Spicy Asian Chicken Ramen Soup

This Asian Chicken Noodle Soup reminds me a little of Pho.  We love Pho! Our favorite place to get Pho in Madison is Saigon Noodles.  If you don't know, Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, rice noodles a few herbs, and either beef or chicken.  When I'm in the mood for Pho and can't get to Saigon Noodles, I'll be making this soup.  The broth has similar flavors, garlic, and ginger.  It's a bit spicy with the chili-garlic sauce added but very flavorful.  I really like that it only makes 4 servings but it would be very easy to double.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger 

1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce

12 ounces-(up to 1lb) boneless, skinless chicken breast *see note below

4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1-5oz or 6oz bag baby spinach

2 scallions sliced thin

2- 3oz pkg of ramen noodles (season packets discarded) *see note below if only making 2 servings now and 2 servings later

garnish with cilantro (if you like) 

Directions:

1.  Bring broth, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce to boil in Dutch oven.  Add chicken and turn down to medium-low heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through about 10 minutes.  Transfer chicken to plate.  When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss with sesame oil.  Add back to broth along with noodles, spinach, and scallions.  Simmer until spinach is wilted and noodles are tender about 4 minutes.

Above is my favorite chili-garlic sauce and I use Kikkoman Mirin.

Use any flavor Ramen because you discard flavor pkg and only use noodles.

*I like to purchase a rotisserie for this soup.  You can skip the cooking and just add the cooked chicken along with the spinach and noodles.  If using more than 12 oz chicken, add more broth.

*If only making 2 servings at a time just cook up one pkg. of the ramen noodles in a separate pan of boiling water for 3 minutes.  Divide noodles into two bowls and pour 2 servings of soup over noodles.  Repeat with the next 2 servings a day or two later.  This way the noodles don't get overcooked when you warm up the soup.