This unique and comforting sweet and spicy chicken soup is just what you need to chase away the winter chill. It gets its sweetness from goji berries and dates and spiciness from chipotle peppers. It's so simple to make and you will be hard pressed to stop at just one bowl. It's that good!

Overhead view of sweet & spicy chicken soup in a white bowl and a pot of soup and a plate of chopped green onions

Soups are a great addition to your lunch or brunch lineup. They’re perfect for dinner too! While traditional brunch fare like breakfast casseroles, quiches, pancakes and waffles are always popular, don’t forget the power of soup or stew when it comes to feeding your brunch guests (or yourself) something comforting and delicious.

Along those lines, today we have a delicious and unique spicy chicken soup that is both healthy and easy to make. Why stop at entertaining though? It’s so good, you may want to make a batch for yourself and your family to enjoy all week!

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

Nutrient-Rich Ingredients. The inclusion of goji berries, dates, shiitake mushrooms, and chicken thighs adds a variety of nutrients to the soup, offering both flavor and health benefits.
Protein-Packed. With boneless, skinless chicken thighs as the main protein source, this soup is a hearty and protein-packed meal that can leave you feeling satisfied.
Comforting and Warming. A bowl of spicy chicken soup is not only flavorful but also comforting, making it an ideal choice for chilly days or when you need a soothing meal.
Balanced Sweetness. The soaked dates and goji berries bring a natural sweetness to the soup, creating a well-balanced flavor profile with the spiciness and savory elements.

Ingredients

Sliced dates (⅓ cup). Adds natural sweetness. I used pitted medjool dates and sliced them.
Goji berries (½ cup). These are also known as wolfberries. They have a mild flavor that is similar to cranberries. I found them in the bulk section of my grocery store. If you cannot find goji berries, dried cranberries will work as a substitute. This Healthline article has more information about goji berries.
Boiling water (1 cup). Used to soften the goji berries and dates.
Shiitake mushrooms drained (4 oz. can).
Olive oil (1 tablespoon).
2 medium yellow onions. Coarsely chopped.
Salt.
2½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Chopped into 1-inch pieces
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (1-2 tablespoons). Chopped into 1-inch pieces. To tone down the spiciness of the soup, remove some of the seeds and use only 1 tablespoon. For more spiciness, increase to 1/4 cup.
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger. Peeled and finely chopped. See tip below to prepare the ginger.
Minced garlic (2 teaspoons). I like to keep a jar of minced garlic in my fridge. You can usually purchase it in the produce section of your grocery store. If using whole garlic, you will need 4 cloves, and you can slice it instead.
Chicken broth (6 cups).
Low sodium soy sauce (¼ cup).
2-3 stalks chopped green onion for garnish. Cut at an angle for an interesting presentation.

Goji berries on a white marble background with a small glass bowl of goji berries — Goji berries

Tip to Prepare the Ginger

Ginger being peeled with a spoon — To easily peel the ginger, hold the ginger in one hand and press the edge of a spoon against the side of it. Pull down on the spoon and the skin should easily peel off. Once peeled, then chop into small pieces.

Instructions

Overhead view of water being added to goji berries in a glass bowl — **Step 1.** In a medium bowl, combine the dates and goji berries. Pour boiling water over the top, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside to soak for 20 minutes.

Overhead view of olive oil being heated in a light blue Dutch oven — **Step 2.** Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat.

Overhead view of onions cooking in soup pot — When the oil shimmers, add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Overhead view of chicken cooking in a pot of soup with onions — **Step 3.** Increase the heat to medium-high, add the chicken, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Overhead view of ginger and garlic in soup pot — **Step 4.** Add the chiles, ginger, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes more.

Overhead view of chicken broth being added to pot of soup — **Step 5.** Pour in the broth.

Overhead view of soy sauce being added to pot of soup — Add the soy sauce, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently.

Overhead view of goji berries, dates and shiitake mushrooms being added to pot of soup — **Step 6.** Drain the goji berries and dates and add them, along with the shiitake mushrooms, to the broth.

Simmer the soup, with the lid slightly ajar, for 25 to 30 minutes more, until the flavors have merged together.

Serve and garnish with the chopped green onion.

Click here to learn how to make this spicy chicken soup in a visual story.

Storage Instructions

Refrigeration:

Allow the Spicy Chicken Soup to cool to room temperature before storing.
Transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Consume within 3-4 days for optimal freshness.

Freezing:

To freeze the soup, cool it completely and portion it into freezer-safe containers, leaving some space for expansion.
Label the containers with the date for reference.
Spicy Chicken Soup can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.

Thawing and Reheating:

When ready to use frozen soup, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated.
Ensure the chicken reaches a safe and uniform temperature.

Goji Berries and Dates. If you’ve soaked the goji berries and dates in advance and have leftovers, store them separately in the refrigerator. Add them to the soup when reheating.

Avoid Repeated Freezing and Thawing. It’s recommended to avoid repeatedly freezing and thawing the soup to preserve its quality. If possible, portion the soup before freezing to minimize the need for multiple thawing sessions.

Tips for Success

Balancing Spice. Adjust the amount of chipotle peppers according to your spice preference. Start with a smaller quantity and add more if needed.
Marination for Flavor. Marinate the chicken in chipotle peppers, ginger, and garlic for a more flavorful and well-seasoned result. Allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Quality Chicken Broth. Use a high-quality chicken broth for a rich and savory base. If possible, choose low-sodium broth to control the salt content.
Fresh Ingredients. Use fresh ginger and garlic for the best flavor. Fresh ingredients contribute to the aromatic and delicious profile of the soup.
Soaking Goji Berries and Dates. Allow goji berries and dates to soak adequately for about 20 minutes. This makes sure that they become plump and add a natural sweetness to the soup.
Green Onion Garnish. Chop green onions just before serving to maintain their freshness and add a burst of color and crispness to the soup.
Simmering Time. Allow the soup to simmer with the lid slightly ajar for the recommended time. This allows the flavors to meld together, creating a harmonious and well-balanced soup.
Taste and Adjust. Taste the soup before serving and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You can add more soy sauce for saltiness or a squeeze of lime for brightness.
Freezing. If planning to freeze the soup, consider leaving out goji berries and dates. Add them when reheating to preserve their texture.
Meal Prep. Consider prepping ingredients in advance, such as chopping vegetables and marinating the chicken. This can streamline the cooking process.

FAQs

Yes you can.

To adapt this recipe for the slow cooker, omit step 1 and add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat when it shimmers add onions and saute for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and add onions and garlic to the bottom of a large slow cooker. Optional step that will add more flavor: increase the heat to medium-high, add the chicken, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add chicken to the slow cooker. Finally, add goji berries, dates, shiitake mushrooms, peppers, fresh ginger, broth, and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Top with green onion for garnish.

To adapt this recipe for the instant pot, hydrate the goji berries and dates as instructed in step 1 of the recipe. Then, if desired, brown the chicken as noted above. Remove from heat and place chicken in the instant pot. You can omit this step and add the chicken directly to the instant pot. However, completing this step will give your soup more flavor. Then saute onions and garlic as noted in the slow cooker method above. Add onions and garlic to the instant pot on top of the chicken. Then drain the water from the goji berries and dates, and add them along with the shiitake mushrooms, chicken, peppers, fresh ginger and soy sauce to the instant pot. Finally add enough broth to fill the inner pot about 1/2 to 2/3 full. For cooking time, follow your instant pot manufacturer’s directions for cooking chicken (poultry). When finished cooking, remove the soup to a large serving pot and add any leftover broth to finish your soup.

This soup contains chipotle peppers, which provides its heat. If you want to increase the spiciness, be sure that the seeds are included and adjust the amount of peppers up to 1/4 cup. I don’t recommend going any higher than that unless you really love the heat of peppers. If you want to adjust the spiciness down, remove some of the seeds and decrease the amount to 1 tablespoon, or you can omit the peppers altogether.

Yes you can. For the broth, you can substitute Better than Bouillon, No Chicken Base or a vegetable broth. For the chicken, you can substitute tofu, Tofurky Chick’n (you can usually get this at a health food store or you can ask your local grocery store to order it for you if they don’t carry it already), or seitan.

Two white bowls of chicken soup with bread and green onions

More Healthy Soup Recipes

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Prep Time:15

Cook Time:50

Total Time:1 5

Equipment

Medium bowl

Dutch oven

Soup pot

Ingredients

⅓ cup sliced dates
½ cup goji berries
1 cup boiling water
4 oz. can shiitake mushrooms drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium yellow onions coarsely chopped
salt
2½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs chopped into 1-inch pieces
1-2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chop peppers into 1-inch pieces
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 cups chicken broth
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
2-3 stalks chopped green onion for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the dates and goji berries. Pour boiling water over the top, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the chicken, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the chiles, ginger, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes more.
Pour in the broth and soy sauce, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently.
Drain the goji berries and red dates and add them, along with the shiitake mushrooms, to the broth.
Simmer the soup, with the lid slightly ajar, for 25 to 30 minutes more, until the flavors have merged together.
Serve and garnish with the chopped green onion.

Notes

To adapt this recipe for the slow cooker:

1. Omit step 1 and add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat when it shimmers add onions and saute for about 4 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and add onions and garlic to the bottom of a large slow cooker.

3. Optional step that will add more flavor: increase the heat to medium-high, add the chicken, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add chicken to the slow cooker.

4. Add goji berries, dates, shiitake mushrooms, peppers, fresh ginger, broth, and soy sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Top with green onion for garnish.

To adapt this recipe for the instant pot:

1. Hydrate the goji berries and dates as instructed in step 1 of the recipe.

2. If desired, brown the chicken as noted above. Remove from heat and place chicken in the instant pot. You can omit this step and add the chicken directly to the instant pot. However, taking this step will give you soup more flavor.

3. Saute onions and garlic as noted in the slow cooker method above. Add onions and garlic to the instant pot on top of the chicken.

4. Add goji berries, dates, shiitake mushrooms, chicken, peppers, fresh ginger and soy sauce.

4. Add enough broth to fill the inner pot about ½ to ⅔ full. For cooking time, follow your instant pot manufacturer’s directions for cooking chicken (poultry). When finished cooking, remove the soup to a large serving pot and add any leftover broth to finish your soup. Garnish with chopped green onion.