Chinese Noodle Soup – my all-time favorite comfort food

May 8, 2009 by Faith

Chicken pot pie is my American comfort food, but Chinese noodle soup is my “real” comfort food. The kind my mom makes is amazing, with a salty, savory broth, as well as carrots, poached eggs, and chicken. It’s too bad she doesn’t visit us more often! Here’s how I make it, based on watching my mom do it:

Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe type: Chinese Entree

Author: Faith

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 5

Ingredients

1 – 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal and then cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled
About 1/2 cup of white wine or sherry
5 – 6 cups chicken broth
1 – 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
5 eggs
Salt & pepper
2 – 3 cups sliced cabbage or fresh spinach, or 3 – 4 cubes of frozen spinach (optional)
About 6 oz. of linguine, Chinese noodles, tallarines, or other thin, flat, and long noodle

Instructions

You will need two pots/ pans – the first one in which to boil the noodles, and the second one in which to make the soup. In your first pot, boil water and cook noodles until slightly softer than al dente. Drain and toss with a little oil, and set aside until the soup is done.
While the water boils and the noodles cook in the other pot, make the soup: Heat oil in stock pot or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté carrots, garlic, and ginger until fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic).
Add the white wine/sherry and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken slices and cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to a rolling simmer.
Crack open each egg and drop the egg into the pot. DO NOT STIR. Let boil for a couple of minutes so the egg whites set, then reduce heat to simmer. You should have 5 separate poached eggs floating around – they will still need a few more minutes before their yolks are set, but at this point you can stir the soup gently if you’re a compulsive stirrer like I am.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cabbage if using.
Test a piece of chicken to see if it’s cooked through. If not, simmer the soup a bit longer. If you’re using spinach, add it to the soup five minutes before serving and cook until wilted. To serve, place a serving of noodles in a bowl. Ladle soup over noodles, making sure everyone gets an egg. And then relax and enjoy life!

Please forgive all of the crumbs and dirt on the table. I just don’t notice these things until I see them in pictures!