This is my version of a brothy, noodly soup with flavours similar to the ramen I have eaten before. You can use any noodles you like – ramen, udon, vermicelli, egg noodles . . . I have even made this without noodles. (I know, this may defeat the purpose of a “noodle” soup, but hey – beansprouts have a surprisingly similar texture when softened in hot soup!). Just cook your noodles according to the packet directions, probably in boiling water for a few minutes.
The toppings are also very customisable. In the recipe below, I’ve listed my favourites – but feel free to use any combination of vegetables, proteins, or other fun add-ins. You can swap out the chicken for tofu, for example – and you don’t have to go with soft-boiled egg (although this is, perhaps, my favourite part of the dish!).
Broth makes enough for 2 people
Preparation time: 20 minutes (depending on your toppings!)
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
– 1 large chicken breast, thinly sliced
– 1 teaspoon sesame oil
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 knob ginger, minced
– 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
– 1 teaspoon hot honey (or brown rice syrup), optional
– dash mirin
For the broth:
– 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 knob ginger, peeled and finely chopped
– 2 cups boiling water
– small handful dried mushrooms (shiitake or assorted varieties are good!)
– 1/2 sheet nori, finely shredded
– 1 cube chicken (or vegetable) stock
– 1 packet instant miso soup paste (can find in the international section of most supermarkets)
– 1 Tablespoon mirin
– 1-2 Tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
Toppings (choose any of):
– Noodles of choice (see above)
– Soft-boiled eggs
– shredded nori
– crispy fried shallots or garlic
– toasted panko breadcrumbs
– beansprouts, carrot, shredded spring onions, cabbage, etc.
– crispy chilli oil, sriracha, or fresh sliced chilli
– roasted peanuts, sesame seeds
Method:
1. Begin marinating your chicken by mixing together the chicken, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, and mirin. Cover and set aside.
2. Place a medium saucepan on the hob over medium heat. Warm the sesame oil before adding the garlic and ginger, frying until fragrant. Pour in the boiling water and add the dried mushrooms. Boil for 5-10 minutes before throwing in the nori and crumbling in the stock cube. Cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the miso soup paste, soy sauce and mirin to your broth. Stir well before tasting – if it needs more salt, add soy sauce; if you’d like it sweeter, add more mirin. Reduce the heat to very low (or remove the saucepan from the stove entirely).
5. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Coat the bottom with a little extra sesame oil (or neutral oil) before tipping in your marinated chicken. Fry until darkly browned, turning the chicken pieces as little as possible! Remove from the pan.
Now, assembly time! Cook your noodles of preference according to the packet instructions. On this note – I will admit, I sometimes take a shortcut here and add the noodles straight to my broth to cook! You shouldn’t really do this, especially if you use noodles that absorb a lot of liquid (like dried egg noodles). Layer your bowls by first adding noodles, then pouring over broth, and finally adding the chicken/other toppings of choice. Slurp up and enjoy! 🙂
