ENTREES

Surprisingly Speedy Chicken-Ginger Broth (For Ramen Soup)

During quarantine, I got really into making my own ramen. I made it in the biggest possible pain-in-the-butt way that I could, because honestly: What else did I have to do? Might as well spend two days making soup!

Except I don’t always want to spend two days making soup. Sometimes – like last night – I want truly excellent ramen, except I want it now.

Enter: This absolutely spectacular (ifIdosaysomyself) broth, which blends in hints of lemongrass and ginger to make it a perfect, ever-so-slightly-spicy base for noodles. It’s about two hours start to finish (much faster than most stock recipes), because of a little secret: While it tastes 100% homemade, it actually involves a little cheating (ssh).

Chicken-Ginger Broth (With A Hint of Lemongrass)

What you need:

  • 1 package chicken thighs
  • A few carrots, cut into big chunks
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 whole garlic, cut in half
  • 1 stick lemongrass
  • Shiitake mushrooms (dried and softened in warm water for half an hour, or fresh)
  • Better Than Bouillon (it’s chicken bouillon that comes in a jar, and it really is, as advertised, so much better)

What You Do:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. Pat chicken dry and season generously (I use some garlic powder and Maldon salt).
  3. Smear the ginger on and around the chicken.
  4. Place seasoned chicken on a lightly oiled sheet pan with the carrot, onion, and garlic. This is Cheat #1, to speed up the chicken-cooking process rather than boiling it in the stock pot, which takes forevvvver.
  5. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked and vegetables are softened.
  6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken and vegetables to the pot, and throw in the lemongrass and mushrooms, along with a couple of heaping spoonfuls of bouillon (Cheat #2). Set a couple of the mushrooms aside to use as a topping later, if you like.
  7. Cover, turn down the heat, and let simmer for about an hour and a half, tasting every so often and adding more bouillon as needed.
  8. Strain out the solids, and serve with the highest-quality noodles you can find and whatever toppings you like (I go for a poached egg, pickled bamboo shoots, and some thinly sliced scallions).

homemade ramen chicken ginger broth

Holy yum.

powered by chloédigital