Soups on! I am back in the full swing of making big pots of soup at least once a week. Even though I am a year-round soup-lover, this summer was pretty soup-less save for the occasional pot.
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.
At its core, this is a simple soup, easy to make, full of clean ingredients, a bit of protein, some veg, a bit of fat from the coconut milk and the perfect amount of spice to keep it interesting.
NOTES:
- 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.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Punjabi Style Chicken Soup
- 2 tablespoons Ghee or Coconut Oil for dairy free
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 large yellow onion pureed
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
- 4 large cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 small serrano or jalapeno chile finely chopped (see NOTES for spiciness)
- 3/4 pound ground chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken thighs cubed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 pounds green cabbage core removed and thinly sliced
- 6 cups chicken broth or stock
- 14 ounce can coconut milk
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
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Use the food processor or blender to puree the yellow onion. (If you don't have either machine, just chop it as fine as you possibly can)
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Peel ginger using a small spoon by gently rubbing the edge of the spoon down the sides.Mince and set aside.
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Remove core from cabbage, cut in thick slices turn and thinly slice.
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Finely chop garlic. Remove seeds from serrano chile and finely chop., measure spices, stock and open coconut milk. Chop cilantro, measure 1/3 cup and set aside.
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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.
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Add pureed onion and cook 8 to 10 minutes until soft.
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Next add in serrano chile, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until fragrant.
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Add chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown. Next, stir in salt, garam masala and turmeric, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant.
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Toss sliced cabbage into pot and stir until well coated with spice and chicken mixture. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage starts to soften and reduces a bit.
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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, serve and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Virginia says
This is the best thing I’ve made in years. Absolutely delicious!!!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Virginia! Thanks so much 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it and took the time to let me know about it!
kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts says
Alyssa,
This soup looks terrific–we like simple sauteed cabbage here, but we also like Indian spices, so I can see this being a hit.
Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
Let me know how your family likes it if you try it Kirsten!
Hannah says
Love cabbage, love turmeric, love this soup! What a bowl of delicious comfort. I just stocked up on turmeric so this is perfect timing. 🙂
EverydayMaven says
There is something about the fall that makes me crave intense spice and turmeric is happening frequently!
Mellisa Turner says
I am a big fan of punjabi food. I felt so happy when I saw this blog related to punjabi cuisine, that too chicken soup. Thanks for sharing its recipe.
EverydayMaven says
Thanks Mellisa – I hope you enjoy the soup!
kellie@foodtoglow says
Sounds fantastic, Alyssa! I am a big fan of not only Indian spices for taste, but also their potential preventive and medicinal properties. I have been cooking a lot of Indian and Bangladeshi-type dishes lately, usually with a Scottish twist, and cabbage is SO Scottish! Will have to give this a go. Thanks for this, my lovely x PS Last night I even replaced corn with cabbage in a vegetarian tamale pie. Crazy but good
EverydayMaven says
I have to look up some of cabbage recipes Kellie!
Norma Chang says
Love, love cabbage, thanks for creating this soup for me.
EverydayMaven says
You are welcome Norma – I hope you love it!!! 🙂
john@kitchenriffs says
Great recipe! I’m on the cabbage bandwagon too. This is such a flavorful soup – I love it! Really nice – thanks.
Shut Up and Cook says
This looks fabulous. Can I please come eat at your house every day??
Fall does indeed appear to be here…the only plus side is to your point…more time in the kitchen!
Joanne says
I’m having some IT band issues from running so my turmeric consumption is going WAY up this week! Switch out the chicken for beans in this soup and I think it’s pretty perfect!
EverydayMaven says
Have you been using mostly ground turmeric or are you also using the fresh stuff?