Chicken Udon Noodle Soup

When I started making this recipe I thought, "I see what we're doing here - we're making chicken noodle soup."  I'm familiar with a good chicken soup recipe because my mom makes a really good one and I make it myself when I'm feeling sniffly or sneezy.  But as I started reading the recipe, I soon began to worry: no carrots or celery? no matzah balls??  and we're adding soy sauce???  It's amazing how switching out just a few ingredients gave this chicken soup a completely different feel. I packaged up the leftovers in pyrex containers to bring in to work for satisfying lunches.


I used udon noodles because I already had them in my pantry, but you could substitute any other kind of noodle you like such as ramen, soba, somen, or rice noodles.

Eating these long wet noodles can be a little messy, so you may want to watch this funny and informative clip from the film Tampopo before you dive in:







 Chicken Udon Noodle Soup

 Adapted from NYTimes Recipes For Health

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-3 1/2 lb. chicken, quartered, skin removed
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 piece ginger root, about 2 inches long, peeled and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 pound udon noodles
• 1 5- or 6-ounce bag baby spinach
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

If possible, do this step a day ahead: Combine the chicken and 3 quarts water in a large, heavy soup pot and bring to a simmer. Removing most of the skin from the chicken will make it so you have less fat to skim off later.  Skim off foam and add the onion, ginger root, garlic cloves, pepper, and one teaspoon of salt.  Reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer 40 minutes. Skim occasionally. Remove the chicken pieces from the broth and allow to cool. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred and refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve the soup. Refrigerate the broth for at least 3 hours or, preferably, overnight. Lift off the fat from the surface and discard.


When you wish to serve the meal, remove the chicken and broth from the refrigerator. Bring the broth to a simmer and add the soy sauce and salt to taste. Taste and adjust seasonings.


Add the noodles to the simmering soup and cook for 4 minutes, or according to package directions. Add the spinach two minutes before the noodles finish cooking. To serve the soup, place some chicken in the bottom and then distribute the broth among 4 to 6 large bowls. Top with more shredded chicken and a handful of chopped cilantro.

Serves 4-6.

Leftovers, ready to be eaten for lunches: