Tonight’s East Asian-inspired take on chicken noodle soup offers up a first, comforting taste of autumn. We’re making a broth for delicate rice noodles with hoisin and soy sauces, imbuing the dish with delicious, savory-sweet flavor. The broth also features seasonal vegetables like aromatic baby fennel—perfectly complemented by our chicken’s irresistible five-spice rub (traditionally a blend of fennel seeds, star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon and Sichuan pepper).
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 4 oz Vermicelli Rice Noodles
- 4 Garlic
- 3 oz Cremini Mushrooms
- 1 Scallion
- 1 Baby Fennel
- 1/2 Collard Greens
- 2 tsp Chinese Five-Spice Powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 1 1-Inch Piece Ginger
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Cut the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Remove and discard the collard green stems; thinly slice the leaves. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Cut off and discard the root end of the scallion; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottom and green top. Cut off and discard the stems and root end of the fennel; small dice.
Cook the chicken:
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt, pepper and the five-spice powder on both sides. In a large, high-sided pan (or pot), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, and loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Start the broth:
Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan of reserved fond; heat on medium-high until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and slightly softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the collard greens and ¾ cup of water (be careful, as the water may splatter). Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any fond, 8 to 10 minutes, or until the collard greens have wilted and the water has cooked off.
Cook & dress the noodles:
While the vegetables cook, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook, stirring gently to separate, 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under warm water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to prevent sticking. Return to the pot. Off the heat, add the sesame oil and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the dressed noodles between 2 bowls.
Finish the broth & plate your dish:
Add the garlic, ginger, white bottom of the scallion and fennel to the pan; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil.) Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and 1½ cups of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced in volume by about half; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide between the bowls of dressed noodles. Slice the cooked chicken; divide between the bowls and top with spoonfuls of the broth. Garnish with the green top of the scallion. Enjoy!