Chicken noodle soup is the traditional home remedy for colds as well as for warming up on cold days, across many different cultures. I’ve grown to love the American style of this soup after moving to the US from China five years ago. But today I want to introduce you to the Chinese chicken noodle soup. Back in China, my mom would always make the chicken broth from a whole chicken to guarantee the best flavor. In such cases, very little seasoning would be needed in the soup. However, now that I’m living in the US at a much faster pace, I do not have time to make chicken broth from scratch every time I crave a bowl of hearty chicken noodle soup. That’s why I decided to develop a recipe that uses packaged broth, using aromatics to make the soup base very flavorful and hearty, yet also keeping the cooking simple. The flavor comes from the aromatics and spices like ginger, cumin, and Sichuan peppercorns, which add a wonderful taste to the soup.
Ingredients
For even greater flavor, I highly recommend using bone-in chicken thighs. Brown them first and then simmer them. The bones and skin add a richness to the broth that is deeply satisfying.
What type of noodles to use
Almost any type of wheat noodles will work well in this recipe, but I personally prefer the thin type in a light broth like this one. You can use Japanese somen noodles or Chinese thin noodles (Gua Mian, 挂面). You can use thicker noodles as well, if you prefer a chewier texture.
Cooking process
There’s very little fuss to making Chinese chicken soup in your own kitchen. You’ll go from prep to fully cooked in just 25 minutes, so you can make it anytime you need it. You can even make a big batch of soup base and freeze it in advance, and heat it up with freshly boiled noodles whenever you want it. This recipe is quite simple and straightforward. However, if you want to save time or make things even easier, you can skip the chicken thigh step and use leftover rotisserie chicken to top it off. If you can get your hands on fresh noodles, you can boil the noodles in the broth to make the cooking even faster. But if you use dried noodles, it’s best to cook them separately, otherwise you will end up with very little soup, as the noodles will absorb much of the broth. I used carrots and baby bok choy because they are two of my favorite ingredients in Chinese chicken noodle soup. However, feel free to replace them with whatever vegetables you prefer. Kale, spinach, chard, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms will work very well in this recipe. Whichever way you go, you’re going to find yourself with soup so satisfying and delightful, you’ll want this Chinese chicken noodle soup all the time! Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
