Coriander Chicken Soup
- In a large cooking pot (3 qt), place the chicken drumsticks, roughly chopped onion, ginger, garlic pods, cilantro stems and scallion white parts. Also add the bay leaf and black peppercorns.
- Sprinkle salt and pour water into the pot to cover all the ingredients.
- Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place on low medium stove. Once the water comes to a boil, skim the top if needed, cover again, reduce the stove to low flame and let the soup simmer for 45-50 minutes. This long cooking extracts sufficient flavor, fat and gelatin from the chicken.
- Using tongs remove the cooked chicken and place on a plate to cool down. Separate the chicken meat from the bones. Shred the meat and keep aside.
- Strain the chicken broth into a large bowl using a mesh strainer. Press down the softened vegetavles a few times to extract every flavor into the broth. Pour it back into the cooking pot and return the pot to the low stove.
- Add the sriracha,soy sauce and ground black pepper. Once the soup is simmering again, add back the chicken. Squeeze lemon juice.
- Add the vegetables towards the end and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. This short cooking makes sure that the vegetables don't soften too much.
- Mix in the corn starch slurry. Cook the soup for 2-3 minutes and then switch off the stove.
- Immediately pour into serving bowls and top with generous scatter of chopped fresh cilantro and green parts of scallions. Serve!
Storing
The soup is best served immediately. If you want to serve it later, don't add the vegetables while cooking it else they soften too much. Add them when you warm up the soup. You can store this soup refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Chicken Soup With Cilantro & Lemon (Light & Brothy)
Ingredients
To Make The Chicken Broth
- 600 g bone in chicken (skinned) use any pieces you like, I use drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 15-20 black peppercorns
- 1 small bay leaf
- 4 scallions white parts roughly chopped
- 10-12 cilantro stems roughly chopped
- 3-4 garlic pods use 6-8 if you garlic is small
- ½ inch ginger roughly chopped
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 800 ml water
To Make The Lemon Coriander Chicken Soup
- 1.5 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sriracha adjust quantity to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder adjust quantity to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice adjust quantity to taste
- 1 small carrot cut into thin strips
- ¾ cup green cabbage shredded
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch make a slurry by mixing with 1 tablespoon cold water
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 4 scallion green parts chopped
Instructions
- In a large cooking pot (3 qt), place the chicken drumsticks, roughly chopped onion, ginger, garlic pods, cilantro stems and scallion white parts. Also add the bay leaf and black peppercorns.
- Sprinkle salt and pour water into the pot to cover all the ingredients. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place on low medium stove.
- Once the water comes to a boil, skim the top if needed, cover again, reduce the stove to low flame and let the soup simmer for 45-50 minutes. This long cooking extracts sufficient flavor, fat and gelatin from the chicken.
- Using tongs remove the cooked chicken and place on a plate to cool down. Separate the chicken meat from the bones. Shred the meat and keep aside.
- Strain the chicken broth into a large bowl using a mesh strainer. Press down the softened vegetavles a few times to extract every flavor into the broth. Pour it back into the cooking pot and return the pot to the low stove.
- Add the sriracha,soy sauce and ground black pepper. Once the soup is simmering again, add back the chicken. Squeeze lemon juice.
- Add the vegetables towards the end and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. This short cooking makes sure that the vegetables don't soften too much.
- Mix in the corn starch slurry. Cook the soup for 2-3 minutes and then switch off the stove.
- Immediately pour into serving bowls and top with generous scatter of chopped fresh cilantro and green parts of scallions. Serve!
- Storing - The soup is best served immediately. If you want to serve it later, don't add the vegetables while cooking it else they soften too much. Add them when you warm up the soup. You can store this soup refrigerated for 3-4 days.
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