I think everyone needs a solid, simple chicken noodle soup recipe in their back pockets. This one, this Easy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup with Shrimp, is mine. I love how with just the additions of sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce, you can develop a much more interesting, layered flavor to your broth that, I think, makes for a better bowl of chicken noodle soup.
I love adding shrimp to my Asian noodle soups as well, as they cook so quickly and add an element of “special” to every bowl. But if shrimp isn’t your jam, feel free to leave them out.
How to Make a Perfect Bowl of Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
This recipe is so fast and easy – it’s a 30-minute, one-pot situation – so, it’s a perfect addition to ANY Kitchen Little, not just mine. Here’s how we do it:
- Cut that chicken THIN. All it takes to make this soup is one large chicken breast. We’ll just slice it crossways as thin as we can and, once the broth is bubbling away, we’ll nestle these slices down into the pot and let them poach until done. It’s pretty tough to mess it up, honestly.
- Play with the seasonings. I call for sesame oil, rice vinegar, scallions (green onions), garlic, and ginger in this recipe. These are the baseline ingredients, each of which plays an important role in the flavor building process. That said, if you want to go rogue a little and riff on these, do it! Hot chiles, a pinch of sugar, hoisin sauce, etc. Soups are absolutely the perfect canvas for playing and creativity, I think. Soups and pastas. And this soup is sort of both, you know?
- Serve the soup right after the shrimp is done. Shrimp and tiny sliced chicken can get a little tough, if over-cooked, so this soup really is best when eaten right away. It will keep for you just fine, for up to three days in the fridge. But for optimal eating – for the very best bowls – you’ll want to dig in right away.
How to Prepare this Asian Chicken Noodle Soup in Advance
Ah yes. Any tip I can get that helps me get ahead in life – save time or feel extra productive – is a tip that I will take. Now, I just explained that this soup needs to be eaten right away to avoid compromising the textures of the thinly sliced chicken and the delicate shrimp. This is true. However, you can prepare this soup up to the point of adding the noodles and the proteins, cool it all the way down and store it in the fridge for up to three days before re-heating and adding your proteins.
To be honest, preparing the veggie-filled broth in advance gives it a chance to really develop flavor, so this is a great idea, if you’ve got the time. Then, you just pull it out of the fridge, bring it up to a simmer, and cook your noodles, chicken and shrimp until just done.
NOTE: As with any brothy noodle soup, the longer you allow the noodles to sit in the liquid, the more of it they will soak up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but just something worth noting. I made a vegetarian Asian noodle soup once and walked away from the pot for like, an hour, and when I returned, the noodles had soaked up about half of the liquid. It was impressive. And not really what I was going for.
So! The moral of the story is simply to enjoy the soup promptly – right after you’ve cooked the noodles and proteins all the way through. That’s when she’s at her best, this soup, and that’s when you’ll enjoy the best bowl possible.
If you like the sounds of this recipe, you might also want to check out:
Roasted Garlic Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
PrintEasy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup with Shrimp
Simple, straightforward ingredients come together with maximum flavor in this easy Asian-inspired chicken noodle soup. I love the extra boost that the addition of some juicy shrimp adds to the mix, but that ingredient is certainly optional. I also want to encourage you to go ahead and top this soup with whatever fresh and crunchy veggies you’ve got on hand. I like to sprinkle mine with sesame seeds, water chestnuts, basil if it’s in season, extra scallions, and spicy peppers. That’s up to you, though!
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP + 2 tsp sesame oil, divided
- 1 TBSP coconut or olive oilÂ
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 TBSP minced ginger
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (or any mushroom you like)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 TBSP soy sauce
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 chicken breast, sliced very thin, crosswise
- 4 oz long noodles (I use either rice noodles or Cantonese-style egg noodles)
- 1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (defrosted, if from frozen)
- 4 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large pot to a medium heat and add 1 TBSP of the sesame oil, the coconut (or olive oil), and the garlic, ginger, and half of the chopped green onions. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the carrots, mushrooms and salt. Cook until barely soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken stock, soy sauce and vinegar. Bring the fortified broth to a boil over med-high heat and then reduce it to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add noodles and simmer until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Nestle chicken in, and simmer until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Lastly, add the shrimp (if using). Simmer just until they’re opaque and cooked through; about a minute. Taste your soup and adjust for seasoning.
- Serve the soup with the reserved green onions on top, the remaining sesame oil, and any toppings you like (see note for my favorites). and season to taste with salt and pepper.Â
Notes
Toppings suggestions: water chestnuts, chopped cilantro, pickled jalapeños, toasted sesame seeds, fresh basil, black sesame seeds, spicy chili oil, lime.
