Asian Style Chicken Noodle Soup

It's that time of year! Chicken soup time! Here's a soup that hits the spot when you want chicken noodle soup plus crave Thai or Vietnamese food. It's a mash up of many different cuisines and cultures, making it an answer to many different tastes. 

Ingredients: 

8 oz rice noodles

2 cups water

1 tsp miso paste

1 tsp chicken soup stock base

1 can light coconut milk

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion, sliced vertically

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp curry powder

1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp turbinado sugar

2 carrots, peeled, then peeled lengthwise into strips

2 baby bok choy, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 Anaheim chili, seeded, deveined, and chopped

1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 4 or 5 inch lengths

2 cooked chicken thighs, shredded (see note)

2 Tbs chopped Thai basil

2 Tbs chopped mint

Directions: 

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the rice noodles according to directions, usually about 5 minutes. Drain. Make the soup stock in the pot used to cook the noodles, by mixing the mist paste, soup stock, coconut milk and water together. Bring to a boil, stir to make sure everything is well mixed. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the curry powder and sugar, stirring so that it doesn't scorch. Add the onion mixture, along with the vegetables, lemongrass, and the chicken to the soup stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook a few minutes, just until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is hot. Remove the lemongrass.

Note: if you don't have cooked chicken, use fresh chicken. Slice it into 1/2 inch by 1 inch pieces, then add it to the cooked onion mixture. Stir and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about another 3 or 4 minutes. Then, add the onion and chicken mixture to the broth along with the vegetables. 

To serve, place some of the cooked rice noodles in a bowl. Top with some of the chicken vegetable soup, then garnish each bowl with some of the Thai basil and mint. 

Serves 2 generously, or 4 as a side dish or starter

Stealthy Cooking Tip: I find that it's hard for me to keep fresh ginger, well, fresh. Instead, I buy frozen minced ginger that comes in convenient 1 tsp portions. I find Dorot Brand at Trader Joe's in their frozen food section. Dorot also makes frozen garlic, which is useful if you don't use garlic very often!