Buckwheat Chicken Noodle Soup

• By
• Caren McSherry

Image by Renée S.

There's nothing like a steaming bowl of chicken soup to bring comfort on a grey day. Substitute buckwheat noodles for a new flavour

Need a reassuring meal? Try this easy-to-prepare soup for dinner tonight.

For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken with tofu or additional vegetables.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. grapeseed oil, divided
• 1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into thin strips
• 4 large shallots, sliced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced thin, white part only
• 1 -inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 -2 Tbsp. Côte d’Azur 2.0 chili paste
• 1 Tbsp. liquid honey
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 (250 g) package buckwheat noodles, cooked and drained
• 1 pkg. enoki mushrooms (stems cut off and mushrooms separated)
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely julienned
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, torn
• 1 lime, cut into wedges for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick frying pan (I prefer Scan Pan) on medium heat.
2. Add 2 Tbsp. of the oil and the chicken.
3. Season with sea salt and pepper and quickly fry until chicken is just cooked through. Set aside.
4. In a 3-litre pot, add remaining 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil. Add the shallots, lemongrass, ginger and chili paste. Sauté over medium low-heat until the shallots soften and the mixture is fragrant. Add the honey and stir.
5. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.
6. Add the reserved cooked chicken, cooked noodles, enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts, red pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil and hoisin sauce. Stir well until all the ingredients are heated through.
7. Add the cilantro and basil, then ladle into bowls and serve with the lime wedges.

Serves 6.

Listen to Caren McSherry Thursdays between 11 a.m. and 11:40 a.m. on CKNW 98.

Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.