Chicken Noodle Soup with Fresh Ginger and Spring Onion
By Joe
Source: America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
This version follows the classic chicken noodle soup method, but simmers sliced fresh ginger and garlic in the broth instead of thyme and finishes with spring onion, coriander and lime instead of parsley and lemon. The result is gently warming, fragrant and fresh.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Brown the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season it with a pinch of the salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat and brown the chicken for 3 minutes per side until golden. A dry surface and hot pan create a flavourful crust and browned bits that enrich the broth.
- 2
Infuse with ginger. Add the broth, water, onion, carrot, celery, ginger, garlic, bay leaf and remaining salt. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the chicken reads 74°C in the thickest part. As it simmers, the ginger and garlic release their aromatic oils, giving the broth a gentle, warming heat.
- 3
Shred the chicken. Using the tongs, lift the chicken onto a board and leave until cool enough to handle, then shred it into bite-sized pieces with 2 forks. Shredding rather than chopping gives rough edges that hold on to the fragrant broth.
- 4
Cook the noodles. Return the broth to the boil, add the noodles and cook according to the packet time, usually 6-8 minutes, until tender. Put the chicken back in and simmer for 2 minutes until everything is boiling hot (74°C). Remove the bay leaf and, if you like, the ginger slices with the slotted spoon, as they have given up their flavour and are chewy to eat.
- 5
Finish with lime. Stir in the spring onions, coriander and lime juice, taste and adjust the pepper, then ladle into bowls. Adding these fresh flavours at the very end keeps them vibrant and zesty.
Storage
Cool, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3 days; the noodles soften on standing. Reheat until boiling hot (74°C).
Why this label?
37.2 g protein for 416 kcal = 8.9 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 36% of the energy. High protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low saturated fat: 0.6 g saturated fat per 100 ml, 5.2% of energy (limits ≤ 0.75 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low sugars: 1.6 g sugars per 100 ml (limit ≤ 2.5 g)
Per 100 ml of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 392 ml a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0.1 g per serving
0.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large heavy-based pot with a lid (at least 4 litres)
- tongs
- 2 forks
- instant-read thermometer
- chopping board and knife
- ladle
- slotted spoon
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 416 kcal |
| Protein | 37.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 39.6 g |
| of which sugars | 6.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 11.8 g |
| of which saturates | 2.4 g |
| Fibre | 4.3 g |
| Salt | 2.08 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
8.9 g meets High protein (≥ 5 g per 100 kcal = 20% of energy, and ≥ 10 g per serving)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
