Chicken Udon Noodle Soup with Lemongrass
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.
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 442kcal
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
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
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 2013mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g
