My Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup (鸡汤面). I haven’t been feeling one hundred per cent recently so I made myself ( and the family ) a delicious, nutritious bowl of Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup. After all, it’s a commonly held belief that Chicken Soup is the perfect cold cure. What I know is that when your appetite is low a tasty umami-laden bowl of aromatic broth, chicken, noodles and vegetables is a great way to tickle the taste buds.
We cook a roast chicken most weeks and use the remaining meat in pies and curries, and to feed our very pampered cat! The bones go straight into a large pan for stock. I add celery, onion and a couple of carrots which I always have in the fridge. I also like to pop in a couple of cloves of garlic, a large bay leaf and some fresh or dried thyme. This is simmered down for a good couple of hours before straining and cooling quickly. This stock is the base for any number of tasty soups.
The Health Benefits of Eating Chicken Soup
Using a good homemade stock means the available nutrients from the chicken and vegetables are easily absorbed by the body. When the chicken bones and tissues break down during cooking gelatine and glucosamine are formed. These can be used to repair and rebuild our bodies after absorption in the gut. There is some evidence that other key ingredients such as garlic and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties and help boost the immune system. Finally, there is the simple effect of something warm and comforting which helps you start to feel better.
My Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup (鸡汤面)
The first stage of making my soup is the nutritious stock packed with flavour. The other principal ingredients are plain wheat noodles, chicken, vegetables, and a few store cupboard staples. I like to use chicken thighs as they are more flavourful than breast meat and I precook them by roasting. I love the umani taste of mushrooms, so I like to use them and Pak choi as my vegetables. You can add bean sprouts, daikon radish, thinly sliced carrots and any leafy greens. Finally, I like quite a lot of seasoning. So I add quite a generous amount of soy sauce and pepper. You can reduce both if you wish.
For more of my delicious Chinese recipes follow the link to my page celebrating the Chinese Lunar Year 2025. Dishes such as homemade Spring Rolls, Salt and Pepper Pork Chops, Slow-braised Lamb with Ginger and Spring Onions and Beef in Black Bean Sauce.
My Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup (鸡汤面)
Ingredients
- 1 litre Chicken Stock
- 4 small cooked Chicken Thighs
- 100 gr dried Wheat Noodles
- 2 heads Pak Choi
- 4 large Shiitake or similar mushrooms cleaned and trimmed
- 100 ml Soy Sauce
- 25 ml Sesame Oil
- 3 cm piece Ginger peeled and cut into very fine strips
- 2 large cloves Garlic sliced as thin as possible
- 2 Star Anise
- ¼ teaspoon White Pepper
To Garnish
- 2 Spring Onions cleaned and very finely sliced
- Chilli Oil optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken stock into a large pan with the mushrooms, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, pepper, and star anise. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for twenty minutes.
- Slice the chicken thigh meat and trim the Pak choi. Add the chicken, Pak choi and noodles to the stock, bring back to a simmer and cook the noodles for two to three minutes until soft.
- Remove from the heat and using a slotted spoon carefully divide the ingredients between four bowls and top up with the hot broth. Garnish and serve.
Notes
