We love this soup. It’s simple and tasty. Plus the copious amounts of garlic and ginger make it a good comfort soup for when Bella says she has a funny feeling in her throat.
It’s from my sister-in-law, Corrina:
“Here is the recipe for Tinola. It was handed down to my friend from her mom, although I’m sure you can find versions of it online, as it’s a common Philipino soup. When she gave it to me, we were sitting down to lunch together, and she wrote down the ingreds and explained what to do with each ingred verbally, so I’m trying to write it down here as I interpreted it. She recommended that I hold the chayote with a fork while I peel it. She was under the impression that it would make your skin itch, but it’s in the melon family, so I’m not sure if that’s the case. I followed her advice anyway. Most of her advice regarding proportions was, “if you like those, add lots. If you don’t like those so much add less”. I love this soup!
2 or 3 Tbsp light olive oil
thumb-sized piece of ginger root, sliced into pieces approximately 1″ long and 1/4″ thick
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts, chopped into 1″ cubes
Chicken broth, 2 boxes or 64 oz.
1 Chayote, peeled and chopped into just slightly larger than how you prepared the ginger.
Spinach, 2 or 3 cups, lightly chopped
Sauté ginger until it’s golden brown
Then add garlic and onion
Add chicken, sauté with ginger, garlic and onion until it’s cooked
Add chicken broth, bring to a boil
Add chayote and let it simmer until the chayote is softened to your liking
Turn off the fire (her words. So cute)
Add Spinach and stir
Season with salt and pepper, to taste
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have”
