Easy Chicken Udon Soup

Craving a bowl of steaming hot noodle soup? It’s so easy to whip up and you can make it your own by adding your favorite vegetables and protein. My version has a mix of Chinese and Japanese influences but you can certainly use fresh egg noodles, rice noodles or ramen if you choose to.

I’m inspired by noodle soups in Southeast Asia sold on the streets, in hawker centers or tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The dish may look simple but there’s an added oomph to their broth that comes from garlic oil, shallot oil or even deep fried pork skin oil. It adds complexity to the broth and makes it just that much tastier!

Chicken Udon Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 skinless chicken thigh fillet (you may substitute with chicken breast)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 packet individual serving fresh udon*, rinsed in cold water
• 1 bunch baby choy sum**, separated and cut into half
• White pepper
• Soy sauce or salt if needed

*Usually sold in packs of three in the refrigerated aisle with tofu and other fresh noodles.

**If you live outside of Asia, choy sum can be found in Asian grocery stores. If they are unavailable, you can substitute with bok choy.

Method:

In a small pot, start by heating up vegetable oil over medium high heat. Fry the garlic until golden brown. Remove the garlic oil and set aside.

Place the chicken thigh in the same pot and pour enough broth to cover it by an inch (you may need more broth or water). Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat and then simmer it for about 10 minutes. Skim off the white scummy foam that will appear while boiling. After 10 minutes, remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the udon and bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat. If you feel it is too dry, you may add more water or broth. After 1 minute, add the choy sum and let it boil for about another 2 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Ladle the noodles, vegetables and soup into a large bowl. If you are using bok choy instead, they do need a slightly longer time to cook. Remove the noodles after 3 minutes and continue to boil the soup with the bok choy until they are cooked.

Slice the chicken thigh fillet into bite sized pieces and place in the soup. Top it off with the garlic oil for added oomph and flavor.

Spice it up with a dash or more of Siracha or some freshly sliced Thai red chilies.