Uplift your spirit with this Korean soup
If it’s homemade, you really can’t lose with chicken noodle soup, can you?
This deliciously simple recipe from Milk Street for “sujebi,” a traditional Korean noodle soup, achieves the perfect balance of umami and spice. It combines shredded chicken breast, carrots and sliced zucchini in a rich and satisfying broth flavored with onion, garlic and three staples you’ll find in every Korean kitchen: soy sauce, chili paste (gochujang) and chili flakes (gochugaru).
Korean hand-torn noodle soup with chicken
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 3/4 — 2 pounds bone in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens reserved separately
4 medium cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided 4-5 teaspoons gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), optional
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 -inch rounds
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise 1/4 -inch thick
Make dough: In large bowl, stir together flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add 1/3 cup water.
Using the heel of your palm, knead the dough in the bowl, swiping along the sides to incorporate dry bits. Lightly flour the counter and turn the dough onto it.
Make soup: In large pot, combine 2 1/2 quarts water, chicken, onion, scallion white, garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, cover partially and simmer until a skewer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken meets no resistance, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together scallion greens, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, sesame seeds and gochugaru, if using. Set aside.
When chicken is done, transfer to large plate. Add carrots to broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, use 2 forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces; discard the skin and bones.
Unwrap the dough. Working beside the pot, hold dough in one hand. With your other hand, pull and stretch small sections of the dough. Drop the piece into the broth.
Continue until you have used all the dough. Stir in the zucchini and shredded chicken. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and zucchini is tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.
Off heat, stir in the gochujang-sesame mixture, then taste and season with salt and pepper.