Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Chicken, Pac Choi and Baby Tatsoi

Published 8:30 am Thursday, November 6, 2014

5 cups chicken broth (store bought)

4 cups water

2 chicken breasts, bone in

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 pound Vietnamese rice noodles, 1/2-inch wide

1 pound pac choi, chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

4 ounces baby tatsoi

Shirachi to taste

In a medium stockpot, add chicken broth, water, chicken breast, ginger, garlic, 1/4 cup each of cilantro and mint and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower fire to medium and simmer for 45 minutes until chicken is cooked. Cook noodles according to package instructions, cool down and set aside for later use. After 45 minutes of cooking time turn off fire and remove chicken breast from pot, allow chicken to cool, debone, discard skin and coarse chop meat and set aside to use later.

Strain stock and return 8 cups of stock back to pot and bring back to simmer over medium heat (if you don’t end up with 8 cups add water to make up difference). Add pac choi and simmer 10 minutes.

Divide remaining 1/4 cup each of the cilantro and mint leaves, noodles, chicken, green onions and tatsoi equally between 4 large bowls. Pour hot broth and pac choi equally over ingredients in bowls. Spice to taste with Shirachi.

Chef Patrick Mould

BestLife Iberia executive chef