Spicy Asian Noodle Soup
The blizzard of 2018 passed yesterday, and today we are still stuck inside with temperatures in the low teens. Tonight it’s expected to be in the single digits. There’s no reason to go outside, except to let the dog out. Weather like this calls for the warmth of a hearty soup, and a spicy one at that.
Traditional Asian soups may call for days of simmering bones and secret ingredients. But this quick version of spicy noodle soup is easy for the home cook and readily adaptable. It uses ingredients from a variety of Asian cultures, some of which you can find in a well-stocked supermarket, others of which you will need to purchase at an Asian grocery store or online.
Homemade chicken broth is preferable, but canned works just as well; I often use a combination of both. The ginger and especially the star anise round out the flavor of the broth, giving it a nice warmth. If you want to tame down the spice or don’t want any at all, add less sambal oelek and chili bean paste. It will still taste great. Fresh ramen, udon, or Chinese noodles are great, but any kind of dried noodle will work well too. Toppings are endless. I like roast pork or roast duck I buy in shops in Chinatown, frozen dumplings, almost any kind of mushroom, and some simple boiled greens such as bok choi, Chinese broccoli, or even spinach. A few cooked shrimp are a great addition, as are some crunchy snow peas added at the end. Bon Appetit’s jammiest ramen egg ever rounds out the whole bowl. The variety of toppings is almost endless.
Serves 4, about 45 minutes
Soup Base
3 quarts chicken broth, preferably homemade
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into coins, plus 1½ tsp. chopped
3 pieces star anise
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
white part of 4 scallions thinly sliced (green part reserved for topping)
¼ lb. ground pork
3 tsp. sambal oelek, less to vary spiciness
2 tsp. chili bean paste, less to vary spiciness
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
Possible Toppings:
2 lb. fresh noodles, less if using dried
8 oz. sliced Chinese roast pork or 8 – 12 pieces Chinese roast duck
8 – 12 Chinese dumplings (potstickers)
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 heads baby bok choi, 1 bunch Chinese broccoli, 8 oz. spinach or other greens
8 – 12 cooked shrimp
8 oz. trimmed, sliced snow peas
2 – 4 jammy ramen eggs
- Put the chicken broth in a 5 quart pot and add sliced ginger and star anise. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered while you prepare the other ingredients. Remove the ginger and star anise with a spider skimmer or slotted spoon before serving.
- In a wok or heavy skillet, heat vegetable oil on a high heat. Stir fry chopped ginger, garlic, and white part of scallions until soft, about 2 minutes. Scatter in ground pork, tossing and turning until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add sambal oelek, chili bean paste, and soy sauce, stirring to combine. Cook for another minute and stir in sesame oil. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare toppings.
- Boil noodles according to package directions until just done.
- Slice roast pork or duck to bite size pieces and heat in microwave.
- Boil frozen dumplings according to package directions, until cooked.
- Add sliced mushrooms to broth to cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
- Trim off the lower portion of the stems of the greens and break into individual leaves or alternatively, chop to bite size. Boil in a 3 quart pot of water until just tender, 2 -3 minutes for baby bok choi or Chinese broccoli, less for spinach. (If using baby bok choi or Chinese broccoli, I sometimes slice off and put the thicker stems in first to cook them longer.)
- Boil peeled, deveined shrimp in 2 cups salted water in a 1 quart pot until pink, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Trim and slice snow peas.
- Prepare Bon Appetit’s jammiest ramen egg ever.
- Thinly slice green part of scallions.
- Assemble the soup by dividing noodles among four large bowls and covering with broth. (You may want to use serving bowls.) Divide the pork among the bowls, placing spoonfuls in the center of the noodles. Allow each diner to surround the pork with toppings of their choosing, mounded up separately on top of the noodles. Sprinkle green parts of sliced scallions on top.
