Need a cozy dinner in a hurry? This lemongrass chicken udon noodle soup is ready in 30 minutes and packed with feel-good flavor the whole family will love.
Continuing with my quest to try new things and branching out of my comfort zone in the kitchen, I present to you my first udon noodle soup. I found these delicious (and stick-to-my-teeth-noodles, as described by my 7-year old) noodles during my adventures at my local Vietnamese market.
This was a very quick and easy soup to make and it was my first time using lemongrass – yeah, another first! Why was I intimidated by lemongrass????
Jump to:
Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- Noodles: Udon noodles are thick, chewy, and always a hit with the whole family. Who can resist a steamy bowl of slurpable noodles?
- Broth: Made with shallots, ginger, and lemongrass, this fragrant broth comes together in under 30 minutes — light, flavorful, and perfect for weeknights.
- Customize It: Scale it up or down depending on your crowd, and mix and match toppings! I like setting out a variety of veggies and herbs so everyone can build their own perfect udon bowl.
- Vegetarian-Friendly: With just a couple of simple swaps, you can turn this into a cozy vegan udon noodle soup everyone will love.
Ingredients you need
- Chicken breast: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can also use chicken thighs. You can either brown them as the recipe explains, or use already cooked chicken, shred it and add it later to the soup. You can also use tofu, too.
- Shallots: You can substitute shallots with white or yellow onions.
- Lemon grass: If you have never used this before, boy are you in for a treat. You can find stalks in regular grocery stores, as well as Asian markets.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger gives way more flavor than powdered.
- Shitake mushrooms: You can use any variety of mushrooms you like.
- Udon noodles: Many times you can find fresh udon noodles in the refrigerated section with the tofu. It is fatter and thicker than ramen noodles.
- Serrano chile: You can omit if you do not like spicy food or use jalapeños instead.
- Lime juice: You can substitute with lemon juice, if you prefer.
- Carrots: The carrots are cut into matchsticks as they will soften quickly in the hot broth once added. You can buy this already cut or cut them yourself.
- Fresh herbs: In this soup, fresh herbs are a must and preferred over dried herbs. I used fresh basil, cilantro and green onions.
- Chicken broth: You can easily make this vegan friendly and use vegetable broth instead.
- Soy sauce: You can also use tamari instead.
- Brown sugar: The original recipe adds brown sugar. Over the years, I have omitted this altogether. It is optional.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I sauté the chicken and vegetables in olive oil. You can use any vegetable oil. For a little extra flavor, add a dash of sesame oil to your oil.
- Salt and pepper
Step-by-step directions
- Cook the chicken breast. You can skip this step if you have leftover cooked chicken. Shred chicken and reserve.
- Sauté the shallots. Sauté the shallots in hot oil until softened. Cut lemongrass stalks to fit your pot, then add them, ginger and brown sugar to the shallots.
- Add chicken broth. Deglaze the pan with broth. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add mushrooms and cook until tender.
- Finish broth. Discard lemongrass, then stir in the serrano chile, basil, lime juice and soy sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Cook noodles. Add udon noodles to hot boiling water and cook until done.
- Serve. Add noodles and chicken into a bowl then add soup. Garnish with basil, green onions, carrot, cilantro and lime wedges.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Recipe tips and FAQs
This is such a great recipe to serve during the week. If you already have cooked chicken on hand, you can whip up the soup in 20 minutes. Even if you are browning your chicken breasts, you can get the meal on the table in about 30 minutes.
Buying precut vegetables also helps speed up the prep process. And remember, you can add a whole variety of fresh herbs and vegetables to your udon noodle soup, so have fun with it!
My family customizes their bowls with their favorite vegetables like bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, celery and bok choy, corn and peas.
And if you like this soup, you’ll love my spicy pulled pork ramen!
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Store the broth and noodles separately if possible, to avoid soggy noodles.
TO FREEZE: You can freeze the broth and cooked chicken, but it’s best to leave out the noodles and fresh veggies until you’re ready to eat. Add them fresh after thawing and reheating. Transfer soup to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Udon noodles are much thicker than ramen noodles and have a chewier quality. They are also made of different ingredients. Both are Japanese noodle dishes.
Yes! Fresh udon noodles are ideal for their chewy texture, but frozen or dried noodles work too. Just cook them according to package instructions before adding them to the soup.
You can use shredded rotisserie chicken, cooked chicken breast, or even leftover grilled chicken. This recipe is a great way to repurpose leftovers! You can also use tofu, leftover steak or any other protein you have available.
If you are enjoying my recipes, please sign up for my newsletter and get my free 28-day meal plan! You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
Chicken Udon Noodle Soup with Lemongrass
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about ¾ lb
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3 medium shallots thinly sliced into rings
- 2 stalks of lemon grass trimmed, outer layers discarded, halved lengthwise, and smashed with the side of a chef’s knife
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 2 teaspoon light brown sugar packed (optional)
- 5 ½ cup chicken broth
- 3 ½ oz shitake mushrooms stemmed and quartered (1-½ cups)
- 9 oz fresh udon noodles
- 1 serrano chile sliced into thin rings
- 8 leaves of fresh basil torn
- 2 medium lime juice only
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup fresh basil julienned
- 2 medium green onions thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil is hot add chicken and cook without disturbing until it’s browned, about 2 minutes.
- Flip and cook until the second side is browned and almost firm to the touch (just short of cooked through), 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool.
- Add remaining oil to the hot Dutch oven, along with shallots and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the shallots start soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add lemon grass, ginger and brown sugar to the shallots. Cook and stir for about 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium high and bring the broth to a boil.
- Discard the lemongrass, then stir in the serrano chile, basil, lime juice and soy sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil and add udon noodles. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and run under cold water to cool slightly.
- Use your fingers or a fork to shred the chicken. Add shredded chicken and noodles to the broth. Cook until the noodles are completely tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Divide soup, noodles and chicken among 4 large bowls. Garnish with basil, green onions, carrot, cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!
Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
A delicious soup! And I'll try this recipe, especially in Romania is such a cold and hot soup would be very useful.
Such delicious soup, love the flavors here with the addition of lemongrass!
Lovely noodle dish.m