Yesterday’s snow storm got me holding tightly onto my soup bowl. Imbued with flamboyant flavouring and warming spices. Thukpa is a generic term for any soup combined with noodles. Here I’m using chunky pieces of chicken breast and egg noodles.
It is often served in small bowls where the vegetables and/or chicken are eaten with chopsticks and the soup drunk straight from the bowl. It makes a delightful change.
A fragrant, hearty soup that is easy to prepare and is wholly wholesome.
I’ve had it while I was roaming in Toronto and I was besotted by the dish as it was simply hard to believe that something so simple to make with such basic ingredients could be enormously delicious. I knew right away, that I had to try and make this at home.
The noodle soup can be quite spicy in itself but what makes the soup stand out is the use of fresh ingredients. It is simple to make and takes 20-25 minutes. For added comfort, it is very heart warming and satisfying. A dish so suited for a cold winter night.
Some add fish sauce for that sour taste, however I used lemon juice and actually enjoyed the sour, fresh tangy taste it brings to the soup. Adding honey, acts as a balancing agent to cut through the sourness and spiciness.
The broth can become quite spicy, however, if you fear the heat or burn, simply add less green chillies. Freshly chopped coriander to garnish delivers a mouthful of flavours.
If you are a vegetarian, you can still use this recipe by omitting the chicken pieces and replacing it with extra vegetables like cabbage, spinach and/or green peppers. It’s so delicious, hearty and wholly nutritious.
Chicken Thukpa Tibetan Soup
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast (chunky cubes)
- 1 packet egg noodles or noodles of your choice
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 red onion (sliced)
- 1/3 cup finely sliced carrots
- 2 green chillies (chopped)
- 3-4 leaves of cabbage (finely sliced)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 thumb sized ginger (julienne slices)
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp jeera powder (cumin powder)
- salt as per taste
- 1 tbsp honey
- For Garnishing:
- chili crisp oil
- freshly chopped coriander
- fresh spring onion greens (optional)
- thinly sliced ginger
Instructions
- Noodles:
- Bring to boil about 2 litres of vegetable, chicken or beef broth or salted water.
- Drop noodles into boiling broth.
- Reduce heat to a slow boil and cook for 20 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Stir occasionally to keep noodles from sticking to the bottom and each other.
- Soup:
- Take a deep bottom saucepan and add the olive oil. Add in the red onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Allow that to fry until the aromas are released for about 1-2 minutes.Next add in the carrots and green beans and sauté on high heat for 5 minutes stirring continuously.
- Add the sliced cabbage if using. Continue to stir on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Drop in the chicken and add the salt, black pepper, chili powder, turmeric, jeera(cumin) powder and salt. Sauté on a high flame.
- Now add the soy sauce, lemon juice and chopped coriander. Mix it well while keeping the flame high. Sauté this for roughly 2-3 minutes. Do not cook the chicken at this stage as the chicken must cook when boiled so that the broth gets all the flavour.
- Add in 2 cups of water or desired stock of choice to the pot and mix well. Cover this and let it boil on a high flame for 10 mins.
- Mix in the honey.
- Check the taste to see if you need more lemon juice or salt.
- Place noodles into bowls and add the chicken soup over it.
- Garnish the dish with chili crisp oil, sliced ginger, red chilli flakes, green chillies, and/or spring onion greens.
- Use whatever garnish you have, as any is optional.
