This simple, aromatic, light, bright soup is one of the best ways of stretching a chicken out to make another dish and it is easily adapted to take in whatever vegetables you have to hand broccoli instead of peas, a few shiitake mushrooms, shredded greens, etc.
Ingredients
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1 star anise
- 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
- 150 g dried udon noodles (or other kind if you prefer)
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- A handful of peas (fresh or frozen)
- 200 g cooked chicken, roughly shredded
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- Sea salt
To serve
- A little spicy Tom Yum (Thai shrimp paste) or chilli sauce
- A handful of coriander
- A squeeze of lime juice
How to Make It
- Pour the stock into a saucepan, add the star anise and lemongrass and slowly bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
- Fish out the star anise and lemongrass from the stock and discard, then add the carrot and peas. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a minute or so. Season with a good pinch of salt. Add the chicken and heat through for about 30 seconds.
- Drain the noodles, rinse well with cold water, drain and toss with the olive oil. Divide between warmed bowls and scatter over the garlic, ginger and spring onions, dividing them equally between the bowls.
- Taste the stock for seasoning and add a little more salt if required, then ladle the chicken and hot stock over the noodles and aromatics, making sure the chicken and vegetables are shared more or less evenly between the bowls.
- Dab a few blobs of Tom Yum or a few drops of chilli sauce on each serving, scatter over plenty of coriander and add a decent squeeze of lime juice. Serve at once.