Easy Thai Clear Soup with Chicken and Tofu

Name: Easy Thai Clear Soup with Chicken and Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons canola oil; 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 large carrot, thinly sliced; 5 cups chicken broth (homemade or store-bought); 1 tablespoon Maggi Seasoning; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 ½ teaspoons ground white pepper; 1 bunch bok choy, leaves and stems, chopped; 3 green onions, large slices; 1 cup fresh parsley, stemmed; 1 cup fresh cilantro, stemmed; 1 14-ounce package silken tofu, cubed; 1 large boneless-skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

January 30, 2024 · Published: January 20, 2020 By: Asian Inspired Eats 28 Comments

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Here's a perfect healthy and nutritious soup that inspired me on my trip to Southeast Asia a few years ago -- Thai Clear Soup with Chicken and Tofu! Easy and delicious, plus it's gluten-free and dairy-free!

a bowl of Thai Clear Soup with a woman spooning out a spoonful and the pot of soup and a ladle in the background

It's a New Year, with new resolutions! Always on my list is healthier eating. This Thai Clear Soup with Chicken and Tofu is a noodle-less soup which equals no guilt! And it couldn’t be easier to make. It literally took me only 45 minutes! This version has chicken and silken tofu, but it’s traditionally made with minced pork and egg tofu. You can use whatever you have on hand.

I’m so happy I was able to enjoy this soup in Thailand since there was a TON of eating that took place there. What a treat it was to eat authentic dishes in Asia! In fact, this is what I ate for breakfast every morning at the fabulous Khwan Beach Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand. Could not wait to come home and recreate it for all of you, so here's my version of Thai Clear Soup with Chicken and Tofu. It's ridiculously healthy, but very hardy.

a large blue pot of Thai Clear Soup with a ladle inserted in the pot placed on top of a wooden board

How to make Thai Clear Soup:

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic slices to the pot and sauté until fragrant. Add the sliced carrots and sauté until both start to soften. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Add in the Maggi seasoning, fish sauce, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and partially cover for 10 minutes.
Uncover and add in the bok choy, green onions, parsley, and cilantro. Stir until wilted, about three minutes. Right before you’re ready to serve, add in the silken tofu and chicken. The chicken will cook quickly in the hot broth, about 5 minutes. Stir the soup thoroughly and serve immediately.
Optional: Serve with steamed white rice or rice noodles.

two bunches of bok choy on a wooden cutting board

Bok choy is a star ingredient in this soup with its leafy greens. But use the stalks as well because they add a nice crunch to the dish.

mixed raw veggies on top of a wooden cutting board with a chefs knife along side

So healthy, but also hardy, this Thai Clear Soup is loaded with good-for-you ingredients like bok choy, garlic, carrots, green onions, and herbs. The herbaceous cilantro and parsley give this soup a wonderful fragrance!

Cubes of silken tofu in a white bowl on top of a checkered napkin.

Silken tofu is super light and delicious in this delicious soup! You can always use soft tofu if you can't find silken tofu. Either one will be tasty in this Easy Thai Clear Soup!

You'll be ladling up seconds and thirds of this Thai Clear Soup. We made this with chicken and tofu, but it's popular in Thailand with minced pork.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Don't throw away the stems of the bok choy! They add a really nice crunch to this soup.
Try adding other vegetables to this soup to see how it tastes. It can also be served vegetarian, without the chicken.
I didn't add noodles to this soup, but you can certainly thrown in some rice noodles or white rice to make it hardier!
The silken tofu keeps this soup really light, but you can always use a block of soft tofu if you can't find the silken version.
Make this in advance, store it in the fridge or freezer.

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Update Notes: This post was originally published on January 9, 2018, but was republished with slight text changes and additions, like step by step instructions and tips in January 27, 2020.