A very busy week has passed. I had deadlines after deadlines; working through weekend, not to mention my small workspace at home was in a mess. I even moved it to the balcony while painters were working inside our flat. To make matters worst, I need to get a tooth extracted on Valentine’s Day! The only consolation is that A took me to a fancy dental clinic hehehe so there goes my Valentine date.
My dentist advised against hard or chewy foods for the first week. Ano pa ba naman ang bagay na pagkain sa isang bagong bunot? Bukod sa lugaw edi… noodle soup!
This may be just another noodle soup recipe. But then again… everyone should have a noodle soup recipe – something warm to sooth a sick soul or just one of those days when we just crave for warm soupy comfort. Besides, it is something anyone can handle. There might be few variations on the how-tos – like make the chicken stock from scratch or not, or what vegetables the kids will eat, or what type of noodles to add. Pero yun at yun din yun. No rocket science. Use below as a guideline and cook away.
- 8-10 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 6 cups of chicken stock (make your own or use pre-packed)
- Fish sauce
- Freshly ground pepper
- Salt (optional)
- 350g boneless chicken breast, sliced thinly
- A handful of green beans, cut thinly and diagonally
- 2 bunches of Shanghai bok choy (petchay), bottoms trimmed and leaves washed
- ½ cup fresh wood ear mushrooms, sliced thinly
- Approx. 300g of dry wide wheat noodles
- Ringlets of spring onion
- Toasted garlic
- Start by preparing the crushed garlic, diced onion and carrots.
- Heat oil in a large pot. Add garlic and cook over low heat until golden brown.
- Add onions and cook until soft.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to boil. Drop the diced carrots into the broth and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- During this time, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Add in Shanghai leaves and green beans. Cover and simmer until cooked. Scoop out the vegetables and set aside. Turn heat to low.
- Heat a tbsp of oil in a separate skillet. Stir-fry chicken over medium to high heat for about 3-5 minutes until just right - tender and succulent. Transfer to a platter and set aside.
- Add a tbsp of oil (or less) in the same skillet. Stir-fry wood ear mushrooms for 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook; mushrooms should be crunchy. Transfer to a platter and set aside.
- Back to the pot of broth, turn heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Add fish sauce, freshly grounded pepper and a dash of salt to taste.
- Drop the dry noodles and cook according to packet instructions (usually about 3 minutes) until al dente.
- Arrange noodle bowls next to your hob or stove. Scoop out noodles and arrange into each noodle bowl. Top with cooked chicken and vegetables.
- Back to the pot of broth again, add more water if necessary and adjust seasoning according to your taste. Bring to boil before turning the heat off. Pour soup into each serving bowl and garnish with spring onion and toasted garlic. Serve hot.
Below is my portion with lots of crispy garlic and mushrooms. 
My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.
Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.
I’m sure this is the ideal soup when you have the sniffles or something. Mukhang masap pa!
Oh my that is really good!
Young Coconut
Kim,USA recently posted Young Coconut
I’m craving for a hot bowl of delicious Chicken Noodle Soup right now! Yummy! Here’s my FTF entry: http://www.delightmyappetite.com/2012/02/delicious-spam-musubi-from-mister-musubi/
Tetcha recently posted Delicious Spam Musubi from Mister Musubi!
This looks so hearty and comforting, delicious pics!
the food dude recently posted Meet the Bully Boy Burger at Army Navy
yummmy
i love noodles!
Drooling!!I miss the pinoy style chicken soup~super sarap!!And yours looks delish!
http://ties-bonding.blogspot.com/2012/02/our-10th-anniversary-celebration.html
Happy FTF!
a comfort food. when i’m not feeling well, noodles naiisip kng kainin.:p
oh, ah! oh la la…this is what I’ve been craving for a long time…la lang time to make…lol!
Dhemz recently posted Bam – i
Im craving that too, especially when its raining (“,) visiting from FTF
Sahm’s Dining Diary recently posted FTF # 7: Moist Cakes
Yeah, noodles especially when feeling unwell.
Thanks for the visit, guys
I really don’t know how to cook noodles (except the instant kind). I only get to eat noodle soup whenever I am sick – brother usually cooks it for me. I guess I really have to try cooking my own noodle dish, too.
Hopping here from Food Trip Friday, my entry is posted here:
Pan de Amerikana – Marikina
Happy weekends!
Jenn (Tara, Let’s Eat!) recently posted Recipe | Ginisang Pechay at Tokwa
Looks so comforting. Will try it soon. Visiting from FTF! Here is my entry: http://www.gastronomybyjoy.com/2012/02/chocolate-on-spoon.html
Joy Felizardo recently posted Chocolate on a Spoon
Love the addition of wood ears; the noodle soup looks delicious.
Oggi recently posted Tiramisu Sandwich
yummmy…comfort food! love the loads of crispy garlic on top!
thanks for visiting!
mymy recently posted $75 GC to Palmetto Smocked Tots
yummmm…comfort food indeed! what i love about these noodle soups is that you can add whatever you like, or whatever you have on hand! crispy wood-ear mushroom..haven’t had those in ages!
thanks much for sharing and linking over at Food Friday, Iska
maiylah recently posted Toge Omelette between Buttered Toasts
Isn’t it so versatile?
Thanks, Maiylah! Love Fridays… so much foodies to interact with, so much recipes to learn.
my kids love noodle soup especially when they are not feeling well. thank you for the recipe too. Visiting late from Food Trip Friday, hope that you can return the visit too.
the noodles soup looks very delish and am drooling too
Visiting late this time from Food Friday, hope that you can return the visit too.