Chicken Udon Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

If you have never made udon soup, here is a fabulous recipe for chicken udon noodle soup with lemongrass that is ready in 30 minutes.

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. Another great recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine. 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????

Why this recipe is so awesome

I have made this recipe and variations of it so many times. It’s a family favorite. Filled with shiitake mushrooms, chicken, fresh herbs and oodles and oodles of yummy udon noodles. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

You can easily size it up or down, depending on how many people you are serving. I also like to adjust the toppings and offer my family a number of different veggies and herbs, so they can create their personalized udon bowl.

You can chop up the vegetables yourself, or buy them already chopped. I lvoe using precut broccoli slaw and use them in this soup. More veggie choices include bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, celery and bok choy.

If you want to keep it vegetarian, use vegetable broth and add tofu instead of chicken.

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 later into the soup. You can also use tofu, too.
• Shallots: You can substitute shallots with brown or red 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 use basil, cilantro and green onions
• Pantry staples: Chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

Step-by-step directions

1. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper and brown in a hot Dutch oven coated with olive oil. Flip and cook until the second side is browned and almost firm to the touch. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Once cooled, shred chicken with your fingers or fork.

2. Cut lemongrass stalks to fit the pot you are using then slice in half lengthwise. Using the side of your knife press down on lemon stalks to crush.

3. 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.

4. Add lemon grass, ginger and brown sugar to the shallots. Cook and stir until the ginger and lemongrass sizzle.

5. Pour in chicken broth. Deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then raise the heat to medium high. Bring the broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

6. 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.

7. Add shredded chicken and noodles to the broth. Cook until the noodles are completely tender and the chicken is cooked through.

8. Discard lemongrass, then stir in the serrano chile, basil, lime juice and soy sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste. Divide the noodles among 4 large, deep bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, and garnish with basil, green onions, carrot, cilantro and lime wedges.

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!

And if you like this soup, you’ll love my spicy pulled pork ramen!

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Yield: 4 Servings

Chicken Udon Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

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If you have never made udon soup, here is a fabulous recipe for chicken udon noodle soup with lemongrass that is ready in 30 minutes.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about ¾ lb
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 ½ TBS 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 TBS fresh minced ginger
• 2 tsp light brown sugar, packed
• 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 TBS soy sauce
• ¼ cup fresh basil, julienned
• 2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
• ½ cup fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. To cook faster, cut each breast horizontally almost all the way through, then open like a book. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 ½ TBS 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Add lemon grass, ginger and brown sugar to the shallots. Cook and stir until the ginger and lemongrass sizzle, about 1 minute.
6. Pour in chicken broth. Deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then raise the heat to medium high. Bring the broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
7. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
8. 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.
9. Use your fingers or a fork to shred the chicken.
10. Add shredded chicken and noodles to the broth. Cook until the noodles are completely tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes.
11. Discard the lemongrass, then stir in the serrano chile, basil, lime juice and soy sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
12. Divide the noodles among 4 large, deep bowls.
13. Ladle the soup over the noodles, and garnish with basil, green onions, carrot, cilantro and lime wedges.
14. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serving Suggestions: You could also garnish your soup with bean sprouts and shredded cabbage. To save time, you can buy prepackaged bags of shredded carrots and cabbage.

Cooking Tips: * This soup is also a great for shredded, leftover roast chicken in place of the chicken breast. Just add it to the soup along with the chiles, basil, lime juice, and soy sauce.
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, March 2010

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 442Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 2013mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 36g

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