By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 9, 2026
Serves 4
513 cal · 30 min
Spicy & Healthy Chicken Soup
Recipe GLPRdb572d5e908a77
A vibrant, warming soup featuring tender kabocha squash, mixed cabbage, and shredded chicken in a spicy, aromatic broth. Fresh ginger adds depth while jalapeño brings heat; finished with bright cilantro, basil, and a drizzle of chili oil. Serve with lime wedges for a refreshing squeeze of acidity.
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Ingredients
8 cups Spicy Chicken Stock
1 2-pound Kabocha squash
4 cups Mixed cabbage (such as bok choy, Napa, and savoy), cut into thin wedges
4 cups Cooked chicken, shredded
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Jalapeño, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems, for serving
Chili oil, for serving
1 2-inch piece Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 Limes, cut into wedges
Directions
Pour the spicy chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
While the stock heats, cut the kabocha squash into 4 even wedges, remove and discard the seeds and strings, then cut each wedge into 4 pieces.
Add the squash pieces to the simmering stock and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 8–10 minutes.
Stir in the sliced mixed cabbage and shredded cooked chicken, and simmer until the cabbage is just tender and everything is heated through, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with a portion of the sliced jalapeño, fresh basil leaves, and cilantro with tender stems.
Drizzle each bowl with chili oil and sprinkle with a small amount of the grated fresh ginger. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing into the soup at the table.
Comments
This soup hits the mark on availability and cost—kabocha squash, cabbage, chicken, and jalapeños are standard at any Charlotte grocer, with fresh basil, cilantro, ginger, and lime at Harris Teeter or Kroger without a special trip. The 30-minute claim is honest if you buy pre-cut kabocha (which most Charlotte stores now stock), though dicing a whole squash adds 10 minutes; figure 35 minutes realistically. At roughly $2.50 per serving, it's solid value for a broth-based meal with protein and vegetables. The main limitation is that soup-based dishes are middle-of-the-road reheaters and work best same-night, and the fresh herbs (basil, cilantro) will wilt if leftover broth sits in the fridge for more than a day, requiring you to add them fresh at serving.
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