Because the weather has been cold-ish here, well it has been fluctuating, so I decided to just cook arroz caldo. This is a Filipino chicken porridge dish. I don’t remember my mom ever cooking this for me when I was young, but we had a neighbor who sold this in the neighborhood in the afternoons. This dish was definitely perfect for chilly weather, but I also love having this when I am feeling under the weather.

I make mine pretty simple. I used chicken thighs for the protein, but you can also add some hard-boiled eggs. Then, of course, the staples → onion, garlic, and ginger. I also used some roasted chicken base for added chicken flavor. I added some fish sauce to taste. And the star of the show – jasmine rice.

I sauteed the onions, garlic, and ginger first. Then I added the chicken thighs and let them brown for a little bit. After that, I added about maybe 6 to 7 cups of water. I waited for it to boil then I added about 7 teaspoons of the roasted chicken base. I also added the washed jasmine rice at this time too. Then it was just a waiting game at this point until the rice was cooked. I added some fish sauce of course to lift it up a little bit. And then it was done!

It was satisfying. It was definitely something that I needed at this time since I was not feeling my best as of late. Definitely comforting.