Hong Kong Style Noodles In Soup Recipe

Slice ginger into thin coins and crush the garlic with the flat of a knife (lightly smashed). Trim and tie the white parts of the scallions in a knot or leave whole.

In a large pot, combine chicken stock and 1 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Add the ginger, smashed garlic, and scallion whites to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes to infuse flavor.

Strain the broth into a clean pot or remove the ginger, garlic and scallion pieces with a slotted spoon. Return the clear broth to medium-low heat.

Stir in 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust seasoning — the broth should be savory with a light hint of soy.

Thinly slice the chicken against the grain into bite-size ribbons. Put chicken in a bowl and toss with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, and 1 tsp cornstarch. Let marinate 10–15 minutes — the cornstarch tenderizes and helps create a silky texture in the soup.

If using shrimp, season lightly with a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Keep refrigerated until ready to cook.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly sear the marinated chicken slices in a single layer until just cooked through, 1–2 minutes per side depending on thickness. Remove and set aside. (Alternatively, poach chicken in broth in the next step for a lighter method.)

Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and julienned carrot; simmer 3 minutes until mushrooms soften.

If you prefer to poach proteins in the broth: add the marinated chicken and shrimp now and simmer 2–3 minutes until cooked through. If you seared the chicken, add it after the noodles as described below.

Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil for the noodles. Cook the Hong Kong-style egg noodles according to package instructions (usually 2–3 minutes for fresh, 4–5 for dried) until just al dente. Drain immediately and rinse briefly under warm running water to remove surface starch and stop cooking.

Add the bok choy halves to the simmering broth for 30–60 seconds if you like them bright-crisp, or 2 minutes for softer stems. Remove and keep warm with the cooked noodles.

If you pan-seared the chicken earlier, return it to the broth now to warm through for 30–60 seconds.

Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry. Stir the broth to create a gentle simmer then slowly whisk in the slurry. Cook 30–60 seconds until the broth slightly thickens and becomes glossy. (Skip or reduce slurry if you prefer a thinner soup.)

Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce if needed to adjust seasoning and a few drops of sesame oil for aroma. Taste and adjust salt/white pepper.

Divide the drained noodles between 4 warmed bowls (about 3 oz cooked noodles per serving). Arrange bok choy halves, mushrooms and carrot attractively on top of the noodles. If you kept seared chicken separate, place slices over the noodles now.

Ladle hot broth and cooked shrimp/chicken over the noodles until the bowls are almost full.

Top each bowl with sliced green scallion, a sprinkle of cilantro leaves and optional fried shallots for crunch.

Serve immediately with extra white pepper and soy sauce at the table.