Cold winter weekends has its own perks. A day spent in the slopes for one , is good for the body and a the soul. We head to mountains often these times , and after a full day of excitement, we are ready for some hot fiery food. It is in one of these trips that we discovered Thai Spoon. Delicious authentic Thai food that is fresh, fragrant, spicy and heartwarming. This Thai Chicken Soup is inspired by their version – spicy, fragrant and light.
Chicken soup is the go to meal whenever any one in the family even remotely feels under the weather – in other words we are not above making excuses to have chicken soup. No wonder we do have a few different versions. This Thai inspired version is a hot favorite during winter months.
The chicken broth is flavored with lemongrass, cilantro, chilies, garlic, lemon and a dash of fish sauce. White meat chicken is cooked in the flavored broth. Cooked noodles and vegetables are added at the very last minute.
This Chicken Noddle soup is quick and easy to make. Not much prep work and in under 30 minutes, a hot bowl of soup is ready. Easy even on a day when you don’t feel like cooking. I like to keep this soup light and white 🙂 , so the only vegetables I add are white mushrooms and beansprouts. But you can load up on vegetables like carrots, baby corn, and spinach ..
Did I mention that this is a simple recipe? Don’t be fooled by the simplicity though, it is incredibly fragrant. I have used just a few Thai style flavorings that pack a punch. There is lemongrass, cilantro and fish sauce adding fresh flavors and and the mysterious umami. If you like stronger flavors add Kaffir lime leaves and galangal. I find the mild flavors and tiny bit of kick from the jalapenos to be just enough.
In a stockpot heat 1 tsp of oil . Add green chilies , garlic and lemongrass and saute for a minute. Do not brown. Here I have added about 1/2 jalapeno pepper sliced. This itself is more than enough to make the soup fiery. If using Thai chilies leave them whole. Add the chicken stock and fish sauce . cover and bring it to boil over medium heat.
Add the chicken breast and let it cook in the hot broth. This is the part that takes most time about 15 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, boil water in another pan and cook the noodles according to the package directions. The chicken breast gets cooked in 10 to 15 minutes. Take it off the broth and place on a cutting board. Cool for a couple minutes and shred into pieces using two forks. Return the chicken pieces to the broth .
Cook for 5 minutes , check and adjust salt. Sprinkle the sliced mushrooms, cilantro and scallions on top.
Just before serving add the cooked and drained noodles to the soup. Portion some bean sprouts into the serving bowls. Add the hot soup on top of the sprouts. Serve hot with a wedge of lime and sliced chilies.
Thai Style Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Pkg Chicken Stock (2lt)
- 1 Chicken Breast (1/2 to 3/4 lb)
- 1 Stalk Lemon Grass
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 - 2 Jalapeno / Thai Chilies to taste
- 4 - 5 Sprigs Cilantro
- 1 Tsp Fish Sauce
- 8 oz Flat Rice Noodles (250 g)
- 5 - 10 Mushrooms , Sliced
- 1 Tsp Oil - 1 tsp
To Serve
- Bean Sprouts
- Lemon
Instructions
- Slice the garlic into thin pieces. Take only the white portion of the lemongrass and thinly slice it. If using chilies slice a few pieces or leave them whole , depending on your preference for heat.
- Heat oil in a large stockpot and add the sliced garlic, chilies, and lemon grass. Saute for 1 minute and add add the chicken stalk to the pot. Cover and and bring it to boil.Add the fish sauce and place the chicken breast in the hot stock. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Heat water in another stockpot and cook the rice noodles according to package directions.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, let cool for a few minutes and shred into pieces using 2 forks. Return the shredded chicken to the simmering stock.
- Taste and adjust salt to taste. Slice the mushrooms and add to the soup along with a few sprigs of cilantro.
- Transfer the cooked noodles to the soup mix cook for a minute and turn off the heat.
- Place bean sprouts in the serving bowls. Add the hot soup on top. Serve with a side of lemon wedges and sliced chilies.
Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.
