Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup
"It has an elephant on it?" -Vilina
"I think that's okay, but the one with the lotus flower is better. Where was it made?" asked Mom.
"I don't know," I replied, attempting but failing to read the label on the rice noodle package as I prepared to make Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup, taking an American classic and incorporating Eastern flavors—namely soy, ginger, and oyster (also, as in all Asian noodle soups, the broth plays a vital but secondary role in relation to the noodles, which take center stage in regards to eating). "I think Vietnam," I answered after closer inspection.
We're a Cantonese Chinese-speaking family, and when I say we, I mean mom and dad. I can understand the language and very occasionally speak it...but reading and writing is a whole new game. Perhaps it would have been different had Mom gotten her way when I was 10, during our last China trip.
Scene: we're eating dinner at my auntie's house in Kongmoon, China—mom's hometown.
"So, I have a wonderful surprise for you!" exclaims mom.
Hoping for a Gameboy Color (sooo early 2000s), I got really excited and asked, "What?"
"I talked to the headmaster at a school here in Kongmoon and they are willing to take you as a student for the year, even with your lack of Chinese. Isn't that exciting?"
"Hahaha, that's so funny mom, but really, what's the good news?"
"That is the good news, I'm not joking," mom said as she turned to my aunties, who nodded in confirmation.
"That can't be right, you're joking, I know you are," I exclaimed, growing desperate.
"I'm serious, and it wasn't easy to convince the headmaster, either—strings had to be pulled."
"NO!—What about my life in America? My friends? School? The TOILETS? I need a real toilet!" I wailed. The harder she tried to persuade me, the more I pushed back.
Hours later she relented, realizing I would never be happy living in China. It's not highly unusual to part with your children "for their own good" in traditional Chinese culture, except that's the thing—my lineage is Chinese, but my identity is American. She thought it was in my best interest, but I saw it as unforgivable abandonment. How different would my life be had I stayed? Who's to know? That's a question for the fortune tellers, I guess.
"I'm sure it's fine," said mom. She proceeded to double check that I had all the ingredients and began to relay the directions.
Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup has a lot of room for flexibility, so you can really make it your own.
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS (FOR 2)
| 4 cups of water | 1 tsp of garlic powder |
| 2 chicken thighs | 1 tbsp of soy sauce |
| 4 peppercorns | 1 tbsp of oyster sauce |
| 1 tsp of salt | 1/2 bag of rice noodles |
| 4 slices of ginger | leafy vegetable* |
| a few sprigs of cilantro | cilantro and scallion for garnish |
* i.e., bok choy, napa cabbage, watercress
PREPARE
1. Combine water, chicken, peppercorn, salt, ginger, and cilantro sprigs in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once the soup comes to a boil, let it simmer for a solid hour (minimum) so that the flavors really have time to mix and mingle**.
COOK
1. While the soup comes together, bring a pot of water to boil and toss in the rice noodles. Stir frequently, cooking the noodles until soft (usually 10 minutes). When noodles are cooked through, drain the pot and drizzle oil to prevent sticking.
2. Chop veggies, scallion, and cilantro—set aside.
3. Once the soup is done, take out the chicken and set aside to cool. In the meantime, skim the fat from the soup while keeping the stock on low heat.
4. When the chicken is cooled, tear the meat from the bone and into a bowl. Mix the chicken with garlic powder, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, then put aside—your chicken is ready.
5. Toss chopped veggies in soup for a minute or two, so that they're just wilted. Take off the stove—you're ready to dig in!
EAT
Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup is a great feel-better food, even if it was never made when we were sick—that's what congee was for. Okay, I digress. Grab a deep bowl and toss in the noodles, chicken, scallion, and cilantro. Pour broth into bowl so that it covers the noodles. I recommend adding fish sauce (it's not everyone's cup of tea, I know) and sriracha for added flavor.
**If you don't have time or don't have the ingredients, you can use chicken stock to poach the chicken.