THE BASICS OF
QUICK NOODLE SOUP

Most noodle soups are basically assembly work once you have the stock and your choice of toppings ready. There are some that are more specific and technical like beef pho, but most days, a simple versatile Asian chicken and/or pork stock (see here) is versatile enough to take on all kinds of ingredients and flavours. Most often it involves leftover poached chicken or crudely formed meatballs (see khao tom, here), with some kind of seasonal greens, fresh herbs, and a squeeze of lime or drizzle of fragrant oil to finish.

NOODLES

You can use any noodle you fancy. I tend to use hearty egg/wheat flour noodles for richer broths, and delicate rice noodles or slippery glass noodles for lighter soups; but there are no hard rules. In most cases, you should cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water to avoid clouding your broth. For thin/fresh noodles, you’ll only need a quick blanch to keep them springy; while for rice vermicelli or glass noodles, a 15–20 minute soak in hot water is enough or you’ll overcook them.

BROTH

A basic chicken and/or pork-based stock is usually the go-to (see here); a vegetable stock will work too. You can then flavour the broth with your choice of seasonings, spices, herbs and pickles. The next two recipes show how you can adapt a basic stock for a quick noodle soup bowl, while the recipes after go into the detailed steps for ‘special’ broths.

PROTEIN

Your choice of meat, fish, seafood, tofu, or their derivative balls and cakes (here for springy ginger meatballs; here for fishballs; here for fishcakes)! To keep things exciting, try fried, roasted or smoked variations for different flavours and textures.

VEGETABLES

In Southeast Asia, a bowl of noodle soup is a balanced meal in itself, so it will often come with some kind of blanched greens or mushrooms. Again, don’t be afraid to top your noodle soup with fried (see yong tau foo, here), roasted or pickled vegetables.

EXTRAS

This is where you add the fireworks, rainbows and unicorns. Finish with fried shallots/garlic/ginger (see here), crushed roasted peanuts, or other aromatic crispy things to add crunch and bite. Stir in herbs or thinly sliced spring onions for freshness. Tip in finely chopped bird’s-eye chilli for heat. Squeeze in a wedge of lime to add sharpness to the broth.