Pamela Durkin
This “feel-good” soup is aromatic and chock full of protein and fragrant Asian flavours. It’s the perfect antidote for a miserable cold—or just miserably cold weather!
Tip
You can control the sodium content of your soups by using homemade chicken or vegetable stocks. In addition, when purchasing ready-made stocks, read labels carefully. One popular brand’s regular organic chicken stock contains 740 mg of sodium per cup versus 115 mg in its low-sodium variety!
Silk Road Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lb (225 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 4 cups (1 L) homemade or sodium-reduced chicken stock
- 2 lemongrass stalks, sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 in (5 cm) fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
- 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) low-sodium wheat-free soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) chili sauce
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) coconut nectar syrup or molasses
- 7 oz (200 g) brown rice vermicelli
- 2 cups (500 mL) bok choy, green part only, shredded
- Cilantro or parsley for garnish (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories363
- protein17g
- fat7g
- saturated fat1g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates59g
- sugars4g
- fibre2g
- sodium486mg
Directions
01
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken thighs and brown on one side for about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn thighs, add garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove garlic and chicken from pan and set aside on clean plate.
02
Add chicken stock, lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce, and syrup to pan, scraping pan bottom with fork as you do to release the u201cbrowningu201d into pan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, add chicken and garlic, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
03
Meanwhile, put noodles in large saucepan of boiling water, turn off heat, and leave to stand for about 4 to 5 minutes till tender, or according to package instructions. Drain well and divide among 4 deep soup bowls.
04
Strain soup through sieve to remove ginger chunks, lemongrass, garlic, and chicken. Remove chicken from sieve and flake into small bite-sized pieces. Return strained stock and chicken to pan. Add shredded bok choy and cook over medium heat till greens are tenderu2014about 3 minutes. Ladle soup immediately over noodles and garnish each bowl with cilantro or parsley (optional).
