Chicken soup, Filipino-style

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A recent bout of the flu inspired me to figure out a vegetarian arroz caldo recipe. Arroz caldo is traditionally made with chicken broth and rice, with little shreds of chicken, peppercorns, and perhaps some ginger floating around the warm, sticky porridge. Growing up, whenever I was sick, my lolas would offer me scalding hot, steaming bowls of it. Come to think of it, whenever it was cold outside, they would make a huge crock pot of it and have all of us eat some. It's the Filipino equivalent of matzah ball soup.

A good bowl of arroz caldo has the ability to stick to your ribs and love your insides. It smells like a dream, but doesn't overpower the senses. The spices dance on your tongue instead of sitting on it, and it's easy to swallow despite its thickness.
 
If you use kosher chicken (or make my recipe), it's kosher, as there aren't any dairy products in it.

The traditional recipe calls for a few pounds of chicken, garlic, onions, peppercorns, ginger, rice, and water. In a HUGE stockpot, heat oil. Brown onions and garlic. Brown chicken. Add ginger, water, and rice. Stir. Wait. Eat. I like to have lots of chicken bits floating around in my arroz caldo, for texture.

One tricky aspect of vegetarian cooking is incorporating enough savory flavors without needlessly increasing the salt content. For this dish, part of the solution is low-sodium soy sauce or something like Bragg's Liquid Aminos, and another part is to sauté the seitan such that it takes on a bit of a crust. Traditionally, fish sauce adds the tangy, salty kick that makes this dish especially comforting.

 
If you don't have seitan, you can substitute TVP, but then you must add more broth to compensate for the liquid it will absorb.

Vegetarian arroz caldo

1Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4+ cloves garlic, minced or smashed, germ removed (that's the green part in the middle of the clove)
8 oz. mock chicken or seitan, shredded

2 cups uncooked rice
4 cups (1 quart) vegetable broth, mushroom broth, or mock chicken broth (6 cups if using brown rice)
1 - 2+ knobs ginger, peeled and sliced thinly (each knob about as big as your first thumb joint)
3 Tbsp soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tsp peppercorns (less if you can't take spicy food, more if you can)

herbs to taste (thyme, oregano, marjoram, tarragon, rosemary, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a stockpot over medium heat. Add oil. When hot, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add onion. Saute until just transparent.
Add mock chicken or seitan and saute until a brown crust forms on each piece, about 5-10 minutes.
Add vegetable broth, ginger, soy sauce, peppercorns, rice, and seasonings. The broth should be about 1 inch higher than the rice.

Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot, leaving a small crack for steam to escape. Stir occasionally so that the bottom does not burn.
As the rice cooks, the consistency should begin to resemble thick porridge or a less creamy risotto. The rice is done when it is tender, just like you'd expect rice to be.
If the rice is done and it seems too thick, add a little water or broth; if it seems too thin, take off the lid and let the extra liquid evaporate.
Correct the seasoning. Serve hot.
 
Be comforted.
Tagged soup stew vegetarian
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