MASTERCHEF MAKEOVER John Torode’s Asian chicken soup
This month, BBC Masterchef judge John Torode serves up an aromatic revamp of a favourite Good Food comfort soup
When I think chicken noodle soup, my culinary brain is always transported to Eastern Europe, where chicken soup is both a medicinal and celebratory dish. The Hungarians drop in little dumplings, while Jewish cooks add short vermicelli. This makeover, however, is all about South-east Asia, which is a joy because trying to make Jewish ‘penicillin’ any better would be almost impossible.
Great Asian noodle broths are di erent to stocks. They are not boiled, but are instead gently infused, releasing the flavour of all the aromatics – similar to making a proper pot of tea.
I love Asian noodles, so I’ve taken the liberty of using oodles of them. Make double the amount if you can, because it’s great heated up at this time of year for the kids after school – and because it’s chicken soup, it’s simply so good for you.
Asian chicken noodle soup
This is more noodles and less soup, the way they do it in Asia. The broth should be strong and steaming hot.
SERVES 6 PREP 20 mins COOK 15 mins EASY
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
60ml sake (if you don’t have sake, use vodka) thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks 3 spring onions, inely sliced on the diagonal, and white and green parts separated
150ml soy sauce
4 tsp sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
600g thick white noodles (such as udon) 2 large long red Serrano chillies, seeds left in and sliced on the diagonal
1 large egg, beaten small pack coriander
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds seaweed lakes, to serve (optional)
1 Slice the chicken breasts into strips about 1cm wide and the full length of the breast. Briefly marinate the chicken in the sake and leave to one side for a few mins.
2 Mix the ginger with the whites of the spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic.
3 Put 2 litres of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour in the ginger soy mixture, reduce the heat and cook just below a simmer for 5 mins. 4 Add the chicken and sake mix, noodles and chillies to the stock and turn the heat up. As soon as the broth comes to the boil, turn o the heat. Slowly pour the egg into the broth, stirring all the time. Add the green parts of the spring onions and stir through. Leave to sit for 2 mins. 5 Ladle the soup evenly into six bowls. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and coriander, with a few seaweed flakes, if you like.
GOODTOKNOW low fat • low cal
PER SERVING 297 kcals • fat 6g • saturates 1g • carbs 29g • sugars 5g • ibre 3g • protein 28g • salt 3.8g