Chicken Tinola (recipe)

By The Health News Team | October 19, 2023

Easy to make and loaded with greens, this soup from the Philippines is both flavorful and brimming with benefits.

“I consider this dish the ultimate ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul,’ but with extra love and flavor – Filipino style,” says Melissa Vivas, manager of Sharp University, a program designed to help Sharp leaders sustain the culture of The Sharp Experience. The Sharp Experience is the health care system’s philosophy — treating people, not patients, and transforming the health care experience for the entire community.

Vivas is one of many Sharp employees who contributed to the 2023 Sharp Equality Alliance (SEA) cookbook, one of many ways the Sharp Equality Alliance enriches company culture through diversity. The cookbook project, which beautifully intertwines Vivas’s passions for creativity, food and community is something she deeply cherishes, and she is honored to be able to share her Filipino culture and pride with Sharp HealthCare.

“I make this soup the way my mom taught me, and how her mom taught her, without measurements and all by taste,” Vivas says. “While I encourage those who make it to also make it their own, sharing it feels special because I’m also sharing a part of my history and culture.”

Chicken Tinola

Prep time:

30 minutes

Total time:

50 minutes

Servings:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5-inch fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 pounds chicken legs and thighs
2 14-ounce cans of chicken broth
1 chayote squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 head bok choy, chopped
1 package spinach, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1

Prepare the Chicken

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add ginger and fish sauce. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook for 5 minutes.

2

Create the Broth

Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add squash and simmer until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3

Add Greens and Serve

Add bok choy and spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve while still hot.

Nutrition facts per serving: Calories = 508; Fat = 20 grams; Protein = 70 grams

This recipe was adapted from Allrecipes.

The Health News Team

Author

The Sharp Health News Team are content authors who write and produce stories about Sharp HealthCare and its hospitals, clinics, medical groups and health plan.