Chicken soup with zero water. Not a typo. No water chicken soup is a whole chicken cooked low with napa cabbage, apple, carrot and ginger for 1.5 hours, and those vegetables release enough liquid to make a broth so concentrated it tastes like it simmered all day. Six ingredients, one pot, no stock to buy and nothing to measure except the salt. It is hands down the easiest one pot dinner on this whole site.
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I made this four times before I wrote anything down. The first pot I cranked the heat to speed it up and the cabbage scorched on the bottom before it let go of a single drop. Medium low is not a suggestion here, it is the entire technique.
When my family is sick, this is what I make them and it instantly makes them feel better.
Waterless chicken soup is not a new trick. Chinese home kitchens have been cooking chicken down with ginger and cabbage like this for generations, and Filipino kitchens run on the same ginger and chicken broth logic in Lola's chicken tinola. Same comfort, half the ingredient list.
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How to make (VIDEO)
Brands I recommend to use for this recipe
- A heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid. The seal is what traps the steam and drips it back into the pot, and a loose lid is the number one reason people end up with a dry pan instead of soup.
- Kosher salt. This soup gets exactly 1 tablespoon of seasoning and nothing else, so use a salt you actually like the taste of.
How to make (PICTURES)
- Step 1: Put the cabbage in the pot, scatter the sliced apple, sliced carrot and peeled sliced ginger over the cabbage.
- Step 2: Place the whole chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side up, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over everything.
- Step 3: Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on medium low for 1.5 hours. Do not lift the lid and do not add water.
- Step 4: Check the thickest part of the thigh for 165F, then shred the chicken straight into the broth. Taste and add more salt if it needs it.
What to serve
- 5 ingredient beef hot pot for the next night you want napa cabbage doing the heavy lifting
- Filipino garlic fried rice (sinangag) for spooning that broth over
- Crispy no fold dumplings when you want something crunchy alongside
- Dumpling salad with chili crunch dressing to cut through all that richness
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No Water Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut half a head of napa cabbage into large pieces and lay them across the bottom of a large heavy pot with a tight fitting lid.½ head napa cabbage
- Scatter the sliced apple, sliced onion and peeled sliced ginger over the cabbage.1 apple, 1 onion, 1 inch ginger
- Set the whole chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side down, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over everything.1 whole chicken, 1 tablespoon salt
- Cover and cook on medium low for 1.5 hours. Do not lift the lid and do not add any water. Low and slow.
- Check the thickest part of the thigh for 165F, then shred the chicken straight into the broth. Taste and adjust the salt before serving.
Notes
- Medium low is the whole technique. High heat scorches the cabbage before it releases its liquid, and you end up with a dry pot instead of soup.
- Keep the lid on the entire 1.5 hours so the steam condenses and drips back in.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium low, or microwave in 1 minute bursts. To freeze, leave the cabbage out and freeze the broth with the shredded chicken for up to 3 months, then add fresh cabbage when you reheat.
Nutrition
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Hi, I'm Carmen!
I'm the creator of Eat With Carmen, where I share Filipino and other Asian recipes I love and grew up eating, made simple for everyday cooking.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Waterless Chicken Soup
Can you really make chicken soup with no water? Yes, and the broth comes out better than the watered down version. Napa cabbage is roughly 95 percent water, so between the cabbage, the apple and the chicken itself you end up with about 4 to 5 cups of concentrated liquid after 1.5 hours on medium low.
Why is my pot dry after an hour? Your heat was too high or your lid does not seal properly. Cook on medium low with a tight fitting lid so the steam condenses and drips back down, and resist lifting the lid to peek during the cook.
Is a whole chicken cooked through in 1.5 hours? Yes, a 3 to 4 pound chicken is fully cooked in 1.5 hours on medium low in a covered pot. Check the thickest part of the thigh with a thermometer and look for 165F before you shred it.
What kind of apple should I use? A sweet firm apple like Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp works best. Skip Granny Smith unless you want a tart broth, and leave the skin on since the pieces come out easily at the end.
Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken? Yes, bone in thighs and drumsticks work and are done in about 40 minutes on medium low. Skip boneless breast, since the bones are doing most of the flavor work here.
Can I freeze no water chicken soup? Yes, freeze the broth and shredded chicken together for up to 3 months. Leave the cabbage out before freezing since it goes soft, then add fresh cabbage when you reheat.
What do I do with the leftover chicken? Shred it and use it across the week in fried rice, rice bowls or chicken sisig. The meat is very mild after poaching, so it takes on whatever sauce you give it.
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