Light Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
07
If you spend a few minutes around these parts, it’s not difficult to figure out that I love soups and stews. In fact, I can say with a pretty high level of certainty that I could eat soup every day of the week, and never get sick of it.
This recipe instantly stood out to me (and not just because Shawnda takes exponentially better pictures of soup than I do, though she does). I loved that this soup was healthy and colorful, and I always enjoy Asian ingredients like these (except when I was pregnant. You know how they tell you ginger helps with nausea? Yeah, ginger was the only thing that made me nauseous). The other great part about this soup is that snow peas are added in at the last minute, and they provide a great crunch and freshness to the soup. Soup is often mushy by nature, and this way you can get some texture without the addition of crackers.
This soup is light and fresh, but also manages to be filling. I absolutely loved it, and I can’t wait to make it again soon.
Light Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
1 large red pepper, stemmed and seeded, and cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 oz. thin Asian noodles, like somen/lo mein/chow mein
6 oz. snow peas, halved
1/4 cup chopped green onions (dark green parts only)
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the oil.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then place in the hot oil. Sear about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and drain any excess fat from the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add the carrots, red pepper, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, broth, and water to the pot.
Cut the chicken into 1″ cubes, and then add them to the pot.
Simmer (don’t boil) the soup over medium or medium-low for 40 minutes.
Add the noodles to the pot and cook for 3-5 (check the package for how long they take).
Add the snow peas and green onions and cook 2-4 minutes, until the snow peas have turned bright green. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, via Confections of a Foodie Bride
Love this soup! My mom actually made it last month for Sunday lunch and it was incredibly tasty.
A warming bowl of chicken noodle soup that looks this good makes the day brighter.
Chicken thighs in soup… OH HEAVENS! It sounds so yummy, especially with the snow peas (love those too)! Bring on the soup!!
I’ve been a soup FIEND lately and also tagged this from Shawnda. Chicken soup itself doesn’t really appeal to me, but an Asian riff? Now that’s something to crave.
I love that you often post Asian-flair recipes. That’s a flavor my family tends to really enjoy. I could certainly use some lighter recipes – the scale was scary this morning after a weekend of cocktails, burgers, and Chocolate-Peanut Butter snack mix. . . . I also love that the crunch texture comes from peas instead of crackers. Great idea!
I love this soup Elly, what a great twist on chicken soup!
Yum, looks good! I could also eat soup all week… as long as it’s different kinds, of course! Hard to pick a favorite kind of soup, so I like trying all new stuff.