recipe: chicken tinola

This soup dish from the Philippines holds a special place in my heart and I’m happy to share it with y’all! ♥️ Tinola was something my mom made often when we were much younger. I would ask her to make this anytime I felt sick, and still do from time to time! It’s heart-warming and loaded with nutrients like potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and protein. It’s perfect for cold, rainy days.

Tinola recipes vary by region of the Philippines (like barbecue recipes throughout the United States!). It is a supposed favorite of Jose Rizal who was one of the most prominent Filipino nationalists during the lengthy period of Spanish colonization. The broth is usually flavored by garlic, onions, ginger, salt and/or fish sauce (patis). Lemongrass is often used to flavor the broth, too. Chayote and malunggay leaves are the veggies most commonly used in this dish, but you can make substitutions as needed. Since chayote is a type of summer squash, you can use equal amounts of zucchini or yellow squash. Malunggay leaves are a phytonutrient-rich leafy green vegetable, but you can substitute this with other leafy greens such as bok choy, spinach, Swiss chard, or Napa cabbage. As you read through the recipe below, you’ll notice I made minor substitutions based on what was available in nearby grocery stores 🙂 so here’s everything I used:

• A large pot
• 2-3 tbsp cooking oil (I used canola oil)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (you can add a pinch or two of salt if you don’t have fish sauce)
• 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2 small or medium yellow squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 head of bok choy, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned, or sliced into coins (your preference)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 pounds of chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• Jasmine rice
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Ground ginger
• Black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the rice first before you do anything else. I’ve always preferred to use a rice cooker, but you can cook it on the stovetop if you want!
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the large pot over medium heat.
3. Add minced garlic and slightly brown. Add onions, sliced ginger, and fish sauce. Cook until the onions are almost translucent. (Yes—the fish sauce will smell pretty fishy at first, but it goes away as you continue to cook!)
4. Set all of that aside in a bowl and add another tbsp of oil to the pot.
5. Place the chicken thighs evenly in the pot. Season generously with ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little bit of ground black pepper. Cook thoroughly, using tongs to flip the chicken until there’s no pink in the center. The chicken will continue to cook over the next several steps, too!
6. Add the garlic/onion/ginger mix back into the pot with the chicken. Mix everything together and let sit for another 1-2 min.
7. Pour in the 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a low boil. Add the yellow squash, stir, and cook until softened (about 4-5 min).
8. Reduce heat from medium to low. Stir in the bok choy and allow the leaves to wilt (another 1-2 min). The soup is pretty much done at this point. So now you can scoop some rice into a bowl, top it off with a helping of Tinola and ENJOY 😊

Recipe Notes:

• Make a dipping sauce (or sawsawan) to help enhance the flavors! I use equal parts apple cider vinegar and low sodium soy sauce, plus red pepper flakes.
• Sprinkle raw, sliced scallions just before serving.
• I prepared about 3 cups of rice to serve with my Tinola and it was more than enough!
• Servings: 6-7
• Storage: Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator and throw away after 3 days.

Nutritional Considerations:

• If you have high blood pressure (hypertension), I’d suggest using just 1 tsp of fish sauce instead of the full 3 tsp (3 tsp = 1 tbsp) and adding a pinch of lite salt. Lite salt has ~50% less sodium than regular salt.
• If you have diabetes, you can serve yourself extra veggies and cut back on the rice. Think of the soup and its contents as your main entrée while the rice is a small side dish (honestly, most of us could probably benefit from that!). You can also opt for brown rice instead of white rice for extra fiber.
• If you avoid eating meat or poultry, you can make this dish with shrimp or fish instead. I’m sure tempeh would work too!
• If you struggle with poor appetite or unintended weight loss, add an extra 1-2 tbsp of canola oil to the pot for a concentrated amount of calories. Or, add canned coconut milk for the extra calories and a creamier texture!

Note: Always seek the advice of your primary care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Request a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist or find one in your area here: www.eatright.org.

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