Authentic Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs — cut into bite-sized strips; thighs stay tender when cooked quickly.
• 400 g fresh Chinese noodles (or 250 g dry noodles) — examples: yang chun mien, egg noodles, wheat noodles, vermicelli or glass noodles. Hokkien noodles are better for stir-fries than soup.
• 1 bunch bok choy — stems separated and core halved lengthways. Substitutes: choy sum, gai lan, Swiss chard or cabbage.
• 1½ litres chicken stock — preferably Chinese-style stock powder reconstituted, or a prepared Chinese chicken broth for best flavour.
• 4 dehydrated shiitake mushrooms — they add a deep umami aroma. Replace with fresh shiitake if needed.
• 2 tomatoes — large, cut into wedges.
• 1 carrot — thinly sliced on the diagonal.
• 5 thin slices fresh ginger.
• 2 spring onions (scallions) — cut into 5 cm / 2 inch pieces, plus extra finely sliced for garnish.
• ½ tbsp soy sauce and ½ tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional) for seasoning.
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or a neutral oil) plus a little sesame oil to finish.
• Salt to taste.

Cooking instructions

This recipe is designed to be ready in 30 minutes. There are two main parts: make the chicken and vegetable soup, then cook the noodles and assemble.

Make a quick Chinese chicken and vegetable soup

Prepare the vegetables: thinly slice the ginger, cut spring onions into 5 cm pieces, slice the carrot diagonally, quarter the tomatoes, and halve the bok choy core lengthways if needed. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized strips and season with a little oil and salt in a bowl.

In a large pot, combine the chicken stock, dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, ginger slices, carrot and tomato wedges. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle boil and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.

After 10 minutes, uncover, raise the heat to high and add the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and a splash of oil. Add the seasoned chicken strips, bring the soup to a rolling boil, and cook for 3 minutes — the thin chicken strips will cook quickly.

Finally, add the bok choy, pushing it into the hot soup so it submerges. Boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat — the residual heat will finish cooking the greens. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Cook noodles and serve

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Fresh Chinese noodles usually take 3–4 minutes; dry noodles will take longer. Drain and divide the noodles among four large bowls.

Ladle the hot soup, chicken and vegetables over the noodles. Finish each bowl with a few drops of sesame oil and a sprinkling of finely sliced spring onion if you like. Serve immediately.

Useful tips and tricks

• Make ahead: Prepare the chicken and vegetable soup up to three days in advance but do not cook the noodles until ready to serve. Cooked noodles lose texture and can stick together.
• Thinly slice carrots: Thin diagonal slices soften quickly and match the texture of the rest of the ingredients.
• Discard shiitake stems: If using dehydrated shiitake, break off and add the stems to the pot for flavour, but remove and discard them before serving because they are tough.
• Mix mushrooms: Try enoki, oyster, shimeji or brown mushrooms for extra texture and umami.
• Vegetarian option: Omit chicken and use a vegetable or mushroom broth, then add the noodles and greens for a quick vegetarian noodle soup.

FAQs

Leftovers and storage

Store the soup and noodles separately in airtight containers for up to four days in the fridge. Reheat the soup on the stovetop and briefly rewarm the noodles in boiling water just before serving.

Recipe