Chicken Noodle Soup, Malaysian Style

I made this on Sunday night and it was so good and satisfying that I just had to snap a picture with my phone and brag about it on the internet. With tender chunks of chicken swimming in a broth filled with fresh rice noodles and topped with chopped green onions, this warm hearty meal is my idea of comfort food.

I added shrimps to build a more flavorful broth but the soup would still have been delicious without them. If you're going to add shrimps, be sure to leave the shell on because that's where all the shrimpy goodness is. Garnish the soup with sliced red chilies and some caramelized onions - or if you prefer to cut your time in the kitchen like I do, keep a jar of store-bought dehydrated fried onions on hand.

Fresh rice noodles
2 chicken leg quarters and 1 chicken breast
4 shrimps with shell on
1 quart of chicken broth/stock - I use a carton of store-bought chicken broth
Water
1 stalk of lemongrass, trim to the thickest part of the stalk and smash with a mallet (or something heavy)
1 shallot, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 slices of ginger root, about ¼ -inch thick each
2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
finely sliced green onions
sliced red chilies
caramelized onions

Heat up the oil in a pot and cook the chopped shallot till it starts to turn golden. Then add the garlic and ginger and continue cooking till the garlic starts to brown.

Pour in the chicken stock and water to desired amount and toss in the lemongrass. Add the sugar and season to taste then let it come to a boil. Drop in the chicken pieces, cover and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook the chicken for about 45 minutes to an hour.

When the chicken is done, shred the meat with 2 forks and then put the shredded meat back into the pot. Stir in the shrimps and cook for a few minutes before removing from the heat.

To prepare a bowl of noodle soup, grab a handful of fresh noodles and place them in a bowl. Ladle the hot broth with a good helping of chicken over the noodles and top with green onions, sliced chilies and caramelized onions.