Hainanese Coconut Chicken Soup

This Hainanese Coconut Chicken Soup 椰子雞湯 is the most refreshing soup for summer! This simple chicken soup is a popular dish in the tropical island of Southern China. Made by simmering chicken in coconut water, with fresh coconut meat added to the broth, it is light, naturally sweet, and so, so comforting. For the most refreshing addition to tonight’s dinner, you have to try this chicken coconut soup!

Refreshing and Hydrating Coconut Chicken Soup

For my grandma’s going away feast on her last day in Canada, I hosted a full Asian family dinner that includes this delicious chicken soup. This is a super common household dish from Hainan, an island in southern China which produces coconuts. Often enjoyed as a simple soup for a family-style dinner, or as a base for hotpot, it is an easy way for locals to replenish electrolytes and nutrients in Hainan’s tropical climates.

This household soup is made with coconut water as the base, so it has the gentlest tropical sweetness. It’s super super simple, made with only chicken, coconut, and a few simple aromatics like green onion, red dates, Sichuan peppercorn, and ginger. It is super hydrating, so it’s the best after an extra hot day out, or after an intense run.

Ingredients For Coconut Chicken Soup

• 6–8 chicken drumsticks, bone-in and skin-on
• 2 small fresh coconuts
• 4–5 slices ginger, divided
• 2 green onions
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, optional
• 4–6 dried jujubes / red dates
• Unsweetened bottled coconut water, if needed
• Salt, to taste

Cooking Soup with Chicken

Since we’re making soup, using bone-in, skin-on chicken will also give you the most flavor. The bones add collagen and savory depth, while the skin adds richness and helps balance the light, naturally sweet coconut water. You can use any cut of chicken, but I especially recommend drumsticks because they stay juicy while simmering. Another cut I’d suggest is chicken thigh or leg quarters.

Because this is such a clean and simple broth, the most important step is blanching the chicken. To do that, simmer the chicken with scallion, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorn, then drain and rinse well. Doing this first before making the soup gives it a cleaner, clearer broth.

Coconut Water

The most important ingredient for this recipe is coconut water, which adds a gentle, natural sweetness to the soup. Hainan is a tropical island that produces a ton of coconuts, so it is often used as an ingredient in their cooking. But, it’s not just a tasty addition. Coconut water naturally contains electrolytes like potassium and sodium, which help your body stay hydrated and support normal muscle and nerve function. The fresh coconut meat adds fiber and healthy fats, along with minerals like manganese, making the whole coconut a flavorful and nourishing addition to the soup.

Fresh coconut water gives the soup the best natural sweetness and aroma, but unsweetened bottled coconut water is totally fine for increasing the amount of liquid in your soup.

How To Make Coconut Chicken Soup

1. Blanch the chicken.
   Add the chicken to a pot along with the green onion, a few slices of ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns, if using. Cover everything with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer for 4 minutes.
2. Drain the chicken and rinse it well under cold water. This helps remove impurities and gives the finished soup a much cleaner, clearer flavor.
3. Prepare the coconuts.
   Open the fresh coconuts and pour all of the coconut water into a bowl. Using a spoon, scoop out the coconut flesh. Rinse the flesh, then slice it into thin strips.
4. Add the blanched chicken to a clean pot along with the remaining ginger, dried jujubes, coconut flesh, and fresh coconut water.
5. The chicken should be fully covered with coconut water. If your fresh coconuts don’t provide enough, add unsweetened bottled coconut water until the drumsticks are submerged. Make sure there is no added sugar.
6. Cover and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
7. Season with salt to taste and serve hot.

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