Recipes for Change: Chef Lance Seeto’s homemade chicken, ginger and greens soup

IFAD’s Recipes for Change chefs are adjusting to life in a world contending with COVID-19 – and as a part of that, they’re sharing some excellent recipes that you can make with ingredients you’ve already got in your home cupboard.

Chef Seeto joins us directly from the Fiji Islands to share a recipe for chicken soup with ginger and leafy greens, ideal for anyone seeking a flavourful and nutritious boost.

Before the coronavirus outbreak restricted travel among the Pacific Islands, Chef Seeto had visited IFAD’s project in Tonga. Through his close work with the rural communities on the front lines of climate change, he knows first-hand that they already face threats to their food security and nutrition.

For the past five years, IFAD’s Recipes for Change chefs have been visiting IFAD projects on the ground to raise awareness of how IFAD is working with farmers to build a resilient future. And as Chef Seeto reminds us, IFAD is continuing to support rural people and their communities and nations even as the current situation unfolds – it’s more important now than ever.

Chicken, ginger, and leafy greens soup

Ingredients

• One chicken, skin removed, whole or chopped
• Leafy greens of your preference (e.g. spinach, cabbage, kale)
• 1 piece of ginger, about 5-10 centimetres long, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Your favourite additional spices, to taste (optional)

Preparation

1. Place the chicken (including the bones) and minced ginger in a pot and cover with cold water.
2. Bring the water to a boil and let simmer for about 45 minutes. Skim any fat that rises to the top as necessary.
3. Once the meat starts falling off the bones, remove the bones from the pot and check that the meat is cooked evenly.
4. Add the salt, pepper, and other spices to the water.
5. Add the leafy greens.
6. Allow to simmer for another minute or two, then serve hot.

Publication date: 23 April 2020