Asian Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 25 g fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 large onion
• 1.3 kg soup chicken (1 whole chicken)
• 1 star anise
• 2 cloves Allspice
• 1 large zucchini
• 0.5 stalk scallion
• 50 g glass noodles
• 2 small red chilies
• 0.5 handful Thai basil leaves
• 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• salt to taste
• 3 coriander stems

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and slice the ginger and garlic into thin rounds. Wash the lemongrass and bruise it with the back of a knife. Peel and halve the onion. Rinse the soup chicken inside and out, then place it in a pot with the ginger, garlic, onion, and lemongrass. Add enough water to cover everything and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 1½ hours, skimming off any foam that rises. Add the spices to the soup 20 minutes before the end of cooking.

2. 2.

   Wash, trim, and slice the zucchini into fine strips. Wash, trim, and cut the scallion into thin ribbons as well.

3. 3.

   Remove the cooked chicken from the broth and let it cool. Strain the broth, measure out 800 ml, and reheat in a new pot. Remove the skin from the chicken, separate the meat from the bones, and slice into strips.

4. 4.

   Place the glass noodles in a bowl, pour boiling water over them, and let them soak for 2–3 minutes or according to package instructions.

5. 5.

   Wash the chilies and make several shallow cuts from the tip. Add the chilies, scallion ribbons, zucchini strips, and basil leaves to the soup. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

6. 6.

   Season the soup with soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and salt. Add the chicken meat, coriander stems, and noodles to the soup and warm through.

7. 7.

   Serve in small bowls or ramekins.