Arroz Caldo

Submitted by cowpants13

"(Revised November 2020, corrected proportions, added Instant Pot instructions..) In my family we call this "Filipino sick people chicken & rice soup". It is a classic Filipino dish. It's mild and easy to eat when you're under the weather, and it really does make you feel better."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 8 cups
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 head garlic, minced (about 8-10 big cloves)
• 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into coin shapes
• 1 1⁄2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch dice
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (or 2 tsp salt)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup white rice (short-grain)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• green onion, sliced thin
• garlic, minced, fried golden brown and crispy
• egg, hard-cooked
• fish sauce
• lemon juice (or kalamansi juice, Filipino kumquat)

directions

1. STOVETOP: Heat a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add vegetable oil. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and somewhat translucent. Add chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink. Add fish sauce and black pepper, then rice and chicken broth. Stir well. Bring to the boil and simmer until rice is very soft, 30-40 minutes.
2. INSTANT POT: Press Saute button and adjust to High. When IP reads HOT, add vegetable oil. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and somewhat translucent. Add chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink. Add fish sauce and black pepper, then rice and chicken broth. Stir well to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Turn IP off. Put on the lid. If you have a Porridge button, press that; otherwise set it for Manual, High pressure, 20 minutes. When it's done, leave it alone for 10 minutes, then release all the pressure.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning. Dish into bowls and garnish each helping with sliced green onions, crisp-fried garlic, and a slice of hard-boiled egg. Season to taste with the salty fish sauce and kalamansi juice. If desired, thin with a little more chicken stock or water.
4. NOTES * This thickens a lot when it cools, and is pretty porridge-y. It depends a lot on how "sticky" your rice is and how much broth it absorbs. if you wish, add water or chicken broth when reheating. * I like short-grain rice like Calrose or Kokuho -- it gets nice and sticky. I don't think brown rice will work -- its cooking time will overcook the chicken, and it won't get sticky. * If you don't like discovering ginger by biting on it, you can put the slices into a spice bag before cooking, and remove the bag when done. * If fish sauce is unavailable, just add salt and pepper to your individual serving. We use kalamansi (Filipino kumquat) juice, but lemon or lime wedges are an acceptable substitute.

Reviews

[Amy in Hawaii]

This is a good soup for breakfast on a rainy day. I like to add cilantro and soy to finish it. If you are making this from scratch it is better to use a stewing hen since it has more flavor. If you are using a younger chicken or leftover roast chicken then chicken broth or stock needs to be added. I prefer stock since it is less salty. For a thinner soup use less rice.

 

[Linky]

You don't have to be sick to enjoy this soup! The added fish sauce and ginger makes it just a little bit different than run-of-the-mill chicken soup. Thanks for posting! made for Spring 2012 PAC