Dinner Tonight: Sichuan-Style Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

By
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a food critic at the Chicago Tribune.  His food writing appears in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Epicurious, Baltimore Sun, Serious Eats, Grub Street, New York Magazine, and Tasting Table, among others.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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This is the kind of chicken noodle soup I can get into. It's warming and comforting, with hunks of chicken meat and slinky noodles suspended in a rich stock. But this isn't some bland rendition. No, this soup is imbued with the haunting aroma of star anise and cinnamon, and tickled by the numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper. A sprinkling of chopped chile completes this assertive bowl of soup, which comes together surprisingly fast.

It's another great recipe from Appetite for China. Leeks and mushrooms make up the base, with some soy sauce and rice wine adding a nice depth. But it's the spices that really set the broth apart. Though it tastes remarkably complex, if you have some leftover roast chicken, this meal can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.

Recipe Details

Dinner Tonight: Sichuan-Style Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 leek, cleaned, ends trimmed, hard green parts discarded, and thinly sliced

  • 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine

  • 1 stick cinnamon

  • 1 whole star anise

  • 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 8 ounces Chinese noodles (fresh egg noodles or lo mein)

  • 1/4 pound roasted chicken, shredded

  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

Directions

  1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, Pour oil into medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat. Add leeks and mushrooms. Cook until leeks are soft, about four minutes.

  2. Add chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine, cinnamon, star anise, Sichuan pepper, and black pepper. Turn heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for five minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, add noodles to large pot of boiling cook for exactly one minute less than instructions on packaging say. When timer goes off, drain noodles and transfer to saucepan. Add shredded roast chicken and cook for one minute.

  4. Serve soup in large bowls with garnish of chopped jalapenos to taste.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
619 Calories
22g Fat
68g Carbs
36g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 619
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 1622mg 71%
Total Carbohydrate 68g 25%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 15mg 73%
Calcium 93mg 7%
Iron 5mg 29%
Potassium 1026mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)