The anatomy of a noodle soup
November 19, 2009 • Hello. I am currently out of the country and unable to respond to comments and e-mails. Rest assured, however, that future posts have been scheduled so new recipes will go live almost everyday during my absence. I'll be back soon with lots of stories and photos. Ciao for now! ~ ConnieIt is difficult to talk about Asian cuisine without touching on the subject of noodle soup. Noodle soup is found across Asian cuisines from our own La Paz batchoy to the Indonesian (also Malaysian and Singaporean) soto ayam to the Japanese ramen and udon to the Korean janchi guksu to the Singaporean laksa to the Burmese mohinga.
Irrespective of the subtle similarities and the vast differences, there is one common truth— a good noodle soup is based largely on a flavorful broth. What kind of noodle is used, what meat, seafood and vegetables go with it and what assortment of garnishes are added are all secondary. Without a good broth, a noodle soup is a bland bowl of textures and colors.
Where does a good broth begin? It begins with meat or chicken bones, fish heads or carcasses or, in the case of vegetable broth, an excellent combination of vegetables. Herbs and spices are added and everything is simmered for long hours to draw out all the flavors. The reduction results in highly concentrated flavors and these are what make the broth a good base for noodle soups.
It isn’t difficult to make good broth at home. Soup bones are sold in supermarkets at very reasonable prices. Seventy pesos worth of beef and pork bones can make you a lot of broth. And you don’t have to go through the lengthy simmering process each time you want a hot bowl of noodle soup. You can make a large pot of broth, divide them into portions, keep them in the freezer and take out only what you need each time. Here’s my recipe for homemade broth.
Homemade broth
Ingredients:
1-1/2 kg. of soup bones (pork, beef or chicken) or fish heads and carcasses
1 whole garlic, pierced with a sharp pointed knife in several places
2 whole yellow onions, washed and unpeeled (the skins add a golden color to the broth)
1 tbsp. of peppercorns
a bunch of onion leeks
a whole carrot
Place the soup bones (or fish heads and carcasses) in a large heavy pot. Fill the pot with water. Bring to the boil, skimming off any scum that rises. Add the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt. Cover and simmer for two to three hours.
To store: Strain the broth and cool. Pour into individual containers. Freeze until needed.
Now, if you want a quick bowl of noodle soup, here’s what you can do. Remember that leftover meat is great for making noodle soups so don’t think that you have to go out to get a slab of beef or pork or a chicken breast just to make your noodle soup.
Beef noodle soup
Serves one.
Ingredients:
50 to 75 g. of dried noodles
cooked meat or chicken
green leafy vegetables (mustard, bok choi, pak choi or white cabbage, or whatever you have in the fridge)
half of a small carrot
fresh mushrooms, optional
toasted garlic and/or onion bits
finely sliced onion leaves
cilantro
Boil two to three cups of water in pan. In another pan, boil the noodles according to package directions. While the noodles cook, thinly slice the cooked meat (if using chicken, shred the meat by hand). Cut the leafy vegetables into two-inch lengths. Peel the carrot and slice thinly or cut into matchsticks. Slice the mushrooms. Blanch the vegetables in the pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and refresh in cold water.
Drain the cooked noodles and place in a bowl. Top with the meat and vegetables. Pour in the hot broth. Garnish (optional but recommended) with toasted garlic and/or onion bits, sliced onion leaves and torn cilantro, if desired. Presto! A hot bowl of noodles with all the wonderful goodness of fresh ingredients.
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Hi Ms. Connie! I’ve been visiting your site since I stumbled into it last year…I tried the baked mac and it was so yummy…also tried the rellenong bangus and again my kids love it. Thanks for your tips coz I learn so much, they are very practical. I also read some of the comments in your site and I find one that’s so ANTIPATIKAAAA nga!? BTW, where can I but grapeseed oil? He!He!
More power Ms. Connie!
Antipatika comments no longer get past the moderation queue. They’re just heckling anyway.
Grapeseed oil. In Unimart. Although I am not sure if it’s a regular item.
This is where i learned how to make homemade broth. That was years ago when the forum was active. From there i’ve done much more already. Iba talaga when you make your own broth. Noodles soup, lots of different instant noodles soups out there. I have this idea to recreate each one using homemade broth and fresh ingredients then have a photo beside the instant one.
The company that makes the instant noodle soup will be embarrassed hehehehe
From our unsold rotisserie chickens, we make good soup. But with this post, our soups will be taken to a different level. Common sense and practicality doesn’t come second nature if you don’t know the basic anyway
Thanks Connie…Now I can just shred them away and top it on noodles.
Me too, I have maintained doing homemade broths since I learned it from you several recipes back…and I am so thankful to you for this generous tip.
Nice photo again. Ganda ng contrast ng veggies and the broth, lalo na with the blue bowl!
You people really warm my heart, you know that?
Connie, you warmed our soup bowls with great tasting broth.
Happy to do it. Very.
Awww— that is so heartwarming,as well as tummy-filling…can we do a virtual group hug?
More than that. We’ll have a recipe-sharing and photo-sharing site. My way of saying thank you and to encourage readers to share cooking tips as well.
Hi Connie,
I like all your recipes, because it is very easy to understand. Your latest, the anatomy of a noodle soup is the basic. But I would have liked to read about the Vietnamese noodle soup. If you can have your own version of that I would be very grateful.