Simple Chicken Tinola
A comforting Filipino chicken soup flavored with bright ginger, fish sauce, and tender chayote. This simplified one‑pot version uses boneless skinless chicken thighs and a handful of greens for a soul‑soothing, easy weeknight meal.
Yield
4
Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
1–2 tbsp cooking oil
1.5 lb (≈700 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
1.5-inch (≈4 cm) knob fresh ginger, sliced into matchsticks
2–3 tbsp minced garlic (about 6–9 cloves)
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 stalks green onion (white parts), sliced
1–2 tbsp fish sauce (patis), to taste
2 chayote (sayote), peeled and cut into chunks
1 quart (≈950 ml) chicken broth
1 bunch malunggay (moringa leaves), chili leaves, or spinach (about 2–3 cups spinach)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Step 1
Heat 1–2 tablespoons cooking oil in a large pot over medium–high heat.
Step 2
Add the diced chicken thighs and brown on all sides, about 5–7 minutes.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium, add the minced garlic and diced onion to the pot and sauté with the chicken until the onion becomes translucent, about 2–3 minutes.
Step 4
Add the ginger matchsticks, sliced green onion whites, fish sauce, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until the ginger is aromatic.
Step 5
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 6
Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
Step 7
After 15 minutes, add the chayote chunks and simmer for an additional 4–6 minutes, until the chayote is tender but not mushy.
Step 8
Stir in the malunggay, chili leaves, or spinach and immediately turn off the heat. Let the residual heat wilt the greens for 1–2 minutes.
Step 9
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or more fish sauce and black pepper. Serve hot.
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