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It’s cold and rainy again here in Virginia (where are you, Spring??) and I’ve got the perfect recipe for this crummy weather….or for when you’re sick and need something light, yet hearty, to soothe your soul :) 

Arroz Caldo is Filipino chicken and rice soup, made with the simplest ingredients that pack a serious flavor punch. It has a very thick texture like a rice porridge. My mom and Lola (grandma) made this recipe in huge batches whenever someone was sick or couldn’t eat anything too hard. I remember my piano teacher had dental work done when I was very young. And when I showed up to a lesson with a big pot of this stuff with my dad she beamed from ear to ear. That’s the feeling I get when I eat Arroz Caldo today – it feels like mom is still here, giving me a big, warm hug and it just makes me smile. 

My hope is this recipe gives you a delicious alternative to plain old chicken noodle soup! And that it brings your family a sense of nostalgia every time you have it :)

Ingredients

Note: fish sauce has become more common and accessible the past few years and is critical for the unmistakable flavor that Arroz Caldo brings. So don’t skip this! Most grocery stores carry it in the international aisle. 

Note #2: water and hard-boiled eggs for garnish not pictured above.

How to make it 

Put the chicken pieces and 8 cups of water into a large stock pot. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Using a mesh strainer or skimmer spoon, remove any particles that have floated to the top of the water. 

Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the stock and set aside to cool. Set the stock aside.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or saucepan for a minute. Add the sliced garlic, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and place onto a paper towel to drain.

Using the same oil, add the onion and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes until translucent. Then add the ginger, chopped garlic, and ½ teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper. Stir occasionally for another 2-3 minutes.

Add both the jasmine rice and sticky rice to the onion mixture and combine well by stirring everything together. Allow to cook for a couple minutes. Add the fish sauce and all the reserved stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the rice is soft and mixture has thickened.

While the soup finishes cooking, shred the chicken into small pieces. Then add ¾ of the shredded chicken meat to the soup. Reserve the rest of the chicken for garnish. Stir together, taste, and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

Garnish with remaining shredded chicken, fried garlic chips, hard-boiled eggs, sliced scallions, and a few slices of lime. Instead of lime, traditionally we would use Calamansi (a citrus fruit native to the Philippines that is a hybrid between a lemon, lime, kumquat, and orange flavor). But it’s impossible to find around here, so lime is a good substitute!

Doesn’t it just look so inviting? :)