Peppery Vietnamese-Style Noodle Soup

2.5 from 2 ratings

I don't like a whole lot of soup in my noodle soup; it always amazes me whenever I go out for noodle soup with a friend how much liquid the noodles are swimming in, and how everyone else can finish nearly a quart of soup on their own, down to the last drop. So, in concocting this dish, I chose to use less soup and more noodles and greens, but that also means that you have to eat this right away, as the noodles will soak up the soup like a sponge. This recipe makes use of a little help from the store — purchase a whole roasted chicken, pull off one of the breasts, and save the rest for another dish during the week. See all soup recipes. Click here to see 5 Slurptastic Noodle Recipes.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 quart chicken stock
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick or 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fish sauce
one 1-inch piece ginger, sliced
1 pound rice noodles
salt, to taste
1 bunch radish tops
1 bunch watercress
1 roasted chicken breast, shredded
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

Directions

Combine the chicken stock, star anise, cinnamon, fish sauce, and ginger in a pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better since it will allow the flavors to really infuse the stock).
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and boil until just cooked through. Drain.
Add the radish tops and watercress to the soup and simmer until wilted. Add the noodles, chicken breast, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves. Remove from the heat and serve garnished with additional mint and cilantro, if desired.