Masa Ball Coconut Ginger Chicken Soup

This is a delicious recipe that is influenced by Mexican, Filipino, and Jewish cultures. Chef Nini Nguyen first created this recipe on Top Chef and later shared it on her Instagram. I made this for Passover this year and I instantly knew that this will have a permanent place at our holiday table for years to come.

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Masa Ball Coconut Ginger Chicken Soup

Ingredients

Broth

• 1 whole chicken or 2-3 pounds of bone-in chicken pieces
• 3 stalks of lemongrass
• 1 whole onion
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 4 inch knob of ginger
• 4 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)
• 1 can of full fat coconut milk

Masa Balls

• 1 cup of masa harina
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 5 teaspoons of baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup of water
• 4 tablespoons of melted coconut oil

Garnish

• Lime wedges
• Thinly sliced ginger
• Pulled chicken from broth
• Thinly sliced green onions
• Cilantro

Preparation

Make the broth

1. Place all broth ingredients except the coconut milk in a large stockpot. 
2. Fill pot with water until it reaches the top of the chicken. Simmer for about 1.5 hours. 
3. Strain, reserving the chicken, and return broth to the pot. 
4. Stir in coconut milk and salt to taste. 
5. Pull reserved chicken from the bone and set aside for garnish.

Make the masa balls

1. Mix wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls and then combine. 
2. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for about an hour or until stiff.
3. Form balls with wet hands and a spoon or ice cream scoop. 
4. In a pot filled halfway with boiling salted water, carefully place masa balls and lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook masa balls with the lid on for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Assemble the soup

1. In the bottom of a small bowl, add some of the pulled chicken, ginger, and a couple masa balls. 
2. Ladle in broth and top with the remaining garnishes. 
3. Enjoy!