Noodle Soups
Cooking Skills: Noodles 1
Chapter 3 · Noodle Soups
Skill goal
Make a good broth, cook noodles apart and build a bowl in layers.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A noodle soup has three parts: a good broth, well-cooked noodles and toppings that add flavour and texture. The broth does most of the work, so taste it carefully and season it until it is delicious before anything goes in it.
The broth
- Stock: homemade is best, but a good stock cube or liquid stock works. Dilute it a little less than the pack says, because the noodles and toppings will dilute it further.
- Aromatics: ginger, garlic and spring onion simmered in the stock add depth.
- Seasoning: soy sauce for salt and savouriness, a splash of rice vinegar or lime for brightness, a drop of sesame oil at the end for aroma.
- Very hot: noodle soup cools fast: bring the broth to a boil just before serving and warm the bowls.
Noodles in soup
- Cook them separately in plenty of water, then add them to the bowl. In the soup pot, they cloud the broth and go soft.
- Cook them a little less: the hot broth keeps cooking them.
- Add them to the bowl last, just before pouring in the broth.
- Eat promptly: noodles get swollen and soft if the soup sits.
Toppings
| Topping | Adds |
|---|---|
| Soft-boiled egg | Richness and creaminess |
| Tofu, cooked chicken or prawns | Protein |
| Spinach, pak choi, mushrooms | Fresh vegetables, quick-cooked in the broth |
| Spring onion, coriander | Freshness and colour |
| Sweetcorn, nori | Sweetness and savour |
| Chilli oil, sesame oil, lime | Heat, aroma and acid |
Hot soup and leftovers
Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.Leftover soup: take the noodles out of the broth if you can, because they go soft and swollen as they sit. Cool the broth quickly (within about 1 hour), keep it covered in the fridge, eat within 2 days, and reheat until it is steaming hot all the way through, once only. Cooked noodles keep 1 day.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
A quick chicken noodle soup
A real chicken noodle soup in 25 minutes, using stock and cooked chicken. Cook the noodles in a separate pan: they release starch that clouds the broth if cooked in it.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 1 litre chicken stock (made with 2 stock cubes or home-made)
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stick, thinly sliced
- 1 slice fresh ginger (about 1 cm)
- 150 g dried thin egg noodles
- 150 g cooked chicken, shredded
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper
- Bring the stock to a simmer in a pan with the carrot, celery and ginger. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a separate pan of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
- Add the chicken to the stock and heat until it is steaming hot all the way through (about 5 minutes). Taste and season with soy sauce and pepper. Lift out the ginger.
- Divide the noodles between two bowls, ladle over the hot soup and top with the spring onions.
Hot soup, cooked chicken and leftovers
Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.Cooked chicken: use chicken that was cooked and chilled promptly (within 1 to 2 hours), kept in the fridge and eaten within 2 days of cooking, and reheat it until steaming hot.
Leftover soup: take the noodles out of the broth if you can, because they go soft and swollen as they sit. Cool the broth quickly (within about 1 hour), keep it covered in the fridge, eat within 2 days, and reheat until it is steaming hot all the way through, once only. Cooked noodles keep 1 day.
Allergens: most noodles and soy sauce contain wheat (gluten). Egg noodles contain egg. Check dishes for soy, sesame, peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and shellfish (oyster sauce, prawns), and label them if you share. Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.
Level 2 · Miso
Miso noodle soup
Miso gives a savoury, salty depth for almost no effort. The rule is simple: stir it in at the end, off the boil.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- 150 g udon noodles (dried or fresh), or soba
- 100 g mushrooms, sliced
- 100 g firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 1 handful baby spinach
- 3 tbsp white miso paste
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Cook the noodles in boiling water for the time on the pack, drain and rinse briefly.
- Simmer the stock with the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add the tofu and spinach and cook for 1 minute.
- Take the pan off the heat. Put the miso in a ladle, add a little hot stock, stir until smooth and stir it into the pan. Don't boil the soup again.
- Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle over the soup and top with the spring onions and a drop of sesame oil.
Miso, hot soup and allergens
Miso: stir miso in off the heat or when the soup is barely simmering: boiling spoils the flavour. Miso is very salty, so taste before adding more soy sauce. Some miso and dashi contain fish or are made with barley, so check the label.Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.
Allergens: most noodles and soy sauce contain wheat (gluten). Egg noodles contain egg. Check dishes for soy, sesame, peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and shellfish (oyster sauce, prawns), and label them if you share. Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.
Level 2 · The bowl
A ramen-style bowl with a soft egg
A fast, flavour-packed bowl: gingery broth, springy noodles, a jammy egg and fresh toppings. The soft egg is cooked for a set time then cooled in cold water.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 slice fresh ginger
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 200 g ramen or egg noodles
- 2 Lion-marked eggs
- 2 handfuls spinach or pak choi
- 2 tbsp sweetcorn
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 nori sheet, torn (optional)
- 1 tsp chilli oil (optional)
- The eggs: lower the eggs gently into a pan of boiling water and cook for 6 and a half minutes (for a jammy yolk) or 10 minutes (solid). Move to a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, then peel.
- The broth: simmer the stock with the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust.
- The noodles: cook in a separate pan for the pack time, adding the greens for the last 30 seconds. Drain.
- Divide the noodles and greens between two bowls, ladle over the very hot broth and top with the halved eggs, sweetcorn, spring onions, nori and chilli oil.
Eggs, hot soup and allergens
Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.
Allergens: most noodles and soy sauce contain wheat (gluten). Egg noodles contain egg. Check dishes for soy, sesame, peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and shellfish (oyster sauce, prawns), and label them if you share. Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.
Level 3 · Coconut curry
Coconut curry noodle soup (laksa-style)
A creamy, spicy, fragrant soup. The curry paste is fried first to bring out its flavour. Add the noodles to the bowl, not the pot, so the broth stays rich.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 2 tbsp Thai red or yellow curry paste (check the label for shrimp and fish)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 400 ml tin of coconut milk
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 150 g dried rice vermicelli
- 200 g firm tofu, cubed, or cooked chicken
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 lime, juice and wedges
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the curry paste over a medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the coconut milk and stock, stirring, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the pepper and tofu (or cooked chicken) and simmer for another 5 minutes, until hot through.
- Soak or cook the vermicelli as the pack says in a separate pan or bowl, and drain.
- Stir the spinach and lime juice into the soup. Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle over the soup and top with coriander and lime wedges.
Curry paste, hot soup and allergens
Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.Allergens: many curry pastes contain shrimp paste (shellfish) and fish; check the label. Coconut is classed as a tree nut by some allergy guidance, so check with anyone who has a nut allergy.
Leftover soup: take the noodles out of the broth if you can, because they go soft and swollen as they sit. Cool the broth quickly (within about 1 hour), keep it covered in the fridge, eat within 2 days, and reheat until it is steaming hot all the way through, once only. Cooked noodles keep 1 day.
Experiments
Experiment
Noodles in or out of the broth
Cooked in the soup pot or apart.
- Make two portions of chicken noodle soup: cook the noodles in the broth for one and in a separate pan for the other.
Look for: The noodles cooked in the broth cloud it with starch and turn soft. The separately cooked noodles keep the broth clear and stay springy.
Experiment
Broth strength
One stock cube or two.
- Make two small pots of broth with the same water, one using one stock cube per litre and one using two.
Look for: The stronger broth tastes richer but is saltier, and once the noodles go in it tastes just right. The weaker one can taste thin. Taste before you season.
Experiment
Egg timing
5, 6 and a half and 10 minutes.
- Boil three eggs for 5, 6 and a half, and 10 minutes, cool in cold water, peel and cut in half.
Look for: At 5 minutes the yolk is liquid, at 6 and a half jammy, at 10 solid. Cook solid if you are unsure about runny eggs.
Experiment
Toppings early or late
Greens in the broth or on top.
- Cook spinach in the broth for 1 minute in one bowl and add it raw to the hot bowl in another.
Look for: The cooked greens are softer and milder; the raw ones stay bright and fresh but wilt in the hot broth.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken noodle soup | ||||
| Miso noodle soup | ||||
| Ramen-style bowl | ||||
| Coconut curry noodle soup | ||||
| Noodles in or out | ||||
| Broth strength | ||||
| Egg timing | ||||
| Toppings early or late |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudy, starchy broth | Noodles cooked in the soup | Cook noodles separately |
| Mushy noodles | Overcooked or left in the broth | Cook a little less; add at the last moment |
| Bland broth | Weak stock or no seasoning | Simmer with aromatics; season with soy and a little vinegar or lime |
| Too salty | Strong stock and miso or soy | Dilute with water; use less soy; taste first |
| Boiled miso tastes dull | Boiled after adding | Stir in off the heat |
| Curry broth splits | Boiled too hard | Simmer gently |
Hot soup, miso, eggs and allergens
Hot soup: a ladle of boiling broth causes a serious scald. Keep pan handles turned in, ladle into bowls on a stable surface away from the edge, carry bowls with both hands and let children's bowls cool first. Noodles hold heat, so blow on them before eating.Miso: stir miso in off the heat or when the soup is barely simmering: boiling spoils the flavour. Miso is very salty, so taste before adding more soy sauce. Some miso and dashi contain fish or are made with barley, so check the label.
Eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg. Cook eggs until solid if you are unsure about runny eggs for you or your guests: the Food Standards Agency's advice on runny eggs differs for some groups, so check the current guidance at food.gov.uk.
Allergens: most noodles and soy sauce contain wheat (gluten). Egg noodles contain egg. Check dishes for soy, sesame, peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and shellfish (oyster sauce, prawns), and label them if you share. Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.
Leftover soup: take the noodles out of the broth if you can, because they go soft and swollen as they sit. Cool the broth quickly (within about 1 hour), keep it covered in the fridge, eat within 2 days, and reheat until it is steaming hot all the way through, once only. Cooked noodles keep 1 day.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make a broth and season it well.
- I cook noodles separately and add them last.
- I can build a bowl in layers.
- I can time a soft-boiled egg.
- I handle hot soup and leftovers safely.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Noodles 1, chapter 4 is Cold Noodle Salads: cooling noodles quickly and dressing them well.