Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken and Rice Soup) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between lugaw and arroz caldo? ›

Arroz caldo doesn't need toppings since the chicken pieces already make it quite hearty but it can be added, too. Lugaw on the other hand is more appetizing when it does have toppings since it is, in essence, softened rice in chicken stock. This is why lugaw has more in common with congee than with arroz caldo.

Arroz caldo is a lugaw (glutinous rice dish) made with chicken and rice. It's flavored with garlic, onions, ginger, fish sauce, and other seasonings. Though “arroz caldo” is a Spanish name, the dish's origins are Filipino — it is an adaptation of a congee that was created by Chinese-Filipino immigrants.

Whether you opt for chicken noodle soup (protein and iron from the chicken are immune system boosters), pastina (the steam from the broth can combat congestion), arroz caldo (the high ginger content can help soothe a sore throat), or something else, soup is a great way to nourish your body while fighting illness.

Congee or Rice Porridge

Here's how to make congee, the savory Chinese rice porridge, out of overcooked rice: Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in a sauce pan and start adding the mushy rice, a couple of spoonful's at a time. Break them up with a whisk, as you add them to the water.

Perk #1 Lugaw helps to keep the body moist.

Lugaw is easy to digest and inconspicuous due to its simple ingredients, but it works wonders from the inside out. First, the water supply is good because the water to water ratio is often 8/9 to achieve the required uniformity in restaurants.

One popular dish is called “lugaw” (rice porridge), usually served with either chicken or pork. Another great food is hot pandesal and coffee, partnering your coffee with hot and fresh bread. And finally, there's always the ever-popular “sinigang” (a sour soup made with various meats and vegetables).

When I began to learn more about the energetic properties of food, I realized how brilliant this dish is. Rice moistens Yin, clears heat. Chicken tonifies qi, nourishes blood. Ginger benefits the lungs and stomach, expels pathogens, settles the digestion by reducing nausea amd diarrhea.

One of our all time favorite chicken soup recipes is Chicken and Rice Soup. This brothy, nourishing soup features fresh vegetables, tender chicken, long grain white rice, and chicken stock—and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that my children lick their bowls clean of it.

When Chinese are sick, they are most likely to eat congee. Usually it will be a very simple plain rice porridge congee, with plenty of water and maybe a bit of salt. This is not 100% universal, and more common in the south, but it is still easily the most common go to food for people when they are sick.

Can you eat chicken and rice soup when you have diarrhea? ›

Easy to digest and rich in carbohydrates, rice has binding properties that help solidify loose stools. When you are suffering from diarrhoea, avoid pairing rice with dairy and fats as these foods are known triggers of diarrhoea symptoms. It's best to have your rice plain or cooked with chicken broth instead.

Although the Philippines has many popular soup dishes, sinigang is a Pinoy favorite, loved for its distinct sour taste. Sinigang can be made with pork, chicken, or shrimp and includes vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, green beans, and bok choy.

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

The easiest way to differentiate between rice soup and rice porridge is that rice soup is cooked rice in a flavoured broth. In rice soup, the rice and the soup are separate layers. You can have a spoonful of soup and then a spoonful of rice if you please or you can have both at once.

Lugaw is typically what Filipinos call every other savory rice porridge dish out there. In the simplest terms, lugaw is the base. It's made with rice or glutinous rice that's boiled and simmered in water for a long period of time to get that satisfying texture.

Lugaw, also spelled lugao, is a Filipino glutinous rice dish or porridge.

What is Lugaw? In the Philippines, lugaw is more of an umbrella term for a range of savory rice porridge dishes, each with its slight variations. Inspired by China's congee, lugaw maintains simplicity, omitting mix-ins and relying on toppings like toasted garlic and chicharron for its diverse flavors.