Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
This Asian Chicken Noodle Soup is healthy and gluten free! It's made with garlic, ginger, vegetables, and rice noodles in a flavorful broth.
Servings: 6
Calories: 572kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 inch portion ginger root peeled and grated
- 1-2 Thai chili peppers or chili peppers of choice (seeds and membranes removed for less heat)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 - 2 ½ lbs. split chicken breasts also known as bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
- 4 - 5 large carrots equals 4 heaping cups chopped carrots
- 2 packed cups spinach or hearty greens of choice, chopped
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1-2 gluten free chicken bouillon cubes or regular chicken bouillon cubes if not gluten free
- 1 tsp. kosher salt split
- ½ tsp. pepper split
- 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 package rice noodles
- toppings such as green onions, fresh herbs, Sriracha, or chili crunch optional
Instructions
For The Soup:
- Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion.
- Mince 1-2 Thai chili peppers (or chili peppers of choice, such as Serrano, Fresno, or jalapeno). Remove the seeds and membranes for less heat.Alternately, you can leave the chili peppers out altogether if you prefer.
- Peel a 1-inch section of ginger with a spoon and grate it with a Microplane zester or any small grater.
- Peel and chop 4-5 large carrots, making sure that that they are all relatively the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Roughly chop 2 packed cups of spinach (or hearty greens of choice, such as kale, Swiss chard, arugula, or mustard greens).
- Remove and discard the skin and any excess fat from 2 - 2 ½ lbs. of split chicken breasts.Sprinkle ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper onto each side of the chicken breasts.
- Place a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot onto the stove top and heat to medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pot.
- Once heated (the chicken should sizzle as it hits the surface), place the chicken breasts (flesh side down) into the Dutch oven and sauté for 5 minutes on the first side.
- Flip the chicken breasts over and sauté for another 5 minutes on the second side.Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set aside (leaving any brown bits on the bottom of the pot).
- Add the minced onions to the Dutch oven and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often (feel free to add a bit more olive oil if needed).Add the minced garlic and chili peppers along with the grated ginger and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the chopped carrots along with ½ tsp. of kosher salt and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour 5 cups of low sodium chicken broth into the Dutch oven and return the seared chicken breasts to the pot along with 1-2 gluten free chicken bouillon cubes (or regular chicken bouillon cubes if not gluten free).
- Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil, cover, and cook for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes or so, remove the chicken breasts from the soup and allow to sit for a few minutes (feel free to reduce the heat to low at this point).
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with two forks. The chicken may remain shredded or cut into chunks. Remove and discard the bones.Return the cooked, shredded chicken to the soup and stir until combined.
- After the shredded chicken is added back to the soup, add the chopped spinach along with 2 tsp. of rice wine vinegar.Stir until combined and continue to cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the carrots are tender, but not mushy, the chicken is fully cooked, and the soup is seasoned to your tastes.
For The Noodles:
- To make the rice noodles, simply prepare according to the package instructions.
- Drain the cooked rice noodles and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- To Serve: Place desired amount of rice noodles in a bowl. Add a generous amount of the chicken soup over the top of the noodles. Garnish with green onions (also known as scallions), fresh herbs, and any sauces you like (optional).
Notes
Make sure that the brand of rice vinegar and rice noodles are gluten free if gluten is an issue for you.
The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit and can be checked using a food thermometer if you have any concerns.
Adding the Thai chili peppers (or any chili peppers) is an optional step and can be omitted if you prefer.
Nutrition
Serving: 4cups | Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 802mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 8216IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg