Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Soup

While going through my fridge to look for something to eat, I discovered some lemongrass that I had bought at the grocery store, which I had totally forgotten. I originally was planning on using them to make a marinade for lemongrass chicken/pork, but since I had some fresh rice noodles, I decided to use it to make a broth for a noodle soup. The broth is both flavourful and uncomplicated. You’ll taste a hint of lemongrass, along with spiciness from the thai green chilies, and sourness from the kaffir lime leaves.

INGREDIENTS FOR BROTH

Water, enough to cover all ingredients
1 knob of ginger, sliced
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
2-3 stalks of lemongrass, cut into thirds (to fit into pot)
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorn, placed in cheese cloth bag
1 large onion, peeled
Kaffir lime leaves (optional)
3 large chicken breasts
5 thai green chilies, cut in half
Fish sauce, for seasoning

INGREDIENTS FOR SERVING

Rice noodles
Red onion, thinly sliced
Mint leaves, chopped
Cilantro leaves, chopped
Thai green chilies, chopped
Sambal sauce
Lime wedges

Begin by adding ginger, garlic, lemongrass, whole black peppercorn, onion, kaffir lime leaves, chicken bresats, and thai green chili into a large soup pot. Add enough water to cover all of your ingredients. Bring the pot to a boil, and then adjust it to medium-low heat, and allow it to simmer for about 1 hour. When the soup is almost done, remove the chicken breasts from the pot and set it aside until it has cooled down. Once the chicken breasts have been cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones (you can place the bones back into the broth or discard). Shred the chicken with your hands and place it in a container. Going back to the broth, remove the black peppercorn. Taste the broth, and season it with as much fish sauce as you like, but start with a tablespoon and work your way up. Once the soup is to your liking, turn off the heat.

Now, cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on your package. I used fresh rice noodles, so I only needed to cook it in boiling water for about 15 seconds, so if you can get your hands on some fresh ones, please do so. Drain your rice noodles and place it in a bowl. Add some of the shredded chicken in your bowl, along with sliced red onions, chopped mint and cilantro leaves, chopped or whole thai green chili, and sambal sauce. Spoon the broth over the noodles and serve with a wedge of lime. I love having lime with my rice noodle soups because I feel it enhances the broth. If you like, you can also serve it with some bean sprouts as well.

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