When it comes to soup, you really have to deliver a wow to win me over, and Smitten Kitchen’s Garlic Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup exceeded my expectations.
Upon reading the recipe, it seemed…basic. So fast. So uninvolved. How could it possibly taste as good as the photo makes it look? I cannot explain the how, but trust me. This is the chicken noodle soup of my dreams.
Ginger, garlic, green onions, salt, and chicken thighs boil together for 15 minutes, creating a super-flavorful broth and simultaneously cooking the chicken. Then, you shred the chicken, add carrots, ramen, and the now-shredded chicken back to the pot, and voila! Dinner is ready.
When it’s time to serve, you spoon a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili flakes on top of each bowl for a finishing touch.
My family enjoyed the soup immensely, and I was pleased with how quickly this dish came together. It is warming, filling, satisfying, and requires both a fork and a spoon for best results. I was worried a bowl of broth-based soup wouldn’t be “enough,” for a full meal, but my son and my husband both gave this the full-belly seal of approval. No side dish required.
For what it’s worth, I had trouble finding a few ingredients, and I want you to know my substitution choices. None of these seemed to have an adverse effect on the finished soup.
I could not find black rice vinegar (I used standard seasoned rice vinegar), an 8-ounce brick of ramen noodles (I used 4 2-ounce packages and tossed the seasoning packets that came with them), or crispy chili paste (I used about a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes). I feel confident suggesting my chosen substitutions.
Week One was a success! I will be adding this to my collection of keeper recipes, and plan to make this regularly. If you have made the soup, I would love to hear what you thought!
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