Chicken

Japanese-Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup

This healthy, Japanese-inspired chicken noodle soup recipe is made with udon noodles and gets a hit of umami flavor from a swirl of miso at the end. To make the miso easier to stir into the soup, combine a little bit of the hot broth with the thick miso to thin it before adding to the rest of the soup.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
  • 3 cups sliced green cabbage
  • 2 cups sliced shiitake or enoki mushrooms
  • 2 cups julienned carrots
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 3 cups cooked udon noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons white miso (see tip)

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and chicken. Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook, turning the chicken occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone registers 165 degrees F, 20 to 22 minutes. Skim any foam from the surface as the chicken cooks. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred.
  2. Meanwhile, add cabbage, mushrooms and carrots to the pot; return to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender, 4 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, salt, pepper and noodles and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in miso.