This soup was a very pleasant surprise. It’s from one of my favorite food bloggers — Joelen of What’s Cookin, Chicago?
Why the surprise? Particularly since Joelen’s posts always look delicious? Well, because this soup uses those super cheap pre-cooked packaged Ramen noodles. I can’t stand Ramen noodles, because I practically lived off of them in my dorm room at Berkeley in college. But, I was intrigued at how easy this recipe is, and the look of it. So, I caved and gave it a try.
What a fabulous soup! This dish is ridiculously easy and cheap to make and it’s packed with spicy flavor. Even Hubby loved it. But, definitely pay attention to the “spicy” part of the title, because it’s very spicy. Right up our alley, but too hot to ever serve to our kids.
The modifications we made were cutting back to just two packages of Ramen instead of three — this lowered the Weight Watchers Points value, swapping in grilled chicken thighs for the raw chicken breast (more flavor), and sometimes adding fresh shitake mushrooms. And although 8 Points might seam high for a soup, it’s worth it. Trust me.
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce (or to taste depending on your preferred spice/heat level)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed or shredded (we like to grill ours ahead of time, but see Instructions if using raw chicken)
- 2 (3 ounce) packages of dried ramen noodles
- 3 scallions, sliced thin
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
- 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- pinch of red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)
- 5 fresh shitake mushrtooms, sliced (optional)
- Bring broth, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and chili garlic sauce (if using) to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
- If Using Raw Chicken: Add the cut up chicken to the pot and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through.
- Open the packages of ramen noodles and discard the seasoning packet included. Break apart each package of ramen noodles into four chunks (makes it easier to serve and eat the noodles, and place into the broth.
- If Using Cooked Chicken: Add chicken at the same time.
- If Using Mushrooms: Add at the same time.
- Cook noodles, stirring occasionally for few minutes, until they’re just about cooked.
- Stir in the scallions and cilantro and serve in bowls.
- Garnish each bowl with additional fresh cilantro leaves and a drizzle of 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.
- If you like things on the spicy side, sprinkle a few red pepper flakes for garnish too!
