Keep germs at bay with this nourishing Asian Chicken Noodle soup, packed with nature’s flu fighters: chicken broth, made with organic chicken bones, plenty of garlic, ginger and chilli.
Ingredients
Chicken stock
• 1 chicken carcass, from a leftover roast chicken
• 2 carrots,
• 2 sticks celery (or Maltese karfus)
• 1 onion
• 1 head garlic, chopped in half horizontally
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorns
Soup
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large piece ginger, finely chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
• 1 chilli, finely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1 sweet red pepper
• 200g baby corn
• 4 litres stock
• Leftover roast chicken
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 200g mange tout
• 400g rice noodles (wide variety)
• 2 limes, juice only
• Handful basil
• Handful coriander
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish
Method
1. Place the chicken bones in a large pot with the vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns.
2. Fill the pot with cold water until everything is covered and bring to the boil.
3. Simmer for approx. 1 hour, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface.
4. Pass the stock through a sieve, discarding the bones and vegetables and keeping the clear stock.
5. To make the soup, heat some sesame oil in a deep pot and gently fry the shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli on low heat until softened.
6. Add the sliced pepper and baby corn and fry for a few more mins.
7. Add the chicken stock and the chicken pieces and bring to a simmer.
8. Add the soy, fish sauce and sugar and allow to simmer.
9. Add the mange tout.
10. Cook the rice noodles in a separate pot according to the packet instructions.
11. Divide the noodles into four bowls and top with chicken broth, making sure to get plenty of veggies and chicken bits into each bowl.
12. Top with fresh herbs, sliced spring onion and sliced chilli.
