Some people don't like chicken tinola, calling it a flavorless, watery chicken soup. We don't like to judge, but that doesn't sound like a proper tinola at all! This Filipino household staple should be comforting and restorative: tender chicken cuts and in a clean, gingery soup.
Ingredients
- 1 kg whole chicken, tinola cut
- 1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 bulb garlic, halved
- ½ cup ginger, sliced into rounds
- 2 liters water
- 2 pcs sayote, prepared and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1–2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 cups dahon ng sili
Cook chicken: Combine the chicken, red onion, garlic, and ginger in a Dutch oven or deep pot. Cover with 2 liters of water. Turn heat on to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is almost tender. For a clearer soup, skim the foam off the top of the broth.
Cook vegetables: Add sayote and bring the pot back up to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until sayote is fork-tender. Turn the heat off and stir in the bouillon cubes and dahon ng sili. Stir until the cubes are well dissolved and the dahon ng sili are wilted.
Serve: Serve hot with steamed rice, with a side of patis (fish sauce) if desired.
