Roasted Chicken And Ramen Noodles Soup

I hate it when my little Boy falls sick, even if it’s just the sniffles. I feel as if the universe conspires to make an otherwise sweet Boy feel miserable and sick. The biggest challenge when he is feeling down is feeding him something worthwhile.

It has to be something mild, nutritious, easy to eat and most of all, something he will actually like. Boy likes Chinese food, but only to an extent. He will eat chicken lo mein, fried rice and egg rolls. Believe it or not, his favorite is actually any kind of clear Chinese soup, wonton soup being his current favorite.

I didn’t have time to make wontons anyway, so I decided to do  a simple and quick noodle soup. This soup is so quick and very filling, it can be an actual meal for kids and adults alike. It is more of a cheat’s way of making soup, as I used ramen noodles (Maggi, to us Indians) and some leftover roasted chicken. I used onions, ginger and mushrooms as the base of the soup. The noodles are cooked directly in the boiling hot broth. Any other ingredients like fresh greens or chicken (or both) can be added just before serving.

I have a love-mostly hate relationship with ramen noodles. They remind me of my college hostel days. In India, college hostels for girls are fun, but a big challenge as well. At least mine was. We were always hungry, but since we were literally locked in after dusk, the only thing that kept us going all those long nights were packets of instant noodles. We devoured so many cups of noodle soup that by the time I was in my final year, the sight of a ramen packet used to make me gag. I think I never had them again till a couple of years back.

But mostly, I never use the little packet of taste-maker/sauce included with it. I find it too salty and it is full of suspicious-sounding ingredients. I use the noodles solely for their quick-cooking property. And that’s exactly what this recipe is all about. Just heat up your favorite broth base, add vegetables and protein, cook the noodles for a couple of minutes, and you have a hot bowl of soup in five minutes.

ROASTED CHICKEN AND RAMEN NOODLES SOUP

You will need: (Serves 3-4)

• Oil – 1 tsp
• Onion – 3-4 tbsp, chopped
• Ginger – 1-2 tbsp, chopped or thinly sliced
• Mushrooms – 1/2 lb, roughly chopped
• Low sodium chicken broth – 6 cups
• Dark soy sauce – 1 tsp
• Fast cooking or instant noodles (Ramen or Maggi noodles) – 2 cakes, broken into smaller pieces
• Salt – to taste
• Cracked black pepper – to taste
• Roasted Chicken (or rotisserie chicken) – 1 fully cooked boneless breast, sliced
• Fresh spinach leaves – a handful, optional

How to:

• Heat oil in a large, deep pan. Saute the onions, ginger and mushrooms till onions turn translucent. Add the broth and soy sauce and bring to a rapid boil.
• Now add the noodle cake pieces and cook for 2 minutes or as instructed on the packet. Turn off the heat and do not drain the water. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Keep covered till ready to serve.
• Serve warm soup in bowls with slices of roasted chicken and fresh spinach leaves on top.

Notes:

• I used Maggi noodles in this recipe. Each noodle cake typically serves one and requires 1 cup of water to cook (i.e, fairly dry and not soupy). I have used triple the amount of broth in the recipe. You can add more broth, but I wouldn’t recommend reducing it.
• I have used only two noodle cakes here. But since I added vegetables, spinach and chicken, I got 4 servings.
• Feel free to use your favorite broth, vegetables and meat when making this soup.
• You can also serve boiled eggs with this soup. Or you can try stirring in a beaten egg into the boiling broth, like I do in an egg drop soup.

This was a simple, spur-of-the-moment recipe. I did not intend to photograph it or publish a proper recipe, but it was the little fella himself who made me do it. We spent a lovely half hour in the afternoon, setting up the shoot and clicking pictures.

Do I spy a future photography enthusiast? Be still my heart, be still and just enjoy the little moments!

And… he gave two thumbs up for the soup as well. That’s a win-win in my book! Try this easy, totally customizable recipe the next time you feel like dressing up boring ramen noodles or if you want a quick bowl of comforting soup.

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