When the climate turns chilly, nothing beats a steaming bowl of noodle soup. My Chinese language spicy hen noodle soup is impressed by a basic Chinese language hen stew – 黄焖鸡饭, or hen braised in brown sauce over rice. The hen is often made right into a stew then served with rice. However right here I used the stew base as noodle broth and made the dish right into a noodle soup. The braising liquid is warming and savory. What makes it actually particular is the addition of doubanjiang, which infuses the broth with a deep umami richness and a satisfying kick of spice. It’s an ideal one-bowl meal to your weeknight dinner that’s balanced with texture and colour.
Key elements
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: A key ingredient within the dish, they add earthy umami to the broth.
- Hen legs: Bone-in skin-on items are used to create a richer broth. You should use 4 bone-in skin-on thighs as an alternative, should you favor.
- Doubanjiang: A key ingredient so as to add umami and spiciness to the dish.
- Aromatics & spice – ginger, scallion, star anise: They add perfume and a heat tone to the broth.
- Seasonings – soy sauce, Shaoxing wine: It provides an earthy umami to the broth.
Why Doubanjiang?
Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱), a key ingredient in Sichuan delicacies, is a fermented paste that’s spicy, salty, and earthy. A spoonful in your soup base goes a great distance so as to add warmth and savory umami. When you’ve ever loved Sichuan dishes like mapo tofu or twice-cooked pork, you’ve already tasted the magic of doubanjiang. On this noodle soup, it really works the identical method by remodeling a easy hen broth into one thing wealthy and restaurant-worthy.
Greens and alternate options
I used a mixture of carrot, daikon radish and child bok choy in my noodle soup for texture and colour. Each daikon and carrots flip very tender and barely candy after cooking, working superbly with the spicy broth. As an alternative of radish and carrot, you can even use potato as an alternative for a filling and hearty end result.
Child bok choy provides vibrant colours and a crispy texture. Different greens equivalent to gai lan, choy sum, and spinach work properly on this dish. If utilizing gai lan, enhance cooking time till the greens flip tender. If utilizing spinach, use much less cooking time to keep away from overcooking.
What noodles to make use of
I like to make use of wheat noodles which can be about 1/8” (3 mm) in diameter. The recent sort works the perfect, however for a fast weeknight meal, dried noodles work simply as properly.
You too can use different sorts should you favor. When you favor the noodles to take in numerous taste, use a skinny sort equivalent to somen noodles. For a chewier texture, thicker noodles equivalent to udon noodles or shaved noodles are nice.
Cooking course of
- Brown the hen till the pores and skin is golden. This is a crucial step to render fats from the hen pores and skin. The fats infuses into the broth, making it richer. As soon as braised, the pores and skin could have a a lot nicer texture with out tasting greasy. To correctly brown the hen, don’t transfer the hen when you add it to the recent pan. Let prepare dinner for a minimum of 4 minutes till the pores and skin turns crispy. Switch the hen to a plate.
- Your pot could have a superb quantity of scrumptious hen fats. Additional sear the aromatics and mushrooms so as to add extra taste to the oil, to proceed growing the scrumptious taste of the noodle broth.
- Toast the doubanjiang till the oil turns pink and you’ll scent a powerful perfume.
- Add the remainder of the braising elements, skim the froth, then simmer. Now you may boil the noodles in one other pot.
- When the hen and veggies have turned tender, add the child bok choy and prepare dinner till tender.
To assemble the noodle bowls, portion the noodles, hen broth, hen items and veggies into every bowl. In China, we often add the bone-in hen piece into every noodle bowl. Alternatively, you may take away the bone and slice the hen earlier than plating.
Serving ideas
If you wish to additional boost your bowl, add your favourite chili crisp or chili oil to your bowl. However, you should utilize a splash of toasted sesame oil to mellow out the spiciness.
To additional add quantity, you may add a poached egg as a topping by poaching eggs within the noodle boiling water. Runny eggs add a silky texture and likewise tone down the spiciness.
Why You’ll Love It
This spicy hen noodle soup has the consolation of home made hen noodle soup however with the daring, complicated flavors of Sichuan cooking. It’s fast sufficient for a weeknight dinner however spectacular sufficient to serve to associates. And should you’re a fan of spicy meals, this may change into one among your go-to soup recipes.
Often requested questions
How spicy is the soup, and might I regulate the warmth?
The soup will get its warmth from doubanjiang and it’s fairly spicy. You may regulate the spice by including much less doubanjiang – cut back from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon. If decreasing doubanjiang, I’d additionally add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce) to compensate, so the soup nonetheless tastes wealthy. If you wish to enhance the spicy stage, I’d use chili oil or chili crisp on the finish of the dish, you may regulate the seasoning with out making the soup too salty.
Do I would like doubanjiang, or can I substitute it?
Doubanjiang provides the broth its signature depth and fermented umami taste. When you can’t discover it, you may substitute it with guchujang, or miso plus chili oil, although the flavour gained’t be precisely the identical.
Can I exploit different hen cuts?
Bone-in skin-on hen thighs add richness to the broth, however you can even use boneless skinless thighs as an alternative. If utilizing boneless items, you can even enhance the quantity to six hen thighs to ensure the soup will nonetheless style wealthy. Cut back the cooking time from 20 minutes to fifteen minutes to maintain the hen tender and juicy.
Different weeknight noodle dishes
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This Chinese language spicy hen noodle soup options juicy braised hen, tender greens and chewy noodles in a spicy and savory broth. It has the consolation of home made hen noodle soup however with the daring, complicated flavors of Sichuan cooking.
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Add shiitake mushroom right into a medium-sized bowl and add heat water to cowl. Rehydrate till turning tender all through, 15 to twenty minutes. As soon as achieved, squeeze water out of the mushrooms, take away the powerful stems and discard them. Slice the mushroom caps into skinny items.
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Separate the hen legs on the joint, pat dry, and sprinkle evenly with salt.
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Warmth oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-high warmth till shimmering. Rigorously add the hen items with out overlapping, pores and skin aspect down. Cook dinner with out touching till the underside aspect is browned, 4 to five minutes. Flip to prepare dinner the opposite aspect for one more 2 minutes. Switch the hen to a plate.
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There ought to nonetheless be sufficient oil within the pot. If not, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Flip to medium-low warmth. Add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, ginger, scallion whites, and star anise. Cook dinner and stir for 1 to 2 minutes till the aromatics flip mild golden. Add the doubanjiang. Preserve stirring till the doubanjiang evenly coats the aromatics.
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Pour within the hen broth to deglaze the pan. Add the cooked hen, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook dinner over medium-high warmth till dropped at a boil. Add the carrots and daikon. Skim the froth from the highest of the broth. Simmer, lined, for 20 minutes, till the hen has turned tender.
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Whereas cooking the hen, boil the noodles in one other giant pot in accordance with the bundle directions. Drain noodles totally and put aside.
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When the hen is completed cooking, add the child bok choy and canopy once more. Let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, till the bok choy has turned tender. Flip off the warmth.
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To assemble the noodles, divide hen braising liquid among the many particular person bowls. Portion the noodles into every bowl, prime with hen and child bok choy. Garnish with scallion greens and serve instantly.
Ingredient Substitution Information
- Maintain your knife at a couple of 45 diploma angle relative to the carrot. Reduce 1” from the top. Roll the carrot in direction of you till the reduce aspect is dealing with up then reduce once more 1” from the top on the similar angle. Repeat the rolling and chopping. All of the carrot items needs to be roughly triangular in form. This can be a widespread knife approach in Chinese language cooking, to create extra edges on more durable greens in order that they take in taste whereas braising.
- I like to make use of wheat noodles which can be about 1/8” (3 mm) in diameter. You too can use different sorts should you favor. When you favor the noodles to take in numerous taste, use a skinny sort equivalent to somen noodles. For a chewier texture, thicker noodles equivalent to udon noodles or shaved noodles are nice.
- Different greens equivalent to gai lan, choy sum, and spinach work properly on this dish. If utilizing gai lan, enhance cooking time till the greens flip tender. If utilizing spinach, use much less cooking time to keep away from overcooking.
Serving: 1serving, Energy: 513kcal, Carbohydrates: 74.9g, Protein: 31.4g, Fats: 10.4g, Saturated Fats: 2.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 1503mg, Potassium: 462mg, Fiber: 3.8g, Sugar: 7.3g, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg
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