Chinese Noodle Soup is incredibly quick and easy – if you know the secret seasonings! You’d swear the Asian soup broth is from a Chinese restaurant, it’s that good. 10 minutes and just 352 calories for a big bowl. Use any noodles, any vegetables, any protein – or not! It’s terrific fridge-forage food.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Fast Chinese Noodle Soup!
This Chinese Noodle Soup is one of my classic “back pocket” recipes because it’s so versatile and incredibly quick. Because people who cook all day for a living need quick dinners for real life – ask any chef!!
Here’s a run down of how it goes:
Broth: Plonk and simmer 6 ingredients for 10 minutes (no trip to the Asian store required!);
Noodles: Prepare fresh OR dried noodles according to packet directions;
Toppings: Rummage in fridge and locate vegetables & proteins of choice. Chop roughly and cook with the noodles or in the soup. broth; and
Serve: Place noodles in bowls. Pour over soup and toppings.
See? 10 minutes!
Seasonings for Chinese soup broths
If you’ve ever been disappointed by a recipe for an Asian soup broth before, it’s probably because it was missing basic but essential flavourings. It takes more than just chicken broth and soy sauce to make a Chinese soup broth!
Here’s what all you need:
Chinese cooking wine – the key ingredient. Just 1.5 tablespoons adds complexity and depth of flavour to the store bought chicken stock. Without it, the broth will taste “flat” ie missing something. Substitute with: dry sherry, mirin or cooking sake. Best non alcoholic sub for this recipe: substituting some of the soy sauce with oyster sauce (which adds extra “umami” into the broth to compensate);
Garlic and ginger – smash the garlic and slice the ginger to allow the fresh flavours to infuse into the broth. Keeping them whole makes it easy to pick out later – you could very well grate them straight into the broth using a fine grater, but you will get little bits in the soup (rather than being a clear broth);
Sesame oil – for the flavour!
Chicken broth/stock – use low sodium otherwise the broth may be a touch too salty for your taste. Use a decent one, because it’s the foundation of the soup broth (🇦🇺 I use Campbells. Better than Continental). Best option if you have it: homemade chicken stock!;
Soy sauce – either all purpose or light soy sauce will work here. Don’t use dark soy sauce or sweet soy sauce – the flavour of these are too intense; and
Sugar – just a touch, to balance out the flavours.
What goes in the noodle soup
And here’s what I put in the soup:
Noodles – Chinese noodle soups are traditionally made with thin egg noodles (pictured above, and below in the soup). Fresh ones (sold in the fridge section) have a better texture than dried. But any noodles will be fine here – fresh or dried, rice noodles, white or yellow noodles, Hokkien, Singapore noodles, wide, thin, vermicelli, ramen noodles (yup!), diet noodles (like konyaku – been there, done that), zoodles (been there too). Really. ANY noodles will be great in this broth!
Bok Choy (also known as buk choi, buk choi, pak choi, or pok choi – crazy right??!) – or any vegetables. I like bok choy because you just split them in half down the middle and bam! You’re done! (Recipe notes includes an extensive list of chopping and cook directions for common vegetables)
Cooked Chicken (poach it using this method that guarantees juiciness)- or any other protein, as desired. Everybody keeps little containers of cooked shredded chicken in the freezer, right?!
Green onion or coriander/cilantro, or chives, or even finely sliced onion (red, white, yellow brown) – something for a little hit of freshness.
How to make Chinese Noodle Soup
And here’s how it happens in 10 minutes. (And to all those cheeky buggers who will point out that if you have to simmer for 10 minutes, then it takes longer than 10 minutes – fine! You can take a 2 minutes off the simmer time!😉)
PRO TIP: Never cook noodles in the soup broth unless a recipe specifically calls for it. Noodles suck up loads of liquid when they cook, so if you do that you’ll end up with way less broth than you expect. Learnt this the hard way. 😖
Make it even HEALTHIER!!
Being that this is a noodle soup recipe and all, noodles are a key ingredient here. Even so, it clocks in at just 352 calories for a bowl.
But if you want to cut down on the carbs and calories even further, just skip the noodles and load it up with tons more vegetables to make a Chinese vegetable soup. In fact, it’s one of my “go-to” diet dinners (which should happen more frequently than it does…).
Do I miss the noodles? Of course I do. But I console myself with a healthy dose of chilli paste and lots of fresh herbs, Chicken Pho style.
But before you make it diet, try it the way it’s intended. THEN healthify it!!! – Nagi x
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Chinese Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Broth
- 3 cups chicken stock/broth, low sodium (Note 1)
- 2 garlic cloves , smashed (Note 2)
- 1.5 cm / 1/2" ginger piece, cut into 3 slices (optional, but highly recommended)
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce , or normal all purpose soy sauce (Note 3)
- 2 tsp sugar (any)
- 1 1/2 tbsp chinese cooking wine (Note 4)
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (optional) (Note 5)
Toppings & Noodles
- 180g / 6oz fresh egg noodles (Note 6)
- 2 large bok choy or other vegetables of choice (use any blanchable veg – Note 7)
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken (or other protein of choice)
- 1 scallion / shallot , green part only finely sliced (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Place Broth ingredients in a saucepan over high heat. Place lid on, bring to simmer then reduce to medium and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
- Meanwhile, cook noodles according to packet directions.
- Cut bok choys in half (for small / medium) or quarter (for large). Wash thoroughly.
- Either cook the bok choi in the broth in the soup broth OR noodle cooking water for 1 min (if noodles required boiling).
- Pick garlic and ginger out of soup.
- Place noodles in bowls. Top with chicken and bok choy. Ladle over soup, garnish with green onions. Great served with chilli paste or fresh chillis.
Recipe Notes:
- Reduce soy sauce to 1 tbsp
- Add 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce (this has umami and will add complexity into the broth flavour to compensate for leaving out cooking wine).
- Fresh noodles, thin (ie from fridge section, this is what I use) – 90g / 3 oz per serving
- Fresh noodles, wide and flat (like thick Thai rice noodles) – 150g/ 5 oz per serving (much denser, so you need more)
- Dried noodles, pasta (yes, really!) – 60g / 2 oz per serving
- Ramen – 1 pack / “cake” per person
- Any Chinese veggies (bok choy/buk choi/pak choi, gai lan/Chinese broccoli, choy sum). Cut Bok Choy into half or quarters lengthwise (pictured / video), for other veg, cut into batons about 5cm / 2″ long
- Carrots – sliced on the diagonal
- Bean sprouts
- Green beans
- zucchini (sliced)
- green beans cabbage (thick slice)
- asparagus, broccoli / broccolini and cauliflower,
- any other vegetable that can be boiled.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published June 2016. Long overdue for a video to be added with brand new photos and process steps!
MORE ASIAN SOUPS YOU’LL LOVE!
Life of Dozer
Baby Hands and Giant Paws. Evidence for anyone who has wondered how small my hands really are. 😉
Absolutely delicious. Husband loved it it so much he’s requested this every night.. even said it might help to shed some lockdown weight
Wahoo!!! Love this! N x
Yum Nagi, another winner! Can’t believe how simple yet tasty this soup was/is. We had it last night, I didn’t have bok choi, but used Asian cabbage, baby spinach and zucchini, with my homemade chicken stock pulled from freezer. Fresh egg noodles, spring onion, and of course the fresh ginger and garlic. This is an absolute winner! Thanks again Nagi. Kate xx
Sounds like you nailed it Kate! N x
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. I unfortunately didn’t have any liquid stock so had to use stock cubes and I added an extra half cup of water so it wasn’t so salty. Was delicious!
Thanks Nagi!
Hello I made this soup Wednesday night and it was delicious! The broth was amazing I could drink it by itself. Thanks for all your recipes!
I just adore the photo of you both. This soup is definitely one I shall make over the weekend. Thanks for all recipes.
Aww shucks, thanks so much Krysia! N x
So simple yet so good, Nagi!
Perfect for a freezing night. Thank you for sharing your recipes ❤️❤️
Well well well!!! What is there to say NAGI What a game changer to a quick takeaway!!
Honestly you have changed our family life in the Kitchen ..I feel so much more relaxed and confident knowing I ALWAYS cook a great meal with your recipes Even Boo Boo my spoodle is loving his Doggie Dinner treats 😉
Now you are talking that’s what I like, Delicious. From tommorow weather is changing for worse vs winter so that’s my menu and making lentil soup with sweet potato onions garlic and will top up with fresh Sorel from my garden and nettles. Dozers legs are so strong not just big. Keep warm and healthy. Ciao.
Sounds delicious Vera!! Stay safe ❤️
This is absolutely delicious,amazed that you can get so much flavour from such a small amount of ingredients,definitely will be making this a lot
Wahoo, that’s great to hear! N x
Nagi,
You and Dozer are at the top of my list when I open my emails. And this soup is “da bomb”. Stay safe and healthy and keep giving us your magic <3
Thanks so much Anna! N x
Can’t believe your fabulous timing on this recipe! Dinner plans changed at the last minute tonight (take away with our son) so I was about to make a dumpling soup instead but your tips will make it even yummier! You are a magic girl!
That’s great to hear Lia! N x
Ever since i can remember i love Asian food.
I love eating it and love cooking it and now thanks to you after all these years
i hope i can do you eBook recipes justice.
I did your Asian Chili Garlic Prawns last night and WOW, beautiful.
Thanks to you Nagi.
Can’t wait to get stuck into more of your recipes.
Thanks so much for the great feedback Michael, that’s so kind of you! N x
Nagi – how could you let all of our Aussie-Chinese fusion soup secrets fly across oceans ? Priceless for ever and ever !! As long as one has tasty stock just follows your fridge and your imagination !! For me ‘left-over’ pork, baby bok choi and snow peas to consider . . . heaps of shallots naturally . . . . shall make ! My fingers are narrower but just as small as yours . . . I know !1
I just have to share the secrets Eha, everyone needs to enjoy! 😂
Needed a quick soup recipe for dinner tonight.. And yay I had all the ingredients! The broth really was superb. My husband said it was the best soup I have made to date. And it was a hit with two kids.
That’s awesome Naomi – thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Whole family loved it. Especially my SUPER PICKY 9-year old son, who ate 3 BOWLS! Can’t wait for more tomorrow, but have to go buy more noodles, my kids ate them all up! Thank you
WOAH! That’s amazing Greg! N x
Oh my, I LOVED this!
I used home made stock and poached a couple of skinless chicken thighs in the broth with the aromatics before adding the shredded meat to the noodles in the serving bowl.
I had button mushrooms and bok choi as my veg and garnished with sliced spring onion and a little sliced fresh chilli.
The flavours were spot on and the mouthfeel of the soup (thanks to slight oiliness from fat from the thighs even though they were skinless) was marvellous.
Thanks, Nagi for another winning dish.
I’m so glad you loved it Paul, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Could you use veggie stock instead?
Hi Danni, you sure can – you may need to add a little salt for flavour though 🙂
Holy freaking good!!! Just made this for lunch. Husband said it looked like a soup bowl from a restaurant. 😊 But for me it was the deliciousness of the broth! (Thank heavens for chicken stock, always in the freezer, on standby.)
Looking forward to making this again and again!
I’m so glad you loved it Sandra!
I made this today. Your recipe is so easy to follow and the notes section is brilliant and funny and dispelled my queries. I adored this meal, as did my husband! I have since spent a fortune on Amazon buying lots of different Chinese/Asian cooking ingredients so I can try making more of your dishes. Keep up the fantastic work Nagi x
Thanks so much for letting me know Mel ❤️
I love your comments that accompany the recipes. I absolutely adore the broth that I get in a Chinese restaurant and am hoping to duplicate it with your recipe. Will let you know!
Love to know what you think once you try it!