Now that cold weather is upon us, this Filipino Chicken Soup recipe should be in your dinner plans for tonight. This Philippine Chicken Tinola soup is made with chayote (a type of gourd, see photo below) and cooked with aromatics like ginger, garlic, and onion, and flavored with fish sauce. My favorite is serving this tasty and comforting soup with steamed rice or quinoa. It's tasty, healthy, delicious, and very simple to make. In under an hour you can enjoy this ginger-flavored broth. Talk about one heck of comfort food, you got it right here.
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What is Chicken Tinola
Tinola is one of the most popular Filipino chicken soups. I'd say this is one of our favorites in our household, especially come wintertime. Our other favorites are Sinigang and Nilaga.
This Chicken Tinola Soup is synonymous to "make me feel better soup." I swear every time anyone is feeling a bit under the weather, this is something I always make. There's nothing as comforting as having a bowl of this soup. The aromas of ginger, garlic, onion....there's just something so medicinal about that.
Tinola is typically made with chicken and vegetables like chayote, green papaya, and green leaves like chili leaves or malunggay leaves. However, cooking here in America, I've learned to improvise many of my favorite Filipino dishes. So with this chicken tinola recipe, I've used ingredients that are readily available - potatoes instead of papaya and spinach instead of malunggay pepper leaves.
I did, however, find Chayote squash at my local grocery store so I was very happy about that. Scroll down so you can see how I cut up the chayote.
The secret ingredient in making this Chicken Tinola Soup recipe is my Homemade Chicken Stock. Nothing can compare to using homemade stock for its flavors and nutrient value. The Tinola is a comforting dish and when you use homemade stock, then you're in heaven! I just love knowing that I am getting a wholesome dish, don't you?
What does Chicken Tinola taste like?
Soothing! Imagine the flavor combination of ginger, onions, and garlic lightly sautéed while being infused in the oil as you add the chicken and the broth, seasoned with spices, and finished with the addition of vegetables.....whatever is ailing you will soon be gone!
Chicken Tinola Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken - a mix of white or dark cut-up chicken pieces like chicken breast, and chicken thighs would give you a great flavor. Cut them all into equal pieces so they all cook evenly.
- Aromatics: Garlic, Onion, and Ginger. When you sauté ginger garlic and onions, the smell alone will surely cure any ailments. Ginger has medicinal properties which help in fighting off infections. Check out this source for the health benefits of ginger.
- vegetables: Potatoes, Spinach, and Chayote. Other alternatives can be any leafy greens like baby bok choy, kale, wedges of green papaya, or lemon grass.
- Chicken Broth - any of your favorite brands work, but I prefer my Homemade Chicken Stock.
- Red Pepper Flakes and/or Chili Peppers - If you don't like spicy, omit this. If you want more spice consider using any hot pepper like banana pepper or serrano pepper. If you have a cold, the spiciness will help soothe your sore throat.
- Fish Sauce - a great complement to this dish as it helps to bring the umami in otherwise, very light broth. My favorite brand is called Red Boat. You can also use just plain salt and black pepper to taste. A side of soy sauce will also make a great condiment.
For exact measurements for Chicken Tinola ingredients, please refer to recipe card below.
What is Chayote
Chayote is pronounced with a "ch" as in "chair" or "ch" like an "s" sayote.
It belongs to the gourd family and is technically considered a squash or a fruit because it has a seed in the middle, which is also edible. It's used in many Mexican and Asian dishes.
How to Cut Chayote
STEP 1: Cut the chayote in half.
STEP 2: Cut in quarters then wedges or desired size for the dish.
Note: the chayote seed is soft so it can be cooked and eaten with the chayote flesh.
How to Prepare Chayote
If you're not familiar with chayote, you should give this vegetable a try since it is so versatile and you can prepare it in many different ways.
1) Stir-fry: Slice the chayote thinly and lightly fry in a skillet using a little bit of oil.
2) Sauté: With the light crispness of the chayote it's a great substitute for summer squash.
3) Raw: Slice and dice to add texture to your salads.
4) Pickled: Use vinegar and some pickling spices.
5) Simple with Salt + Sugar: A great side dish or by itself by seasoning it with 2 parts sugar and 1 part salt for one chayote.
I found some Chayote in my local grocery store and it inspired me to make this Chicken Tinola Soup. I love that it adds great color and texture to this dish, not to mention Chayote offers many health benefits.
How To Cook Chicken Tinola
Step 1: Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger.
Step 2: Sear the chicken on both sides and add fish sauce.
Step 3: Add chicken broth and potatoes.
Step 4: Add the chayote, spinach and chili pepper
For more specific instructions on how to cook Chicken Tinola, please scroll down and read or print the recipe card for your convenience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soothing! Imagine the flavor combination of ginger, onions, and garlic lightly sautéed while being infused in the oil as you add the chicken and the broth, seasoned with spices, and finished with the addition of vegetables.....whatever is ailing you will soon be gone!
Promptly place it in the refrigerator in a sealed container within 1 to 2 hours of serving. Any leftovers can be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
I would not suggest it, because potatoes will get soft and grainy once you freeze them. If you want to freeze, omit or remove the potatoes then just add freshly cooked potatoes once ready to thaw to eat.
Yes! Unlike many other fruits or vegetables which have seeds that are bitter, chayote seed is not, and is purely edible.
White rice, of course!
Other Recipes You May Like
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📖 Recipe Card
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken white or dark meat (cut-up)
- 1 Quart Organic Chicken Broth Homemade Chicken Stock preferred
- 1 whole Chayote peeled and sliced
- 4 Potatoes peeled and quartered
- 1 8 ounce Bag of Spinach
- 1 inch Ginger sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves sliced
- 1 Onion sliced
- 2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce to taste
- 1 Chili Pepper optional
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes optional
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil, then add onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 2 minutes until onion is caramelized and garlic and ginger are light golden brown. Set aside.1 inch Ginger, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1 Onion, 2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sear chicken pieces on both sides for about 4 to 6 minutes each side. Add fish sauce. (Red pepper flakes optional)2 lbs Chicken, 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- Add Chicken broth, bring to a boil. Then add potatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes.1 Quart Organic Chicken Broth, 4 Potatoes
- Add chayote, spinach, and chili pepper (optional) and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.1 whole Chayote, 1 8 ounce Bag of Spinach, 1 Chili Pepper, Salt & Pepper, Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Notes
- To modify this recipe for low-sodium: use low-sodium chicken stock and omit the fish sauce.
- Storing ginger: in a sealed plastic bag, in the freezer for up to 6 months, and cut 1 inch section at a time as needed.
- Using and peeling the ginger: with the side of a teaspoon to remove the skin off the ginger root. Leaving the ginger peel sometimes imparts a bitter flavor.
- If freezing: remove the potatoes from the Chicken Tinola Soup as frozen potatoes can sometimes be grainy, which may or may not be desirable for you.
Susan
This soup was so satisfying and so flavorful. And it’s so reminiscent of when my mom used to make it for me. So thank you!
ChefB
Made this and added bokchoy it turned out delicious! Your recipe is spot on.